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Discussion > Brexit meets Climate Change

During all the fuss about the Tory leadership voting this week, the old trick of shoving out bad news when nobody is looking was used once again, the fifth Carbon Budget went through the house like colonic irrigation!
This caused me to revisit some 'old' news which better informed me about certain things (many apologies if you know all of this ^.^)
There have been inaccurate claims that Brexit will change our Climate poilicy, that is not true because we have the Climate Change Act still in force but do you know which politician first promised to put Bryony Worthington's ideas into a Climate Change ACT? It was good old 'call me Dave'. Right after he was elected as the leader of the Conservative party and promising "the greenest government ever" he was visited by the young environmentalist. Cameron was delighted with her ideas and promised her that he would publish a Climate Change Act containing all her opinions.
Labour heard about this plan and it was David Milliband (running DEFRA), not red Ed who summoned Bryony and told her to create the act in 3 months, stealing poor old Dave's thunder. David Milliband demanded the 3 month period because he believed he was going to be moved to another department and wanted the credit.
I do not believe Cameron would ever have repealed the act.

Jul 3, 2016 at 12:26 PM | Registered CommenterDung

I do not believe Cameron would ever have repealed the act.

Jul 3, 2016 at 12:26 PM | Dung

Which Cameron, Sam or Dave?

http://www.bishop-hill.net/blog/2011/9/27/guilty-men-and-guilty-women.html?currentPage=2

Jul 3, 2016 at 1:28 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

golf charlie
There are very few UK politicians prepared to face the greenblob head on and repeal the Climate Change Act. I don't think any are likely to be our next prime minister.

Jul 3, 2016 at 1:37 PM | Unregistered CommenterSandyS

SandyS, as Phillip Bratby (and others) has pointed out, the Secretary of State can amend EU targets with the flick of a pen.

So much has been done "because we have to, to meet EU Targets etc", it seems the CCA can be neutered with a few choice cuts and slices, as and when required.

As power generation is (for me) the big issue with Green Blob/EU stupidity, I look forward to "meeting EU Climate Change Targets", being removed from all justifications for closing functional power stations, and replacing them with Unreliable solar and wind etc.

This should help keep what remains of British industry and manufacturing in Britain. It might even attract some from Europe.

Jul 3, 2016 at 2:26 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

AS GC rightly pointed out I should be crediting Sam & Dave and not just Dave with the destruction of our heavy industries, but either way it is them and not just the EU who have been plotting our demise.

Jul 3, 2016 at 3:00 PM | Registered CommenterDung

SandyS

There are many Conservative MPs who are willing to face the green blob including Owen Patterson who is now supporting Andrea Leadsom. Patterson basically got sacked because of what he wrote about the CO2 rubbish and the fact that he supports Leadsom gives me hope ^.^

Jul 3, 2016 at 3:06 PM | Registered CommenterDung

What happened? I went away for a week, just as the Brexit vote was announced.

Shortly after it seemed that Boris Johnson would be the next prime minister.

Now I am back and it seems that somebody called Michael Gove - who I have never heard of before but seems to look remarkably like Chris Evans, but possibly be less likeable as a person - is said to have "stabbed Boris in the back" and to have destroyed his career along with his prospects of being the next PM.

Anyone care to explain (in just a line or two) how that was possible and how it was done? Anything to do with Boris being a climate denier?

Jul 3, 2016 at 5:26 PM | Registered CommenterMartin A

Gove waited until the morning on which the declarations needed to be made and then announced his own candidacy without first telling Boris, what an arsehole!

Jul 3, 2016 at 5:56 PM | Registered CommenterDung

Looks like the Home Secretary is way ahead of the field in the race for PM. Not sure how she stands on the climate change BS but she has been resposible for immigration from outside the EU for the last 6 years which is supposed to be controllable which conveiniently kept pace with the EU immigration. I wonder why that was?

Jul 3, 2016 at 6:27 PM | Unregistered CommenterMartyn

Martin A, I think Boris was quietly informed that he was not likely to win. Sarah Vine (aka Mrs Gove) accidently copied an e-mail to someone who took it straight to journalists, suggesting that Boris could not be trusted.

A week is a long time in politics in the Conservative Party at the moment, but at least they have all agreed to elect a new Leader.

Corbyn may be waiting to see how many of his opponents get wounded by the Chilcot fall-out. Detonation is Wednesday I think. Certainly Momentum are eagerly awaiting further casualties of the Gulf War, and most Momentum dominated Labour constituency parties are hoping for a 'reign of terror' reminiscent of the French Revolution. Momentum are celebrating the defeat of the original coup against Corbyn, and think Labour will be more electable following a counter-revolution.

By keeping their heads down, and mouths shut, the Liberal Party have had their best week for about 3 years. No one has remembered who they were, or where they are.

Jul 3, 2016 at 9:55 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Dung, gc, thanks for that. If Boris's career could be wrecked by Gove's weaselish behaviour or by one leaked email, perhaps it was a pretty fragile thing anyway.

But such shenanigans convince me more and more that both parties represent only the political classes and not the population at large.

Jul 4, 2016 at 6:19 AM | Registered CommenterMartin A

Martin A

see if you can find a video of Andrea Leadsom's leadership bid around 12.00 a.m. today (on BBC news prog I think), she was particularly impressive when answering questions. May must agree with me because Hammond has already criticised Leadsom's speech where she gntd that EU citizens already in the UK would be protected.

