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#progress

One of Theresa May’s first acts as Prime Minister was to move responsibility for climate change to a new Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Only on Monday, Government advisers had warned of the need to take urgent action to prepare the UK for floods, droughts, heatwaves and food shortages caused by climate change.

The news came after the appointment of Andrea Leadsom – who revealed her first question to officials when she became Energy Minister last year was “Is climate change real? – was appointed as the new Environment Secretary.

And, after former Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd announced in November that Britain was going to “close coal” by 2025, Ms Leadsom later asked the coal industry to help define what this actually meant.

[...]
John Sauven, the Green Peace group's executive director, said: “The voting record and affiliation with climate sceptics of key cabinet appointees are deeply worrying.

"They show a lack of understanding posed by climate change to the UK and the world. If we are to continue to have a key global role in environmental action, we need urgent reassurance from the new government that the hard won progress on climate and renewables targets, air pollution and the protection of wildlife will not be sidelined or abandoned in the Brexit negotiations.”

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas described the decision as “deeply worrying”.

“Climate change is the biggest challenge we face, and it must not be an afterthought for the Government,” she said.

“Dealing with climate change requires a dedicated Minister at the Cabinet table. To throw it into the basement of another Whitehall department, looks like a serious backwards step.”

She said she would work with any Minister “willing to take climate change seriously”, but added she would seek to hold Government to account for “any backpeddling on our climate change commitments”.

Craig Bennett, chief executive of Friends of the Earth, pointed out that a major report into the effects of climate change on Britain had made clear that it was already happening.

“This is shocking news. Less than a day into the job and it appears that the new Prime Minister has already downgraded action to tackle climate change, one of the biggest threats we face,” he said.

“This week the Government’s own advisors warned of ever growing risks to our businesses, homes and food if we don’t do more to cut fossil fuel pollution.

“If Theresa May supports strong action on climate change, as she’s previously said, it’s essential that this is made a top priority for the new business and energy department and across government.”

And Stephen Devlin, an environmental economist at the New Economics Foundation (NEF), said the department’s abolition was “a terrible move by our new Prime Minister”.

He said it appeared to signal “a troubling de-prioritisation of climate change by this government”.

“Tackling climate change is an era-defining challenge that must direct and determine what industries we develop, what transport infrastructure we construct, how we manage our land and what our diets look like. It requires a central co-ordinated strategy; if we leave it to the afterthoughts of other departments we will fail,” he said.

“This reshuffle risks dropping climate change from the policy agenda altogether – a staggering act of negligence for which we will all pay the price.”

He called on Ms May to reaffirm the Government’s commitment to the 2008 Climate Change Act, which he described as a “world-leading piece of legislation”.

This commits the UK to an 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and is “one of few remaining silver linings in UK environmental policy”, Mr Devlin said.

A letter by DECC’s permanent secretary, Alex Chisholm, to staff in his department, which was leaked to Civil Service World, confirmed that its responsibilities were being transferred to the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, under its new Secretary, Greg Clark.

"We can make sure we have the 21st century infrastructure we need. Business will have a strong champion in government," he wrote.

"Energy and climate change will continue in a single department ensuring efficient paths to carbon reduction.”

A spokesman for DECC told The Independent: "Nothing is changing. The commitment [to dealing with climate change] is still there."

http://www.independent.co.uk/enviro...stupid-and-deeply-worrying-move-a7137166.html

 

[Krejlooc]

Closing your ears and eyes isn't going to save the ice caps

 

[mreddie]

Oh god, if she can do this, I fear the same will happen in the US.

 

[TheRagnCajun]

#Nomoreexperts

 

[Phediuk]

Oh god, if she can do this, I fear the same will happen in the US.

Trump literally thinks climate change is a hoax and that vaccines cause autism.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Joke's on them when the UK sinks.

 

[BrokenIcarus]

Fuck you! How can it just keep getting worse and worse -_-

 

[AHA-Lambda]

As an environmental studies student I am fucking terrified

 

[Kill Your Masters]

Fuck you! How can it just keep getting worse and worse -_-

The UK has finally acknowledged that colonialism was bad, now they are committing a very slow seppuku as a grand apologetic gesture to the rest of the world.

(its the only explanation I can come up with really)

 

[D4Danger]

Let's see who only reads the title. It's now part of the much more powerful Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

 

[Laekon]

I'm glad business will finally have a champion in some government. They have so little representation in most nations.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Fuck you! How can it just keep getting worse and worse -_-

As an environmental studies student I am fucking terrified

Ok I read more about it into the other article the user below posted.

I understand why the is not a good thing


My apologies

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Let's see who only reads the title. It's now part of the much more powerful Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Please read. It's being moved not removed

I am well aware, and folding it into another diametrically opposed sector is not a good thing, and is already being widely condemned by many including Kofi Annan and Desmond Tutu. If this was a simple folding no one would be crying.

