We are pleased to report this week that at least some local Green Party members are prepared to take a pragmatic line on global warming and future energy supplies.

We refer to Green party campaigner Mark Lynas, of Wolvercote, who this week stated that if you ruled out nuclear power as an energy source you would not be able to close coal-fired power stations.

Mr Lynas says that if you are serious about tackling global warming in the next few decades then you will not achieve that solely by treading the renewables route.

Of course, this is not rocket science — indeed it is a mainstream view — but coming from a stalwart of the Green Party it will significantly strengthen the Government’s case for new nuclear power stations.

We need a balanced energy policy that powers our homes and businesses from a variety of renewable and low-carbon sources. It is hard to see how nuclear could not be a significant part of that.

The biggest question can only be how you dispose of the waste generated by nuclear power stations.

Mr Lynas was not the only Oxford Green to suggest this week that nuclear power had a role to play in future energy policy.

Chris Goodall, the party’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Oxford West and Abingdon, said this week that he would prefer to have nuclear power than to see the coal-fired Didcot Power Station remain open.

There was some suggestion that the Green Party could deselect Mr Goodall as its candidate as his views were so out of line with those of the Green Party.

We would venture to suggest that Mr Goodall’s views make him more rather than less electable as a potential Green MP. Indeed, if the Greens do aspire to play a role in national parliament or government then these are just the sort of questions they will need to address.