No Tories have voted positively on climate change since 2010!

 An analysis by VoteClimate, an organisation setup by UK voters on how to cast you ballot for maximum impact on climtae policy, examined all the votes in parliament since 2010 on energy, transport, housing and other issues that have an impact on the climate crisis. No Tory voters have been rated as voting positively on climate issue.  

Liberal Dems and Labour rated 'very good' on issues related to climate for their votes on a wide range of issues from fracking to peat. 

Adrian Ramsay,- co-Leader of the Green Party stated "The overlapping climate and nature crisishave to be a central part of this election and they are working full steam to try to get 4 more seats this time.

VoteClimate which has 40000 members including Jenny Jones, Bill McGuire and Chris Packham, is offering to help voters make their vote have maximum impact on climate policy.

For more information view:
Greenhouse Morning News (always a good read) Tuesday 28 May

Our rivers are dying - it's time to make a stand

After years, perhaps decades of inaction, the Government has finally realised something needs to be done about the appalling state of our UK rivers.  According to the Environment Agencies own data, discharges of untreated sewage by water companies doubled from 1.8 million hours in 2022 to a record 3.6 million in 2023,  The number of individual spills also soared by 54% - from 301,000 incidents in 2022 to 464,000, making 2023 the worst year for storm water pollution.  

Announcing the new funding last month Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

“The amount of sewage being spilled into our rivers is completely unacceptable and the public rightly expects action. This £180 million of accelerated investment, which will stop more than 8,000 sewage spills over the next year, is a welcome step forward as we continue to push for better performance from water companies and hold them to account".

The accelerated improvements, which will be delivered by April 2025, support the targets under the government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan. This is driving the largest infrastructure investment in water company history, estimated at £60 billion over the next 25 years.

Out of 256 assessments of freshwater habitats on 38 English rivers that are SSSIs, just 23 (9%) were in favourable condition, meaning they are in a healthy state and are being conserved by appropriate management. Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, said the scandal of raw sewage pouring into waterways should be declared a national environmental emergency.  He called on the government to convene an urgent meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) to look at the impact of sewage pollution on people’s health. Rivers are a crucial part of the global water cycle, contain important biodiversity, and are essential for human health. 

Even with this new funding, there are major challenges ahead and it will take years, perhaps decades, to bring our rivers back to pristine condition. Just three examples of the issues which need to be addressed, and urgently.

😠 Chickens are cheap - but what is the real cost?

The river-killing pollution caused by industrial chicken farming has ramped up over the last decade, as the demand for cheap chicken has rocketed. In fact, the number of permits issued for intensively farmed chickens in the UK has been rising at a rate of one million birds per month for the last ten years. This has led to a rapid expansion of the vast sheds that house up to 40,000 or more chickens at a time, and which pollute local rivers with their phosphate-rich manure. The catastrophic result is that dozens of rivers across the country in particular the the River Wye, which is now classified as 'unfavourable-declining'.

😠 Death of a great lake

Over 27,700 hours of untreated sewage has officially found its way into Windermere since 2020. Today marks the annual release of United Utilities EDM data by the Environment Agency, which shows that in 2023, 8787 hours of untreated sewage made its way into the lake; that equates to 366 days of last year. A rare fish, the Arctic char Salvelinus alpinus, has for centuries had a special place in Britain’s largest natural lake, Lake Windermere. Since the ice age, when the glaciers retreated leaving behind a deep cold water lake, the char has lived in its depths.

😠  Sewage crisis on south Warwickshire’s rivers is deepening.
The amount of sewage dumped into the River Avon and River Leam has risen from over 6,000 hours in 2022 to more than 13,000 hours in 2023.Figures from Top of the Poops show that the River Avon was polluted by sewage 1,130 times in 2023, which lasted 10,187 hours. This is the equivalent of sewage being dumped on average 3.1 times a day. The River Leam was on the receiving end of 338 sewage dumps in 2023, lasting 3,521 hours. This means that sewage was dumped into the River Leam on average six and a half times a week.

In April 2023, the MP for Warwick and Leamington invited the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Thérèse Coffey, to visit the constituency and “don a cozzie” and see for herself the state of the local rivers. He said she never took him up on the offer!

Yes - there is much to be done.

The Prime Minister’s duties: Zero Hour and the CEE Bill

The UK Met Office and the University of East Anglia recently confirmed that 2023 was the planet's warmest year on record. During this same period Antarctic sea ice coverage dropped to a record low.

