It seems that the UK has a large share of conservatives within Parliament that have also been bought out by the fossil fuel industry. According to the BBC news, more than 100 members of Parliament, known as MPs, signed a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron asking him to reduce subsidies to the wind farm industry. They also asked Mr. Cameron to make it easier for residents to derail plans for new wind farms. Gee, that sounds like something the Republicans would do over here in the States.
For the time being, Mr. Cameron's office has made clear that it believes the UK needs to encourage the move to clean, sustainable energy. That is comforting, for now. 99% of the signatures on the letter were from members of the Tory party, the Prime Minister's own party. If these MPs continue to make noise over this, Mr. Cameron may bow to pressure if he feels his authority is threatened. Any readers in the UK should make diligent effort to let Mr. Cameron know that wind farms should not be suppressed, and that policy regarding wind energy should not be dictated indirectly by the fossil fuel industry.
Interestingly enough, The Guardian posted a map that shows all wind farms which are operating, under construction, or proposed. The map also shows the districts the conservative MPs are from within the UK. It is intriguing to see that the conservatives who wrote and signed the letter were from England and Wales only. The Scots and Northern Irish don't seem to have too much of a problem with the wind farms as no one from those countries signed the letter.
As I have said before, wind energy is one of many solutions to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions while producing usable energy. It deserves to be lifted up by the same subsidies that has benefited the fossil fuel industry for so long. I don't see conservative leaders, regardless of which nation they are in, proposing to cut subsidies for oil, coal, and gas companies or to make it easier for residents to oppose a new oil or gas derrick from going up. If you want to be a leader, then lead. You don't get points for being a puppet to a company, especially if that company happens to be a part of an industry that wants to deny scientific reality.
For the time being, Mr. Cameron's office has made clear that it believes the UK needs to encourage the move to clean, sustainable energy. That is comforting, for now. 99% of the signatures on the letter were from members of the Tory party, the Prime Minister's own party. If these MPs continue to make noise over this, Mr. Cameron may bow to pressure if he feels his authority is threatened. Any readers in the UK should make diligent effort to let Mr. Cameron know that wind farms should not be suppressed, and that policy regarding wind energy should not be dictated indirectly by the fossil fuel industry.
Interestingly enough, The Guardian posted a map that shows all wind farms which are operating, under construction, or proposed. The map also shows the districts the conservative MPs are from within the UK. It is intriguing to see that the conservatives who wrote and signed the letter were from England and Wales only. The Scots and Northern Irish don't seem to have too much of a problem with the wind farms as no one from those countries signed the letter.
As I have said before, wind energy is one of many solutions to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions while producing usable energy. It deserves to be lifted up by the same subsidies that has benefited the fossil fuel industry for so long. I don't see conservative leaders, regardless of which nation they are in, proposing to cut subsidies for oil, coal, and gas companies or to make it easier for residents to oppose a new oil or gas derrick from going up. If you want to be a leader, then lead. You don't get points for being a puppet to a company, especially if that company happens to be a part of an industry that wants to deny scientific reality.
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