ENDS Report 442, p. 55, November 2011. The chance to avoid a dangerous rise in temperatures seems likely to be lost in the upcoming UN climate talks in Durban. December, it is turning out, is actually the cruellest month. It is when nations normally meet to make progress on tackling […]
Tom Burke’s political commentary: Euro travails and climate inaction – twin crises of political will
ENDS Report. Published on 14 November 2011. The chance to avoid a dangerous rise in temperatures seems likely to be lost in UN climate talks in Durban in the coming weeks. But the prospects for meaningful progress are scant, as governments are distracted and constrained by the current economic crisis […]
Tom Burke’s political commentary: From the greenest government ever… to our very own Tea Party
Tom Burke’s political commentary: These plans for planning need urgent rethinking
ENDS Report 440, p. 54, September 2011. The government’s national planning policy framework is bad news for business, the environment and for its own green economy ambitions There is almost certainly a good case to be made for simplifying the planning system by reducing the large volume of planning guidance […]
Tom Burke’s political commentary: Nixon’s environmentalism is a lesson from history
ENDS Report 438, p. 55, July 2011. Under President Richard Nixon, the US led the world in environmental protection. But his ideologically driven heirs in the Tea Party threaten to destroy this legacy. Modern environmentalism began in the US. In September, Friends of the Earth (FoE) UK will celebrate its […]
Tom Burke’s political commentary: the facts behind the Daily Mail’s energy fury
Tom Burke’s political commentary: Cameron’s green gambit – true hue or camouflage?
ENDS Report 436, p. 48, May 2011. One year on and a string of government missteps have left many questioning its true commitment to the environment and genuine reform The collision between the simplicities of politics and the complexities of government is often a brutal experience for ministers. Politics is […]
Tom Burke’s political commentary: One year on, coalition’s promise is under stress
ENDS Report 435, p. 61, April 2011. David Cameron pledged his administration would be “the greenest government ever”. Forthcoming decisions on the Green Deal, Green Investment Bank and fourth carbon budget will reveal how serious he was It is a year since the coalition government took power. Though distasteful to […]
Tom Burke’s political commentary: Say yes to negawatts, no to new nuclear subsidy
ENDS Report 434, p. 67 28 March 2011 British governments have been pushing for nuclear power, aiming for a new station on grid by 2017. But the development needs of the industry clash with the coalition’s mission to elevate the market’s role in choosing technologies. Market fundamentalists have a mantra […]
Tom Burke’s political commentary: ‘Greenest government’ neglects politics in quest for managerial efficiency
ENDS Report 433, p.54, February 2011. The coalition government failed to make a political case before announcing the sell-off of England’s state-owned woodlands. It will do well to learn the lesson of what followed. In November 1999 I wrote an article, “Sleepwalking to Seattle”, for the Times. I pointed out […]