Britain's Climate Change Act contains the world's first legally binding national commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions: it commits the UK to reaching net zero by 2050 (though many reputable authorities maintain that is far too late).Meanwhile those of you concerned about our future and that of our siblings will have not failed to notice that the words ‘climate change’ were noticeably absent from UK Chancellor’s spring budget. Instead, Jeremy Hunt announced that the government was freezing fuel duty on petrol and diesel for the 14th year in a row. The chancellor also announced a year-long extension to the windfall tax on oil-and-gas companies, but failed to commit to spending the money raised on new climate investments.Nor did he offer any new policies to help boost the rollout of low carbon technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps.

Yet there might still be some light at the end of the tunnel. Yesterday, Labour MP Alex Sobel reintroduced the Climate and Ecology Bill – now renamed Climate and Nature (CAN) with cross-party backing, in a call for all politicians, whichever party, to unite around the need for urgent, joined-up climate and nature action. If made law, the Bill places vitally important duties on the Prime Minister and Secretary of State.

*    the Prime Minister would have a duty to ensure the UK reduces its carbon emissions to a level consistent with keeping global averages to a level consistent with keeping global average temperature increase to 1.5⁰C compared to pre-industrial levels

*    the Prime Minister would have a duty to restore and regenerate soils, biodiverse habitats and ecosystems by 2030

*    the Secretary of State would have a duty to publish a strategy to achieve the specified objectives on climate change, ecosystems and biodiversity within 12 months of passing the act, taking on board the recommendations of a Citizen’s Assembly

The Bill written by scientists, environmental experts and campaigners was first introduced by Caroline Lucas (Green MP) in September 2020. which was written by scientists, experts and campaigners. It now has the support of more than 700 prospective MPs – more than 10% of those in the Westminster electorate. Re-introducing the bill Labour MP Alex Sobel said:

 "I'm proud to have introduced the Climate and Nature Bill with cross-party support from MPs of all main parties. This joined-up climate and nature plan is continuing the legacy of the Climate Change Act 2008. This CAN Bill is needed if we want to reclaim our environmental leadership; and finally get serious about reducing energy bills, protecting our wildlife, creating green jobs, and bolstering our energy and food security. When made law, the CAN Bill will set the UK on a path where we can properly tackle the interconnected climate and nature crises—whilst making sure that no one is left behind in the long-overdue just transition we need. Global emissions are rising. Nature is in peril. So in this pivotal election year, let's align our climate and nature laws in line with the science—and our international agreements—and deliver the climate and environmental action the public are crying out for."

You can watch Chris Packham’s brief appeal for support for the CAN Bill  here.  

Cleaner energy for a greener planet

How green is your energy supplier?

Your money is one of your most powerful tools for making a stand on environmental sustainability and choosing who supplies your energy and how you use it, can have a significant impact on the environment. The UK has pledged to reach "net zero" - where no additional planet-warming greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere - by 2050. To achieve this, much more of our energy needs to come from renewable and low-carbon sources, and much less from fossil fuels. 

Traditionally much of our energy has come from coal but today this is insignificant. Whilst we should be encouraged by the increased proportion of renewables we still have a way to go and the Government’s own Climate Change Committee has expressed concerns that the UK could miss its future targets.

Most of our energy comes from the National Grid and there are no separate routes to supply genuine 100% clean energy apart although some local community energy schemes are starting to do things differently. Dozens of energy deals now claim to offer 100% renewable energy  but many are not as green as they seem; ‘greenwashing’ is widespread. Just recently Uswitch published the first comparison site to set standards for green tariffs – gold, silver or bronze – depending on whether the supplier generates its own renewable electricity, or how it sources its electricity, to help separate the true green from “pale green” tariffs.

The debate on which are the greenest energy supplies in the UK is ongoing; the safest bet is to choose a gold standard deal and the four which currently  make the grade are all from Good Energy  which sources clean electricity directly from1,600 renewable energy projects across the UK, and runs its own solar and windfarms too.  Other energy suppliers committed to supplying green energy and actively investing in renewables include 100Green (formerly GEUK), Ecotricity, and Octopus Energy which claims to be on a mission to build a truly sustainable energy system globally. Switching to a renewable energy provider is absolutely, unequivocally a good thing.so if you haven’t yet done so, think again (and if I recommend that switch, both of us could get a gift voucher or a credit on our first bill!).

