Renewable energy: this is the only way to get support for clean power
It is not surprising that cross-party consensus on the needs arising in order to address the climate crisis has broken down, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer puts it. Given the current state of Westminster party politics, getting them to agree on what day of the week it is would be an achievement.
Contrarianism is not new to politics; one-upmanship is often the name of the game. Playing to the gallery is part and parcel of wooing affection from would-be voters. He or she who can tap into the zeitgeist can wend their way to power.
However, this is a dangerous game to play. Protecting the planet is not a squabble over what day of the week it might be in Westminster. The climate emergency is a scientific truism that will not bend to the winds of popular opinion. Earth is warming and with that comes existential angst that, in the end, if left unaddressed, will make inhabitation of our planet very difficult indeed.
In the wake of President Donald Trump removing the United States of America from the Paris climate agreement – for the second time – it is clear that politicians in the highest of offices are willing to ignore global heating in the hope catching the electorate’s eye. In truth, Sir Keir Starmer’s determination to create a domestic environment for research, development and deployment of renewable energy technology and equipment is perhaps deserving of even more kudos given the current lack of global leadership on the matter.
On the evidence to hand, the Prime Minister will need little encouragement from this newspaper or others, but it bears repeating: more power to his elbow. Renewable energy isn’t just the right thing to do for tomorrow, for the planet. It is the right thing to do for jobs, careers, the wider economy and for growth. Now, he must make it cheap – for families and for businesses. Then he’ll win the day.