Tory big-wig John Redwood wants to build more roads, airports and nuclear power stations to boost Britain’s economic prospects, according to yesterday’s Times.
This sounds dangerous – dangerously like the thinking of the 1980s.
Mr Redwood’s review is published on Friday but yesterday’s report suggests he is at odds with his own party's leadership, which has trumpeted action to curb greenhouse gas emissions. He seems also to be ignoring the conclusions of economist Sir Nicholas Stern’s report on the economics of climate change.
Sir Nicholas warned that the cost of doing nothing to combat climate change would be up to 20 times higher than that of action to tackle global warming.
The RSPB agrees and in our evidence to Mr Redwood’s review, stressed how natural resources such as peatlands to store carbon and improve drinking water quality, and wetlands to reduce flooding could contribute economically. We also outlined how better efficiency and tax reforms could reduce demand for more development.
Mairi Dupar, climate change analyst at the RSPB, said: “The challenge and opportunity for 21st century Britain is to embrace clean sources of energy and reduce demand for damaging means of transport such as driving and flying. We don’t have time to return to the thinking of the 1980s when build, build, build and ignore the consequences seemed to be the maxim. Click here for The Times article.