So after checking out the credentials of your current supplier (and perhaps switching) perhaps the most practical actions you can take are:

1.  Review your home energy use and look for ways of reducing your consumption which is good for the pocket as well as the planet. Some are so unbelievably simple and yet often ignored.  How many unnecessary lights do you leave on? Do you still fill the kettle just for a cup of tea? Have you changed all your light bulbs to LEDs. Why not turn down your central heating by 1⁰ C. Whilst the CO2 savings on such simple tasks seem small, collectively they could make a significant difference and help your pocket too.

'The greenest energy is the energy you don't use at all'

2.  With prices of solar panels dropping so substantially, you could consider generating some of your own 100% clean energy and Increasing numbers of households are now doing this You might also be able to strike a deal with one of the large solar farm cooperatives like Big Solar Co-op or Westmill Wind Farm Co-operative in Oxfordshire which are beginning to spread their benefits to the local community.

Your money has power; plan to use it wisely to select an energy supplier
which can be seen to be making a positive contribution to the health of the planet. 

 

Making money matter

We often forget that our money is one of the most powerful tools for making a stand on environmental sustainability (see UN Sustainability Goals). Whether you have a small amount in your current bank or savings account, or thousands in your pension pot, using your finances to cut your carbon emissions is more significant than giving up flying or going vegetarian. So why not take stock on how you use your money.
Who do you bank with? Where are your savings, pension or investments deposited? Making the right choices can significantly reduce the size of your carbon footprint as well as helping to protect the natural world.

How green is your bank?

Personal banking, savings and investment can all contribute positively to a more sustainable planet; making the wrong choices can have significant negative effects.

When you put your money into a current account or savings, it doesn't just sit there; substantial sums are used to support individuals and businesses and generate profit. Some of these investments benefit the environment; others cause substantial harm. Though they would have you believe otherwise, the ’ big five’ high street banks are variously still financing coal, oil & gas, supporting nuclear weapons (see:dontbankonthebomb), are involved in human rights  abuse and/or facilitating wetland or rainforest destruction. The number of greenwashing instances in 2023 (misleading sustainability-related claims to investors or consumers) involving UK banks rose by 70%, much of it related to claims about fossil fuels.

‘Banking on Climate Chaos’ reports how since the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, the world 60 biggest banks have financed fossil fuels to the tune of $38 trillion. Indeed our present UK Government continues to press ahead with new fossil fuel investments boosting research and extraction and extending offshore drilling in the massive new Rosebank oilfield.  Worse still the public are effectively subsidising more than 90% of the costs (£2.8 billion) through a deliberate loophole in its windfall tax.  2023 was the hottest year on record with freak weather events across the globe and global carbon emissions at an all-time high and the UK Government appears to be ignoring the stark warning from its own Climate Change Committee that it is not on track to meet its declared targets and is losing its position as a former global leader on climate. 

Ethical banks or building societies avoid investing in environmentally harmful or otherwise unethical industries enabling you to have a say in how your money is used and often to support causes important to you. This might involve reducing the impact of climate change, or avoiding gambling or animal testing. ‘Good with Money’ lists the top 7 ethical accounts in 2024. Consider changing to one of the ethical banks (Triodos, Starling, Monzo, Charity Bank, or Nationwide and other building societies); for more details visit this posting on  'Good with money'.

How green is your pension?

We know that greening your pension cuts your carbon footprint 21 times more than going veggie, stopping flying and changing your energy provider combined. But which scheme is the greenest?  After the hottest year on record ‘Make my money matter’  recently produced what they claim is the first ever ranking of pension providers. Even top ranking Aviva and Legal and General still only score just over 5 out of 10! Why not check up how your pension company uses you money and then visit Ethical Investors.

Your money has power; plan to use it wisely to make a positive contribution to the health of the planet.

UK Government climate plan totally inadequate: another High Court challenge

 

As I am writing this blog - Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth and the Good Law Project – are in the High Court taking legal action over the government’s weak and inadequate plan to meet its legally-binding climate targets. Even the Government’s own Climate Change Committee (its independent advisor on climate issues) stated in June last year that that there are only credible plans for less than a fifth of the emissions cuts needed to meet the UK’s Sixth Carbon Budget, which starts in 2033.

FOE lawyer said: “We believe the government’s revised climate action plan is a complete pipe dream. Climate action is not only good for the planet, it’s essential for creating new jobs and business opportunities, boosting energy security and reducing our reliance on costly fossil fuels".

