Blog – Page 4 – Tom Burke

‘Events, dear boy, events’ have put climate change back on the agenda

On March 26, 2014 By admin

This article piece first appeared in The Guardian on Wednesday 26 March 2014 The decline of climate change on leaders’ agendas has been reversed – not by new analysis, but two years of extreme weather British prime minister, Harold Macmillan, […]

WHAT’S IN A WORD 2

On March 12, 2014March 12, 2014 By admin

I recently came across a quote from Benny Peiser from the Global Warming Policy Foundation. He was writing in the Daily Mail. What he said was “ Not only is much of the science behind the idea of global warming now being disputed, but, at a […]

Hinkley and Sizewell will cost us £155 billion over 30 years under the CfD

On May 28, 2012 By admin

The government is pressing ahead, in the face of growing difficulties, with its effort to build new nuclear power stations in Britain. So far, it has failed to come clean about what this will actually cost British businesses and householders. Among the several ways in which it is attempting to […]

Nuclear power would appear to have acquired the power to destroy logic

On May 23, 2012May 23, 2012 By admin

Some people worry about nuclear power because they fear the risks to human health from radioactivity. Others are concerned about the morality of leaving a legacy of radioactive wastes that will be dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years. Others again are concerned about the risks of proliferating nuclear weapons […]

Nuclear policy: part of the Government’s omnishambles

On April 30, 2012 By admin

The collapse of the Government’s nuclear policy is a somewhat overlooked part of its current omnishambles. In part this is because very few of the journalists writing about nuclear power know much about the subject. Most continue to assert that all but one of Britain’s current nuclear power stations will […]

Prospects for a Clean Revolution

On April 30, 2012May 2, 2012 By admin

This blog introduces the topic of a #CleanRevolution that I will be covering in a live Twitter Q&A at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning with Mark Kenber, CEO of The Climate Group. It is not yet widely understood by politicians, policy makers and the public alike that climate change will lead to […]

Why Nuclear Power makes No Sense for the UK

On March 26, 2012March 28, 2012 By admin

I will be running a series of Briefings along with Tony Juniper, Jonathon Porritt and Charles Secrett, following our letter of 12th March to the Prime Minister warning him that his plans for another generation of nuclear reactors are ill-conceived and doomed to failure. To substantiate the broad arguments advanced […]

Budget blog 2: Wolf ingnores evidence!

On March 22, 2012March 23, 2012 By admin

Martin Wolf is one of the world’s most trusted, authoritative and influential economic commentators. A central reason for his ascent to such a height has been the rigour of his thinking. He is, above all, the champion of public policy based on evidence rather than anecdote or prejudice. It is […]

Budget Blog: Death of greenest government ever

On March 21, 2012March 22, 2012 By admin

What Cameron put together Osborne is now taking apart. Detoxifying the Conservative Party while in Opposition has been the Prime Minister’s greatest political success. It got him his current job. It also got the Chancellor the opportunity to present budgets. Hugging huskies was a central plank in this Hilton inspired […]

David King’s misplaced enthusiasm over nuclear

On March 15, 2012March 27, 2012 By admin

Enthusiasm has a way of blinding you to glaring inconsistencies in your arguments. David King is an enthusiast for nuclear power. As chief scientist he was an important influence in persuading the government to buy into the clever French plan to make British householders and businesses subsidise Areva and EDF, […]