Politiek ontwaakt uit groene droom

Christopher Booker:

As the great global warming scare continues to fade away, the real problem is that our politicians have so much collective ego invested in this delusion that, even when hell freezes over, they will still find it impossible to admit they got it wrong.

Toch begint de waarheid zo langzamerhand ook tot de politiek door te dringen. Zo merkte staatscretaris Atsma onlangs op dat het hem ook was opgevallen dat het niet warmer werd. Dat had hij natuurlijk niet mogen zeggen, want zo'n opmerking brengt de ecosocialistische heilstaat geen stap naderbij. De kamerleden Liesbeth van Tongeren (ex-Greenpeace) en Diederik Samsom (ex-Greenpeace) waren dan ook erg boos op hem.

Voorts heeft het Europees Parlement een voorstel van de Europese Commissie om de geplande reductie van de CO2-uitstoot te verhogen van 20% naar 30% afgekeurd. De Britse conservatie Europarlementariër, Roger Helmer, twitterde daarover het volgende bericht:

Parliament votes down the 30% emissions proposal The Eickhout report proposed to raise the EU's emissions reduction target from the current 20% by 2020 to 30%.

The Conservative MEP delegation takes the view that it would support 30% only if the rest of the world signed up to the same figure -- and that won't happen. For myself, I oppose 30% absolutely (and 20% as well), as it will have no effect on climate, but will make energy more expensive, and drive energy-intensive businesses offshore to jurisdictions with lower environmental standards. So we could well end up with two tons of CO2 in India or China to save one ton in the UK.

Higher emissions targets will force up energy prices even more quickly than Chris Huhne's current plans will do, driving more households into fuel poverty and putting thousands of pensioners at real risk of harm from winter cold.

The Guardian has tried to talk up a "rift" between Tory MEPs and the Party in Westminster. In fact, we've agreed to differ (and many Conservative back-benchers in Westminster would support our opposition to 30%).

I am delighted to record that the whole report was voted down today (July 5th) by a substantial margin. It's difficult to predict what will come next, but I can't see the Commission coming forward with legislation based on the 30% target after the parliament has decisively rejected it. A job well done.

Voorpaginanieuws? Nee dus!

Ook in Engeland wordt de politiek wakker, getuige de kritiek van Labour. De Labour schaduwenergieminister, Meg Hillier, beschuldigde de regering ervan geen serieus groen beleid te voeren door de behandeling van het energiewetsvoorstel uit te stellen.

Delay means that the 'green deal' – the centrepiece of David Cameron's climate change policy – has been sidelined The government's energy bill, which was expected to be debated before parliament's summer break, has been shelved. That means the "green deal", the flagship scheme to cut domestic carbon emissions, will not make it onto the statute books for many months.

Ministers at the Department for Energy and Climate Change (Decc) have lost their argument with the government's business managers, and the centrepiece of climate change policy has been sidelined. We should not be surprised. This government has form in delay and dither when it comes to its green policy agenda. There was so much promise. The "greenest government ever" was the prime minister's pledge. That's the same PM who has not mentioned green issues since the election.

When asked questions on petrol prices or energy bills he does not ever venture into the wider discussion about a greener, cleaner world. And since Chris Huhne was appointed as climate and energy secretary we have seen promises delayed and initiatives re-announced so often it's not surprising if you've lost count.

En zo gaat Hillier nog een tijdje door.

Conclusie:

The reality is that the government is not serious about its green agenda. In recent weeks they have scrapped the zero-carbon homes scheme, abandoned plans for a network of electric car charging stations, and now delayed the green deal. A recent survey of readers of the ConservativeHome website named the green deal as one of their most disappointing policies. Only Decc ministers within government ever talk about climate change. As we see from this turn of events, that is just hot air.

Lees verder hier.

En die groene droom? Die was mooi zolang die duurde.