The biggest global battle of them all - Climate Change

Virus Pandemic blocks out the biggest Global battle of them all - Climate Change

Every week that passes we are told about another 'world beating' Boris response to the global pandemic with the Prime Minister 'back in control'.. proud of his Covid-19 response on testing targets and lab capacity, sourcing and availability of protective clothing, shielding care homes, recording and registering deaths in care, fines for breaking social distancing applied/retracted or not, a track and trace App, English school opening, visitor quarantine and the highest Covid rated mortality rates in Europe. This pandemic has shown that science and politics are not easy bedfellows when it comes to getting to the truth especially when the Government exploits experts as political cover. Headlines are the tools of this PM's trade, planning and strategy are definitely not. As long as each element translates into two words of no more than two syllables it will be 'oven ready' for the front pages of the Tory press without any fear that readers will wish to dig deeper.

Alistair Campbell writing in the New European says Johnson 'specialises in false hope' which is no substitute for the strong, consistent and clear leadership the country requires as it confronts the biggest global challenges experienced for several generations and there are very many looming over us...

Britain's trade negotiations with the EU and the economic impact of the likely 2020 end game will of course be hidden from view and blamed on the Covid induced recession or those nasty foreigners. Nevertheless the repackaged 'oven ready' chlorinated chicken and hormone injected beef from the US will quietly slip through unprotected borders with the country of origin carefully removed.

The racial pandemic and the ongoing fight for racial equality and change wont go away quite so easily and yet another promised review won't mask the failure to act and implement the hundreds of recommendations from previous recent enquiries.

Climate Change however dwarfs almost everything and whilst we have all benefited from the all too short-lived environmental peace, clear skies and diminished air pollution we knew that it wouldn't last. Liberal Democrat Acting Leader and Leadership election candidate Sir Ed Davey has sought to get the climate agenda back on course with his proposals for green coronavirus recovery plan as part of a total £350bn post-coronavirus rescue package.

Reported in the Guardian (18/6/20) Ed Davey said, "We have a once in a lifetime chance to rebuild our economy and fight climate change".

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Liberal Democrats unveiled proposals to invest £150bn in green projects over three years as a way to transform the economy with a warning that the government must act soon.

Former Energy Secretary, Ed Davey said, Boris Johnson appeared to have not yet grasped the urgency of the situation. "You've got to have a very high level of ambition, and the way the government is talking about it, I'm not yet convinced their level of ambition is high enough," he said. "With Johnson I think he may focus on some of the projects that get good headlines but not the ones we really need". "If unemployment is going up anywhere near what people are saying, this is going to be absolutely essential". "There's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to solve the massive crisis we're in."

The Plan in five steps:

- 80% renewable energy by 2030.

- End the sale of petrol & diesel cars by 2030.

- Insulate every home by 2030.

- Restore our natural environment with a re-wilding programme. Work on areas such as tree-planting and peat bog restoration.

- Green jobs guarantee, with a national living wage. Green jobs guarantee, giving people training in new, environmental industries such as renewable energy, insulating homes and re-wilding projects, paid at least the national living wage

Other areas of the plan include a requirement for at least half of all Bank of England financing to go into green investment programmes, and a new system of government "climate bonds" to raise extra capital. People would also receive tax incentives on savings and pensions for investing in green areas.

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Sources:

Guardian - Lib Dems unveil £150bn green coronavirus recovery plan - Thu 18 Jun 2020

Peter Walker Political correspondent @peterwalker99

Sir Ed Davey Ed Davey

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