Politicians ignoring environment
The three main parties are failing to pay sufficient attention to climate change and environmental issues according to some of the UK’s leading scientists.
The Royal Society is “disappointed” by the election campaign so far and the lack of focus on climate change or biodiversity.
Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have also raised concerns about the lack of environmental focus.
In an open letter to the main parties, leading lights in the Royal Society said: “As we enter the last two weeks of the general election campaign, we wish to express our disappointment that the two biggest global threats to people and their environments, namely climate change and the loss of biodiversity, have not been given greater consideration by the three main political parties.
“We appeal to these three parties to devote more attention in the coming weeks to both these major issues, which will have a profound long-term effect not just on people in the UK, but across the world.”
It adds that while all the three main parties have accepted the principles of Kyoto, none of them have “presented convincing plans for meeting out long-term energy needs while reducing our carbon dioxide emissions significantly.”
Friends of the Earth said that while both Tony Blair and Michael Howard had promised to show leadership on climate change, both have been ignoring the issue during the election campaign.
It pointed out that although the Liberal Democrats have said there was a “green thread” running through their manifesto, there were “serious concerns” about their practical record, pointing out that they opposed congestion charging in Edinburgh and candidates have objected to wind farms.
FoE director Tony Juniper, said: “This conspiracy of silence does neither party any credit. Urgent decisions must soon be taken on transport, energy and industrial policy if the UK its carbon dioxide reduction targets. Our political parties must move the debate away from the margins to drive home the urgency of the situation.”