Jul 4, 2016 at 12:54 PM | Registered CommenterDung

Martin A, most politicians will do or say what it takes to keep their job at the next election.

When campaigning to be a Party Leader, the stakes are higher, and the tactics dirtier. The winner of the Tory Party contest immediately becomes Prime Minister. His or her chances of winning the next General Election will depend on whether there is an Opposition that is credible outside the paid up Membership of the Labour Party.

Jul 4, 2016 at 1:02 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

Jeremy Corbin the new leader of UKIP. Ouch!

Jul 4, 2016 at 7:10 PM | Unregistered CommenterMartyn

Dung
The only thing I've heard Andrea Leadsom say is that We're headed for the sunlit uplands of a post EU life. Has she expanded on that? If not could you explain what it means is real terms because for me it is totally meaningless.

Jul 4, 2016 at 8:36 PM | Unregistered CommenterSandyS

Martyn, Corbyn could apply to be the new lead presenter of Top Gear. We know already he has the overwhelming support of the Labour Membership, for whatever he does.

Jul 4, 2016 at 9:54 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

SandyS

Full launch video is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezy1WUTUYE8

Jul 5, 2016 at 12:43 PM | Registered CommenterDung

oops the first video does not include the Q&A section which is better because she is more relaxed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbv8vBr9_u8

Jul 5, 2016 at 1:06 PM | Registered CommenterDung

To get back to the point of this thread (sorry ^.^) I really did not know about Cameron's connection and nor did I understand how Bryony Worthington came to write the Climate Change Act.
The Baroness was an English Literature graduate at Cambridge, I checked the syllabus and it does not include climate issues ^.^ Her first job gives a clue though: She worked for (mid 1990s) Operation Raleigh as a fundraiser (Raleigh International is a sustainable development charity) and by 2000 had moved to work for Friends of the Earth as a climate change campaigner. There is no evidence that she ever studied climate, geology, mathematics or statistics above GSE level and yet this woman was selected to create an act of parliament that would end up costing the UK over £1.5 Billion. Working for a Sustainability charity as a first job suggests that like Lord Debon she bases her opinons upon the idea that global resources are being used up too fast and not upon any knowledge of the climate change debate.
Any comments?

Jul 5, 2016 at 1:43 PM | Registered CommenterDung

Dung. Apart from the three usual suspects, who is going to argue with you? The Climate Change Act is a disaster, whoever wrote it (the final version would have been the product of many, perhaps hundreds of people). What's to discuss? Even Ayla (halo be her name) might only stir a handful of comments.

Jul 5, 2016 at 2:14 PM | Unregistered CommenterAlan kendall

Dung, Bryony Worthington has at least become an advocate for nuclear power, even if she mistakenly thinks it is to ward off the supposedly greater evil of cAGW. It can be interesting to see how greens behave when faced with the options of two different ways to the 'end of the world', or to continue actually caring for the welfare of human beings.

Of course, many of them opt for the end of human civilisation first, without waiting to see if their end of the world scenarios look like proving false (which they always do). Worthington gets a small amount of credit from me for implicitly recognising, late, that humans should actually come first: That energy supply is paramount, and not something as substitutable as carrots and broccoli. It is a pity she didn't give it the same amount of thought when she was in upper government circles, writing acts of parliament on technical subjects with a background in English and environmentalist whingeing[*].

Her case is similar to Patrick Moore, ex-Greenpeace. He now speaks persuasively of the evils that his former associations has engendered, while maintaining the dignity of his original good intentions. Bryony Worthington has a way to go yet before she can match Patrick Moore.


[*I love defensible examples which are not "I before E, except after C]

Jul 5, 2016 at 2:30 PM | Unregistered Commentermichael hart

Dung, nobody can be expected to have expertise in all areas. Bryony did have expertise in gaining access to people in all areas, who would tell her what she wanted to hear.

Miliband and Cameron had both been told what they needed to hear, to convince them that Bryony was saying what they wanted to hear, and so they both listened to Bryony, and told their MPs to do the same, which most of them did, convinced it was what the electorate all wanted to hear.

Belatedly, Bryony has realised that Renewable energy was a con, it was simply Unreliable. Bryony admitted this having taken on other interests outside the House of Lords.

Nobody else knows, what else Bryony now knows she was wrong about, when Ed and Dave were listening to her. But the Climate Change Act is why I favoured leaving the EU. Nice one Bryony!

The Climate Change Act was used as the gold standard by which other countries and the EU created similar legislation, and as EU industry has declined, many Indian and Chinese millionaires must go out for a slap up English Meal to celebrate.

Jul 5, 2016 at 4:19 PM | Unregistered Commentergolf charlie

golf charlie
But the Climate change Act was a self inflicted wound aided and a abetted by the UN as well as the EU. Leaving the UN might have been a more cost effective solution. At least the UK got something back from the EU, exporting aged and infirm pensioners like Mrs S and I for one.

Jul 6, 2016 at 9:56 AM | Unregistered CommenterSandyS

It was a self inflicted wound by Sam & Dave, not the UN or the EU.

Jul 6, 2016 at 11:17 AM | Registered CommenterDung

Lest we forget Bryony Brownouts, and Bryony Blackouts, when and if the time comes.
=================

Jul 10, 2016 at 5:44 AM | Unregistered Commenterkim