Published: January 31st 2010 - at 1:07 pm

Cameron re-affirms claims to go green


by Sunny Hundal    

David Cameron’s office recently wrote this email to a voter in response to the standard Tory grassroots view that Global Warming is a global conspiracy.

I can see that you feel recent allegations have cast doubt over the case for climate change, and the integrity of the science. However, our view is that public policy on climate change has been built over many years, with input from a wide variety of expert sources, and we do need to significantly reduce our carbon emissions.

It is always right to keep an open mind, and question scientific theories. But, those in favour of doing nothing on the basis of scientific scepticism need to show that the risks we run by not acting are small and manageable. Given all the information and evidence we now have, that is a very difficult case to make.

I will, of course, ensure that David is made aware if your concerns, but I am afraid we may have to agree to disagree on this issue.

Whatever your views are, we cannot afford not to go green. The UK economy is still dependent for more than 90 per cent of its energy needs on fossil fuels, which increasingly come from imports. With the era of cheap oil now well and truly over, our fossil fuel dependency is making us uncompetitive and vulnerable to geopolitical shocks.

We can build a secure, prosperous future, but only if we start the work of transforming our national energy infrastructure now, by increasing energy efficiency and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.

Being at the cutting edge of new technologies in the energy industry is precisely the action that is needed to prevent the power cuts the Government is predicting by 2017, and it ensures that Britain’s consumers and businesses are protected against the consequences of volatile and rising oil prices into the future.

We need to make the transition to a low carbon economy urgently, and I hope you’ll agree that our plans for a Low Carbon Economy will help create hundreds of thousands of jobs, raise skills and improve Britain’s competitiveness.

The answer will no doubt disappoint many Tories. It’s interesting however to note that Cameron’s office uses the ‘energy security’ argument to make their case rather than a more traditional Tory approach that may appeal to conserving local environments.

In the US, Democrat Senator John Kerry and President Obama have repeatedly stated that energy security makes investment in renewable energy a top priority.


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About the author
Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
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Reader comments


In Leeds, the Conservatives were the only group who voted against a committment to reduce carbon emissions in the area by 40% by 2020. Vote Blue – Go Green? I don’t think so….


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Philip Challinor

    RT @libcon Cameron re-affirms claims to go green http://bit.ly/cIVIzT Let's just hope it isn't a cast-iron promise.

  2. ECS

    Liberal Conspiracy » Cameron re-affirms claims to go green http://bit.ly/aKg1Qm

  3. Political Scandals

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  4. Joy L.

    Liberal Conspiracy » Cameron re-affirms claims to go green http://bit.ly/cDRfO7

  5. Liberal Conspiracy

    Cameron re-affirms claims to go green http://bit.ly/cIVIzT

  6. ECS

    Liberal Conspiracy » Cameron re-affirms claims to go green http://bit.ly/aKg1Qm

  7. Best of the web 25/01/10 – 31/01/10 | www.the-vibe.co.uk

    [...] Cameron re-affirms claims to go green [...]

  8. uberVU - social comments

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

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