2nd December 2005

Cllr Ben Francis suggests in his article that climate change maybe "good news" and there is "not much" wrong with the developing ecological disaster (23/11/05). We all like a positive story and more Ospreys and Wolves is great but this dismissal of the effects of climate change is deeply dangerous.

Every new study cements the consensus among independent scientists over man-made climate change: it is undeniable and it will be catastrophic - not just ecologically but also socially, economically and more. 50 million environmental refugees by 2010 (i) and the incalculable economic costs of environmental disasters. Already the climate change-related annual death toll is 150,000 and rising (ii).

Can we really call ourselves intelligent beings when, with all we know, we continue to allow buildings to be built without efficiency measures and without some form of microgeneration, allow shockingly inefficient cars to be sold at the standard tax rate and continue to subsidize the aviation industry?

The reality is we must act now - but fear of adversely affecting industry or business amongst the main parties means we are failing: CO2 emissions rise and Blair fails to meet targets. The irony is that the measures we need would provide so many economic and social benefits like less fuel poverty, more employment opportunities and stronger communities.

It is a great pity that Ben Francis didn't use his article to add his voice to those of us calling for nothing less than a revolution in the way we produce and consume energy, the way we work, run our economy - even the way we measure our progress using the blunt instrument of GDP. Now that really would have been a good news story.

Chris Brain, Stroud District Green party

Notes:
(i) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4326666.stm
(ii) http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,12374,1105132,00.html