PM merely fiddles while planet is burning

Long-term action to tackle our climate crisis should not be traded in return for shortterm political popularity. This appears to be the tactics of our Prime Minister though as he gives into pressure to back away from strong action in light of a perceived loss of support in the run up to the next general election. Following the recent by-election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, in which the Labour candidate failed to overturn the Conservative majority because of the unpopularity of plans to extend London’s Ultra-low Emission Zone, he said that such measures should not “unnecessarily give people more hassle and more costs in their lives”. He has also started to backtrack on the development of

By KELVIN CLAYTON West Dorset Green Party

low traffic neighbourhoods. As it looks as though there will be a debate with the Conservative party on such trade-offs I would welcome to hear the views of West Dorset’s MP, who has been relatively quiet on climate issues.

Worse than this, according to analysis carried out by the ‘TheyWork ForYou’ website, Chris Loder has generally voted against measures to prevent climate change. In fact the last really positive comment from him I can find is “We have already begun in West Dorset, and nationally, to put changes in place to protect the environment and deal with the climate crisis. However much more needs to be done, everybody acknowledges this.”

He said this in November 2019, just before he was elected at the General Election.

Scientists have been unequivocal in saying that the July heatwave experienced across Europe was ‘near impossible’ without climate change. And it’s not just Europe. China has just recorded its highest ever temperature of 52.2oC, and in the US, Phoenix, Arizona had 19 consecutive days above 43.3C. As a recent article on the BBC news website says, the “Earth is in uncharted waters as climate records tumble”.

In the light of all this evidence we need strong political leadership. Yes, some of the measures necessary may be unpopular in the short term, but that shouldn’t stop politicians from acting in the long term interests of global humanity. Our climate crisis is too important to be used as a means of securing votes at the next election.

Politicians, including Chris Loder, need to stand up and take a lead regarding climate issues.

They need to selling both the benefits and the absolute necessity of taking strong action now. If they don’t, in the words of the American novelist Kurt Vonnegut, “We’ll go down in history as the first society that wouldn’t save itself because it wasn’t cost effective”.