Senators - Mark Forskitt
Mark Forskitt is a member of the 2020 group, who already has political experience as a former county councillor in the UK.
He's opposed to an increase in population saying Jersey needs to strike the right balance between growth and sustainability. He believes it's vital to protect the environment and the island's open spaces.
[ Source : BBC Jersey ]
Mark Forskitt (47), from St Ouen, will stand as part of the political group Jersey 2020 in a bid to address environmental issues. The software developer, who also runs the family painting and decorating business, said that open spaces and the agricultural landscape of the Island had to be protected at all costs.
He added: "The Island that gave the world the Royal potato, the Jersey cow and the world-beating Durrell has a lot of credibility in talking, growing and conserving. Developed properly, we could organise the information, the skills and the training to offer the world the chance to learn what we have done and how they can do it too in a local, sustainable way."
Mr Forskitt joins Daniel Wimberley and Nick Palmer to form the informal group Jersey 2020, which is not a party and has no officers or funds. The three will be standing on the same environmental ticket at the Senatorial election on 15 October. They believe that runaway climate change is the most serious issue facing Islanders today.
[ Source : This Is Jersey ]
Proposers
- Derek Facey
- Jacqueline Jones
- Stephen Jones
- Ruth Queree
- Audrey Forskitt
- Helen Weston
- Brian Adair
- Brian Morin
- Paul Hammarsal
- Maya Hammarsal
[ Source : Channel Online ]
Senatorial Nomination
Candidate Mark Forskitt was a man of honesty and integrity who was well suited for the position of Senator, said proposer Derek Facey. Mr Facey said that he had known Mr Forskitt for more than 30 years and said that he was hard-working and was fit and prepared to stand in the election. He was educated at Victoria College and the University of Nottingham. The software developer, who also runs a family painting and decorating business, believed that open spaces and the agricultural landscape of the Island had to be protected at all costs.
Mr Forskitt, aged 47, who was once a county councillor in the UK, believed that runaway climate change was the most serious issue facing Islanders today. Mr Forskitt, who lives in St Ouen, believed that Jersey – an Island which had given the world the Jersey potato and the Jersey cow – had a lot to offer the world.
[ Source : This Is Jersey ]
Election Manifesto - 200 Word Version
The key issues I want to pursue are island wide, if not global. Seeking an island wide mandate therefore seems most appropriate.
I want the States to engage the Jersey people in a genuine, open-minded and well informed debate on the future of Jersey – the sort of thing Imagine Jersey 2035 should have been. That woefully inadequate and predetermined event failed to mention, let alone consider, the looming global threats of climate change and peak oil. It delivered the establishment desired 'go for growth' outcomes by ignoring all other possibilities and focussing solely on the financial dimension of the ageing population issue. In doing so it not only delivered invalid outcomes, but also seriously damaged the goodwill and trust of the public. The implicit assumption behind Imagine Jersey 2035, that the ‘business as usual’ model of the world would suffice, was grossly negligent. The population growth outcomes it delivered fly in the face of all we know that we have to do to avert and ameliorate the impacts and repercussions of climate chaos and oil depletion.
Sustainability, social justice and open, informed consultation must be at the heart of our strategy and thinking across all departments.
[ Source : Vue Des Isles ]
A video of Mark Forskitt's election manifesto is available on Channel Online
Election Manifesto - BBC Version
What is this election all about?
It's not simply selecting six senators to send to the States. Its not even about picking preferred policies. For me this election is all about the strategic direction of the Island for the next ¼ century or more. Its about whether we face up to the looming challenges and difficult decisions arising from Peak Oil, climate change and world population growth. OR do we continue to party like first class passengers on the Titanic, ignoring the risks, believing our vessel is unsinkable .
Already we have made decisions to deliberately increase population on our small island without considering the implications of those momentous forces. Increased population implies increased consumption, more CO2 emissions, additional building activity, extra strain on infrastructure all accompanied by loss of open space and agricultural land. This contradicts all we know we have to do to avoid, or at least ameliorate, the impacts of climate chaos and oil depletion.
Take food. Prices have soared, even before GST is added. Last year wheat stocks reached a 50 year low, and the UK harvest this year will be poor again. Rising world population and changed diet will add to the pressure. Oil depletion will make matters worse. Agri-business runs on oil. Not just tractor fuel, but artificial fertilizer production, pesticides, grain drying , storage, refrigeration , distribution too.
