Published in ENDS Report (Issue 414, p57), in July 2009. The songs of one’s youth stick in the memory. I have long remembered a line from a now forgotten song by the Incredible String Band. It was called The Hedgehog Song. It tells the story of a young man who […]
Tom Burke’s Political Commentary: Nuclear renaissance will fail without public trust
Published in ENDS Report (Issue 412, p39), in May 2009. The current political crisis is more than a passing storm in the weather of events that politicians endure daily. To govern successfully in a parliamentary democracy they must possess both legitimacy and authority. The authority stems from the confidence of […]
Tom Burke’s Political Commentary: The case for rethinking green governance
Tom Burke: War passes: the climate is for ever
We humans are better at dealing with crises than long-term problems. The future could judge us harshly by Tom Burke. Standing in for John Rentoul’s usual commentary in The Independent, published on 4th January 2009. This is arguably the first week of the most important year in human history. The grandiose invites […]
Tom Burke’s Political Commentary: Now’s a good time to sort out green governance
Published in ENDS Report (Issue 408, P58), in January 2009. There has been much media speculation over whether – along with jobs, mortgages and over-inflated bonuses – the economic crisis has also killed green. However, there was no sign of this in the outrage over the government’s decision to go […]
Tom Burke’s Political Commentary: When quiet protest turns to rage and judicial review
Published in ENDS Report (Issue 407, p61), in December 2008. The scene at Stansted early one morning at the start of this month was depressingly familiar: delayed flights, crowded terminals, angry passengers, harassed staff, frustrated airline executives. Normally BAA accomplishes this all on its own. On this particular morning they […]
Tom Burke’s Political Commentary: The US returns from the green policy wilderness
The politics of the carbon price
Published in the International Financing Review, in September 2008. Accurately assessing carbon price risk as climate policy evolves will require a profound understanding of the interaction between policy and politics and the unique nature of the challenge this poses to policy makers. Many factors will shape the development of carbon […]
Tom Burke’s Political Commentary: All ‘joined-up’ for another move of the deckchairs?
The furture will not be nuclear
Published in Prospect Magazine, Issue 150, on 28th September 2008. The government is pinning its hopes on a nuclear renaissance to meet Britain’s climate change goals. Planning procedures are being eased and hidden subsidies offered. But the policy is based on a misunderstanding of nuclear power’s lousy economics, and will […]