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...n-major-setback-for-uk-climate-change-efforts

The abolition of the Department of Energy and Climate Change has been condemned by former ministers as a major setback to British efforts to combat global warming.

But Ed Davey, who served as Liberal Democrat secretary of state at Decc between 2012 and 2015, criticised the decision.

“This is a major setback for the UK’s climate change efforts. Greg Clark may be nice and he may even be green, but by downgrading the Whitehall status of climate change, Theresa May has hit low carbon investor confidence yet again,” he told the Guardian.

His view was echoed by Ed Miliband, the department’s first secretary of state when it was created in 2008 by Labour, who tweeted that the move was: “Plain stupid. Climate not even mentioned in new dept title. Matters because depts shape priorities, shape outcomes.”

A group of international statesmen and women including Kofi Annan, Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu issued a statement saying they regretted the decision and it failed to encourage leadership on climate change.

Many environmental groups strongly criticised the decision as downgrading action on climate only months after more than 170 countries signed the Paris climate deal in New York. The UK is under pressure to ratify the agreement, both as part of the EU and domestically.

“This is shocking news. Less than a day into the job and it appears that the new prime minister has already downgraded action to tackle climate change, one of the biggest threats we face,” said Craig Bennett, the CEO of Friends of the Earth.

Angus MacNeil, the SNP MP and chair of the energy and climate change committee, said he was astonished by the abolition of Decc, as it came after government policy changes had already created uncertainty for investors.

Catherine Bearder, a Liberal Democrat MEP, said: “Scrapping Decc sends a terrible signal to the world. [It is] yet another concession to Tory Brexiteers and a blow to moderate, outward-looking Britain.”

The Green party said the axing of Decc was deeply worrying and long-time energy policy observers said it was a sign that energy and climate were slipping down the agenda, and that merging them with other departments before had failed to produce clear policy.

The New Economics Foundation thinktank said: “This reshuffle risks dropping climate change from the policy agenda altogether.” John Sauven, the executive director of Greenpeace, said: “Although, some might say ‘what’s in a name’, there is a very real worry that the progress made on tackling climate change could be relegated to the bottom of the intray.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/enviro...stupid-and-deeply-worrying-move-a7137166.html

Climate change department closed by Theresa May in 'plain stupid' and 'deeply worrying' move
Campaigners called for 'urgent reassurance from the new government' that the fight against climate change and pollution will not be 'abandoned'

John Sauven, the campaign group's executive director, said: “The voting record and affiliation with climate sceptics of key cabinet appointees are deeply worrying.

"They show a lack of understanding posed by climate change to the UK and the world. If we are to continue to have a key global role in environmental action, we need urgent reassurance from the new government that the hard won progress on climate and renewables targets, air pollution and the protection of wildlife will not be sidelined or abandoned in the Brexit negotiations.”

This is NOT a simple folding of departments

Plus our new environmental secretary wasn't even sure climate change was real ffs!

 

[SlimySnake]

And this is why you dont vote conservative folks.

 

[Bit-Bit]

Keep fucking that chicken. How is it the head of the department asks if climate change is real?

 

[NeoRausch]

Let's see who only reads the title. It's now part of the much more powerful Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Reads more like they put it there to make it shut up.

 

[WedgeX]

The GOP certainly spread their gospel rather well.

 

[Syraxith]

Please read. It's being moved not removed

And this folks is why you should read the article and not just the headline.

 

[D4Danger]

Reads more like they put it there to make it shut up.

right because we're suddenly going to welch on our international agreements and start using whales for fuel.

 

[Siegcram]

Let's see who only reads the title. It's now part of the much more powerful Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Because we all know Business and Industry as outspoken advocates of climate change.

 

[PJV3]

Even if they didn't move it with the Brexit fallout I don't see it getting treated seriously anyway.

The environment isn't going to pay the bills.

 

[Wiseblade]

This timeline just keeps getting darker.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Please read. It's being moved not removed

It's being buried.

HHHShovel.gif

 

[Deleted member 13876]

Because we all know Business and Industry as outspoken advocates of climate change.

Hey, oil companies do plenty of research on climate change lest you forget

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/exxon-knew-about-climate-change-almost-40-years-ago/

 

[Cindres]

Let's see who only reads the title. It's now part of the much more powerful Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

The title didn't exactly help. But this.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

This + http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1245354

= Good luck Britain

 

[NeoRausch]

right because we're suddenly going to welch on our international agreements and start using whales for fuel.

What?

 

[exmachina64]

Best prime minister.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

This + http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1245354

= Good luck Britain

BUT WE TOOK BACK CONTROL!!

right because we're suddenly going to welch on our international agreements and start using whales for fuel.

well given that half the Leave campaign was centred on "those damn bureaucrats in Brussels telling us Brits what to do!", and much of our environmental policy is EU based, PLUS our terrifying right wing government, then yeah I see a great laxing of our environmental performances and commitments.

