The report of the highly-respected Environmental Audit Committee dishes out Red and Amber cards to this government over its environmental record. It is now largely too late to rescue its reputation before we vote in May.
Far from what David Cameron claimed, it is clear that this is the ‘Red-and-Amber-most’ government ever!
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Behind the horror story it gets even worse: a culture that is determinedly eroding the values of public service – politicians only interested in getting elected, not what they will do when they get there, incompetent and ignorant and apparently proud of it, as they cut services and our futures with little knowledge or thought – and then, when things go wrong disgracefully try to blame the very services they have silenced and emasculated. As we obsess about the first world war and seem unable to detach ourselves from the ancient history of WWII, we should perhaps reflect that the atmosphere is far more comparable to the 1930s, with weak, indolent and out of touch ‘official’ leadership spawning hate against the other – and now us ‘green blobs’ are part of that ‘other’ as far as many in Government are concerned. This is not a time to be trying to work around the system keep in with and pacify the establishment, but a time to simply say a clear ‘no’ – this is simply unacceptable from people in public life – and to lead in laying out a better future – both economically and environmentally.
Great post, Roderick. That sums up exactly how I see things too. The change in the culture of Government in the last 20 years is stark. From evidence based policy to policy based evidence. Dogma and anecdote given equality with hard research in policy making. The demonisation of public service and the relentless neutering of the public sector’s capacity for an independent non-governmental voice. Elsewhere in society, the growth of inequality, the bread and circuses of our celebrity culture, and growth of petty nationalism, fuelled by a relentlessly small minded and self serving media. An opposition that appears to offer no alternative vision. It does indeed feel more than a little like the 1930s.
The bit at the end struck me; “The Government should set up an independent body—an ‘office for environmental responsibility’—to (i) review the Environment Strategy we advocate; (ii) advise Government on appropriate targets; (iii) advise Government on policies, both those in Government programmes and new ones that could be brought forward to support the environment; (iv) advise Government about the adequacy of the resources (in both central and local government) made available for delivering the Strategy; and (v) monitor and publish performance against the Strategy and its targets”. The Government had an independent body on nature conservation until very recently…
Are you suggesting that Natural England was anything more than a “Muzzled Watchdog”, “Toothless Terrier” and now sadly reduced to a Lap-Dog? The staff at grass roots, good though many might be need to think and work laterally.
Say no would be excellent, but sadly I fear those we used to be able to rely upon are now too reliant upon the funding crumbs they receive to hold politicians to account.
& apparently …. the badger cull has become a hugely controversial issue in Westminster with a new poll from MORI confirming that it is the fifth most common issue of complaint to MPs from constituents in the last twelve months, ranking above issues such as pensions, child care and taxes.
Wonder where Hen Harriers feature in rankings …. come on guys, 17,215 what happened to the thunderclap 🙂
232 days and have we collectively influenced any party manifesto? As a critical mass we should be sharpening our metaphoric pencils?
Unfortunately the government’s disregard for the environment probably reflects their justified belief that the electorate will not punish them for it. If we get a change of government at the next election it won’t be because voters think the present one has not done well enough protecting biodiversity, still less because they have underperformed with respect to prevention of soil erosion, but because they think a new government will give them more pounds in their pockets, one way or another.
I think the badger example is a bit of an anomaly and it would be unwise to take it as an indicator of the public’s commitment to saving wildlife in general – witness the fact that the various petitions to help prevent the extinction (extinction!) of the Hen Harrier in England have garnered far fewer signatures than the anti badger cull petitions. That gives scant hope for the electorate rising up in support of obscure wild flowers, invertebrates or…topsoil.
It is therefore essential that our wildlife and environmental NGOs and charities, far from following Brooks Newmark’s ‘stick to knitting’ admonishment, should be very actively campaigning and seeking to raise public awareness and change public opinion about the parlous state of our environment and the measures that need to be taken to slow down and reverse its ongoing degradation.
“topsoil”
As kicked into the long grass by the last gubmint. No doubt the next shower will leave it there. If only they had sufficient synapses to link soil to water retention at a landscape scale they could be such heroes. But they won’t be.