Client Earth lawyer said: “The UK government continues to rely on pie-in-the-sky measures to address a crisis that needs real, immediate action – an approach the UK’s flagship law the Climate Change Act was designed to prevent”.

Legal Director of the Good Law Project said: “The government has admitted to us that, on its own assessments, its net zero plan is fraught with risks. With so much at stake for our planet and our economy, that needs to change. The sooner we can see what the risks are, the sooner the government will have to face up to the shortcomings in its net zero strategy and take action to fix them”.

In their successful legal challenge in 2022, the High Court ruled the government’s climate action plan had breached the Climate Change Act 2008 (CCA) and ordered it to revise its strategy. Yet since the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan was published, the government has watered down key policies such more ambitious environmental requirements in Building Regulations, and has handed major oil companies the right to drill for oil and gas in 24 new licences in the North Sea. Meanwhile CO₂ levels continue to rise Met Office predicts that the 2024 increase in CO₂ levels will surpass critical trajectories, crucial for limiting global warming to 1.5⁰C. 

Despite the Tories’ repeated claims that the UK is a “world leader” in climate policy, the risk tables reveal the Government has declared its own policies rely on technology that has “never been deployed at scale”, are “not… possible at current funding levels” and beset with “inherent uncertainties and risk”.

All of this underlines the importance of electing MPs whose portfolio clearly demonstrates their support for action to combat ‘global heating’, the addressing the increasing problems cause by the water companies seemingly endless dumping of raw sewage into our lakes and rivers, and supporting Zero Hour – the campaign for the Climate and Ecology Bill (formerly the CEE Bill).

Please make your vote count for climate and nature.

Responding to the climate and biodiversity emergency

 

The science is clear. The world is in a state of climate emergency, and we need to shift into emergency gear. Scientists have compared 2023’s climate-change fallout to “a disaster movie” - soaring temperatures, fierce wildfires, powerful storms and devastating floods — and new data is just revealing just how exceptional the global heat has been.

Just last month Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to world leaders to take action on climate threats and to ensure a just and equitable transition to renewable energy reminding his listeners that the planet is heading for a scorching 3°C increase in global temperatures. In the words of the UN Secretary-General - “As we continue our addiction to fossil fuels we make a mockery of any notion of peace with nature”. 

On the day (February 8th, 2024) when the world has breached 1.5 degrees of warming for a full year for the first time ever, Labour has decided to drop its £28bn green pledge. In addition Labour officials confirmed they would not spend the full £6bn they previously promised for home insulation until later in the parliament, and perhaps reject it altogether if it were to result in rising levels of government debt. To quote the campaigning organisation 350.org:

” large-scale green investment just makes sense. It would bring down energy bills, fight the climate crisis, create green jobs and benefit the economy. On top of that, we know where the money could come from. Companies like BP and Shell caused the climate crisis, and in the last two years they’ve made a combined £87 billions in profit. How about we tax them properly to pay for our transition to just, green, cheaper energy for all? ”

As if this were not enough, yesterday River Action took the government to court for allowing allowing poultry waste from 25 million chickens intensively farmed in the catchment to poison the Wye. Charles Watson, founder of River Action summarise their concerns: "Industrial waste is being dumped into nature and it has been done at such a level that it is now causing an ecological disaster. It has got to stop."

As the General Election approaches later in the year, environment and crime are currently being seen as prominent issues and we will all have a chance to question potential members of parliament on these important subjects as well as the precarious state of our NHS, Brexit education, immigration and more.

In the run up to COP26 (October 2021) Swedish activist Great Thunberg attacked global leaders over their promises to address the climate emergency, dismissing them as “blah, blah, blah”. “Let’s face it” says veteran campaigner George Mombiot, “Climate summits are broken; delegates at climate conferences talk and talk ad lib, while Earth systems slide towards deadly tipping points”. Worse still, those concerned enough to challenge the authorities including clergymen are being prosecuted for making their views known in public in peaceful protests and hundreds of individuals have been issued with Civil injunctions A breach could mean imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. (For more disturbing details see former FOE Director and UK Government Advisor Jonathon Porritt’s blog: ‘Crushing dissent’ .

Clearly if talk could ‘save the planet’ we could all stop worrying and get on with our lives. So why a revival of this blog? It won't be long before politicians are explaining thier concerns to potential voters and with the climate and nature crisis worsening day by day, we need to quiz the candidates on their position on these urgent issues. It's no longer acceptable to say " But I always vote for this or that party".  The world is changing fast and not for the better. 

Please make your vote count for climate and nature.