Why Go Green, When You Can Have Brown?
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12.19.06
They are back again…Spurt, the (satirical) organisation whose motto is “Sod Them. Let’s Fly”, has a new ad in the newspapers, “thanking” Gordon Brown, the Chancellor (finance minister), for his recent Pre-Budget Report. Despite big fanfare about his strong environmental commitment, Brown introduced very minor disincentives to curb flying, driving big cars and reducing carbon emissions. As Spurt says: “Thank you Gordon: my 4X4 unencumbered by extra taxes, and a trifling 5£ increase on short haul flights”. It’s true, having commissioned the much discussed, and respected Stern Report on the economics of climate change, Brown ignored its recommendations and instead has announced the construction of new highways and fast track planning “to silence local whingers” (complainers) and speed up development. As Spurt says: In such times, we need a political leader who will not be cowed into taking climate change seriously: a titan who will make the tough decisions required to do practically nothing about the environment. In Gordon Brown, we have such a man. :: Spurt
too bloody right! just like the guy who runs the labour gov's dept of transport, brown continues to recite the mantra and behaviour of the past i.e. 'profit before the planet' ... once he realises you cant have one without the other and that we are already consuming 130% of the earths biological capacity per annum, and then applies this to a balance sheet of the earth, he might really take the kind of serious action thats required right now
mind you, some might say that right now is already too late
we cant let a guy like this become the UKs next prime minister ... they need a leader who is going to put them on the trajectory for sustainability
let the next industrial revolution begin ... and let it be a clean one, not a dirty one