We are at the end of that chain, we import most of our food; we have to take the price that's offered, and as oil depletions starts, and supplies fall further behind demand, oil prices will soar further, and with it food prices, and much else too.
Jersey needs to build an economy resilient to these external pressures. We have to make full use of our resources in a sustainable way. We should diversify our economic base. Eco tourism is a possibility, and the early adopter opportunities of ecological economics should be actively perused.
We need a food security policy. The States should provide allotments across the island. We need to adopt a dynamic organic market garden food production model supplying the local population. We need to protect our agricultural land from further development.
We need to become self reliant in energy. The French have already made it clear they will hold down internal prices. By implication prices to us will rise. Widespread micro-generation and the early adoption of marine tidal power are the best prospects we have.
We need to make urgent and challenging changes in society, in business, and in our personal lives. Imposing those changes will only produce resentment and resistance. The States must win back the trust of the people, engaging in genuine, open and informed debate so we can move forward in a consensual manner.
It is not simply about selecting six senators for the States, it's about the actions we all must take to secure our future.
As Ghandi said – "be the change you want to see in the world".
An audio version of this election manifesto is available from BBC Jersey
[ Source : BBC Jersey ]
A video of Mark Forskitt's election manifesto is available on Channel Online
Biography
Age: 47
Family: Partner and two young children
Education: St John's School; Victoria College; University of Nottingham (BSc, PhD)
Occupations: Smallholder, business administrator, software developer, in varying amounts
[ Source : This Is Jersey ]
Sometime research engineer, organic smallholder, campaigner, micro business entrepreneur, software designer, C.O., care leaver and father.
[ Source : Mark Forskitt ]
Summary
Horticulture would be the best description of the current main research project. Add a drizzling of software maintenance and design, and a side order of painting and decorating to get the complete menu. You didn't really expect the standard approach from me did you? I detest mono-culture in work as much as in growing. Diversity is the spice of life, n'est-ce pas?
I am not interested in software projects unless they can be executed from Jersey and either run in the winter, or can be an ongoing low level maintenace project. Odd days from trusted acquaintances to talk over new projects or research ideas are however fine.
It's all about diversity and implementing innovation with cross pollination from diverse industry experience.
Specialities
- Implementing Innovation.
- Organic micro-farming.
- Software maintenance and integration.
- Knowledge management.
- Technology research.
Experience
Owner - Consultats Scientia a.r.l.
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Farming industry)
1997 — Present (11 years)
Consultant - Itex (Jersey) limited
(Public Company; Information Technology and Services industry)
2001 — 2002 (1 year)
Chief Engineer - Infobank
(Computer Software industry)
1999 — 2001 (2 years)
Director - EPL Consulting Services (Commerceworks)
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Computer Software industry)
2000 — 2001 (1 year)
The other bits of EPL from acquision by Infobank. Reorganised into Commerceworks
Managing Consultant - Elliott Pearce (EPL)
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Computer Software industry)
1997 — 2000 (3 years)
Managing a profitable specialist team of developer consultants in e-commerce and B2B until acquisition by Infobank.
Project manager - ITEX
(Public Company; 51-200 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)
1995 — 1997 (2 years)
Carboots!
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Retail industry)
1990 — 1995 (5 years)
Knowledge engineer - BHR Group (SFK Technology)
(Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Computer Software industry)
1990 — 1995 (5 years)
Various positions in software development, knowledge management, project management. Training coordination for several cohorts of doctoral students on postgraduate training partnership.
Software Engineer - Castle Rock Consultants
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Civil Engineering industry)
1988 — 1990 (2 years)
Research Assistant - The Queen's Medical Center
(Non-Profit; 1001-5000 employees; Hospital & Health Care industry)
1987 — 1988 (1 year)
Education
University of Nottingham
Ph.D., Computer modelling mechanical properties, 1983 — 1988
Activities and Societies: Student union officer (education, comunications), Chair Nottingham area student council, National political officer Union of liberal students, Ordo Caligulae (1989)
University of Nottingham
B.SC., Metallurgy & Materials Science, 1980 — 1983
Activities and Societies: Sherwood Hall
Victoria College, Jersey
1972 — 1979
[ Source : Mark Forskitt ]