 

[Rebel Leader]

I am well aware, and folding it into another diametrically opposed sector is not a good thing, and is already being widely condemned by many including Kofi Annan and Desmond Tutu. If this was a simple folding no one would be crying.

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...n-major-setback-for-uk-climate-change-efforts


http://www.independent.co.uk/enviro...stupid-and-deeply-worrying-move-a7137166.html


This is NOT a simple folding of departments

Plus our new environmental secretary wasn't even sure climate change was real ffs!

Oh, didn't know that the environment secretary was in that mindset.

As, well as the other information

 

[CelticKnight]

The news came after the appointment of Andrea Leadsom – who revealed her first question to officials when she became Energy Minister last year was “Is climate change real? – was appointed as the new Environment Secretary.

I like how they forget to mention the rest of her statement.

As reported by energy site Drill or Drop, the MP for South Northamptonshire told the All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Gas and Oil: "When I first came to this job one of my two questions was: 'Is climate change real?' and the other was 'Is hydraulic fracturing safe?' And on both of those questions I am now completely persuaded."

She's still a fucking idiot for various other reasons, though.

 

[commedieu]

Oh, didn't know that the environment secretary was in that mindset.

As, well as the other information

Please read.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Please read.

I did it was the other article they posted I didn't know and just read it

 

[Jeels]

Man, when you think that the source of all this change is the Brexit vote...

Who would of thought that voting for Brexit was also voting for the dismantling of a climate change department...

 

[ArchedThunder]

I feel like the UK has been trying their best to out do the US in stupidity recently.
Who will win this competition of stupid?

 

[Tempy]

I feel like the UK has been trying their best to out do the US in stupidity recently.
Who will win this competition of stupid?

Everybody loses.

 

[system11]

It always seemed odd that it had special snowflake status honestly. The one bit I don't understand is why it isn't part of some overall environment office though, and has been placed with energy. I realise the two are strongly linked but it seems to be very specifically an environmental challenge. What a massive overreaction.

Not that it matters anyway, global warming if it's going to happen is now unstoppable, biodiversity is going to take an epic hit larger than it has already suffered, and nobody is going to lift a single fucking pinky finger to do anything about it.

 

[Felix Lighter]

I didn't realize that this kind of resistance extended outside of the United States. The UK being an island makes this all that much worse.

 

[Aztechnology]

Next you'll tell me she's shuttering vaccine programs as well.

 

[Jezbollah]

And this is why you dont vote conservative folks.

I'm sure Climate Change is top of the list of most Conservative voters concerns.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

The one thing I'm glad Brexit has done is show people how bad our politics really are, cos the US has kind of took the limelight

Man, when you think that the source of all this change is the Brexit vote...

Who would of thought that voting for Brexit was also voting for the dismantling of a climate change department...

Sadly I'm not, we just gave complete unregulated control to the monster party, who were already pretty poor on environment

 

[Rebel Leader]

The one thing I'm glad Brexit has done is show people how bad our politics really are, cos the US has kind of took the limelight

You know how much the US really loves to 1up other countries.

 

[Ac30]

I'm sure Climate Change is top of the list of most Conservative voters concerns.

It's amazing how little they care. We have people on this forum that refuse to believe climate change exists. Or if they do, it's not our fault "because it's happened before". Yeah, with disastrous consequences. Fucking hell.

 

[BAW]

Earth-xit

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

You live on an island how could anyone doubt climate change when they're literally surrounded by water.

 

[YoungFa]

Cunt.

 

[Acorn]

The one thing I'm glad Brexit has done is show people how bad our politics really are, cos the US has kind of took the limelight



Sadly I'm not, we just gave complete unregulated control to the monster party, who were already pretty poor on environment

"Greenest government ever"

 

[BudokaiMR2]

Not sure where most of these 'please read' comments are coming from.

My reply to that is 'please get some reading comprehension and perspective'

Nothing about this sounds good. Being folded into a more powerful department who are probably not going to make it a priority for obvious reasons is one of the worst possible things that could happen IMO. Instead of a quick death with a slim possibility of coming back when/if people come to their senses it is probably just going to be slowly strangled to death by corporate interests and lobbyists.

 

[Jezbollah]

It's amazing how little they care. We have people on this forum that refuse to believe climate change exists. Or if they do, it's not our fault "because it's happened before". Yeah, with disastrous consequences. Fucking hell.

The funny thing is that before the election last year all three parties were saying just about the same about climate change. Seems like they didn't think it was a vote winner then, and doesnt feel like it's a high priority now.

 

[Akainu]

WOW