ENDS Report 437, p. 62, June 2011. Despite the inflated claims of the middlebrow press, there are genuine concerns about how green taxes will affect future energy bills. The Daily Mail does not knowingly let the facts get in the way of a good story. If that story lets it […]
BBC Radio 4’s Decision Time on nuclear
Below is the summary of my contribution on BBC Radio 4’s Decision Time, focusing on government decisions on a new generation of nuclear power stations, on 29th June 2011. I sat on a panel of experts with Tim Eggar (advisor to the government on energy policy), Sir David King (Director, Smith School […]
Chris Huhne is right – green ‘red tape’ can be good for business
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 […]
How Green is my Government?
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 […]
Online debate: the world would be better off without nuclear
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 […]
Tom Burke’s political commentary: marriage made in heaven or a crash waiting to happen
ENDS Report 432, p. 51, January 2011. The growth and green agendas are at last converging. How smooth their meeting will be depends on the government’s ability to pursue multiple policies that work with, not against, each other. A hard lesson from nearly 40 years of environmentalism is that there […]