The climate won’t wait
Much column space has been given to the ousting of Green Party co-leader James Shaw (Listener, August 6), but very little has been written about the concerns of the naysayers, or the extent of their concerns. (I hasten to add I am not a member of any political party, but I do share those concerns.)
The major political parties regard Shaw – and the Greens – as patsies; potential election deal-makers to be kept onside by throwing them a few bones of appeasement. In return, the Greens agree not to make too much noise about their concerns. It’s a strategy summarised decades ago by US president Lyndon Johnson: “It’s better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in.”
The Labour/Greens Cooperation Agreement states: “When speaking within portfolio responsibilities, they will speak for the Government representing the Government’s position in relation to those responsibilities.”
Unfortunately, the climate won’t be appeased.
In the week before the vote, record-breaking heatwaves in Europe had wildfires ripping through France, Spain and Portugal. UK temperatures reached a new record (40.3C) and 40 properties in London were destroyed by wildfires. In the US,
