The Lib Dem challenge

So conference season starts today with the Liberal Democrats in Brighton. I am just finishing up in Canonbury Villas before heading off to Victoria and a train trip to the seaside.

Three party conferences in three weeks will be hard work. But they are a great opportunity to meet key advisers and politicians away from the pressure of Westminster. I am an unashamed political obsessive, so I'm looking forward to spending 18 hours a day talking politics and the environment.

Greenpeace has a really exciting plan this year to make a big impact on the policy debate. We have a team of volunteers at every party conference who are out and about convincing people that nuclear power will cost billions of pounds and is a dangerous distraction to fighting climate change. We are hosting two big fringe events: one on decentralised energy, the other on aviation. And we are also speaking at loads of different events.

All that and we are throwing our weight behind the Climate Clinic. Creative genius Bob Wilson (our special events organiser) and his team of Greenpeace volunteers went down to help with the set-up yesterday. I can't wait to see it. You don't need a pass to visit the clinic, so if you are in Brighton and have time, come and say hello.

The Lib Dems are promising to put the environment at the heart of their debates this week, but the media are going to be more interested in whether Ming Campbell can survive as party leader. It will be a shame if climate change is over shadowed by a party trying to change its leader.

More later when I get settled into Brighton.