Irony of ironies, after decades of maxing out and making the most they possibly can from globalisation whilst pretending that no such thing as a climate crisis exists, our elites have now suddenly grown a conscience – so it would seem.
Regrettably, as we have come to expect, instead of thinking about the consequences and the impact on everyone else from what they do, the Political Class have thrown themselves headlong into an idealistic and wholly impractical race to Net Zero. One that is starting to demand lifestyle and finance changes that are unaffordable and unsustainable for anyone but themselves.
This comedy of errors is playing out daily for all to see. It was illustrated only too well on page 4 of today’s Daily Mail, where one article talks about the poor having to ration their use of electricity at peak times. The article next to it discusses the closure of the fracking wells across the UK which were to be the first of many that could have helped keep energy prices low and sustainable for us all, whilst we find practical ways to go green.
There is no question that a climate crisis exists. But it is the greed and profligate exploitation of resources, travel on demand, shipping, low wage and undeveloped economies, as well as our throw away culture where products are literally designed to only last a limited time, that are already the biggest and most consistent offenders when it comes to the creation of this very troubling climate legacy which in many ways is set to last.
The way we have been living is unsustainable. But we have been led to believe that there are no consequences for low-cost, instantly available goods of all kinds, because our politicians, media and big businesses have told us so.
Unfortunately, the transition we face from the way we live now to the way that we need to be, is not one that it as simple as switching one way of being on or off, or just exchanging it momentarily for another, or passing overnight from A to B.
Yet this is exactly the expectation we are being told that we must accept when ways of producing energy cheaply are aggressively being switched off without methods of energy production being in place to replace them, that can be relied on, consistently at all times.
It is very easy for unthinking, self-interested people with influence and power to impose such changes on others who are living lives that they do not will not ever understand.
These elites are the people who, after all, will not be forced to switch off a power supply or moderate their use of energy at times of the day when it is perfectly normal for any one of us to expect those things to be switched on.
The elites are the ones who do not have to worry about buying expensive battery powered cars, and then charging them with all of the additional costs but that process will involve.
The reality is that the changes that we have to make can only become sustainable by changing the way that we think and the way that we live. We must change the way that we do business and accept that it is no longer going to work if we just expect everything we want to be available and to immediately arrive.
It is hideous that instead of facing up to the realities of the situation that they have contributed to and helped to create, or political leaders and the elites of the establishment believe that they can just continue with all of the dangerous processes and activities around the globe that are damaging our World. Just as long as they are seen to be forcing us to take steps that are completely impractical, but can be seen publicly to demonstrate that they are doing their bit to alleviate the coming climate pain.
The decisions and the choices that the elites have made are the easy ones. They are not the decisions that require hard work. What our Politicians should be doing is looking those who have created this problem and who are profiting from its continuation in the eye and doing the things that need to be done to make them change so that what they do is ethical, and profit just becomes a consequence of industrial activity – not the primary aim as it is today.
Change is a process that cannot be achieved overnight. And whilst we moved towards a place where we can all live green, sustainably without avoidable and unnecessary levels of pain for those who cannot afford forced overnight change, there must be a commonsense approach to using the resources is an sources of power that we have available. One that may not be palatable to the green lobby itself, but will mean that a basic, practical and consistent standard of living remains accessible at all times of the day to us all.
It is simply unacceptable to fill the gap in energy provision with the lie that energy supplies can always be secured from foreign shores.
With war now likely in the Eastern European Country of Ukraine, the chances are that Russia will use energy supplies as a key bargaining token within a very manipulative strategic game.
The UK must become self sustaining in every way possible as soon as this outcome can be achieved.
Energy must be produced from the sources and resources that we have available to us and that can be generated within and on our own shores.
In an uncertain world we must move away from being reliant upon the delivery of goods services food or any other product that makes us vulnerable because we are out someone else’s beck and call.
Above all, we have an obligation to create and maintain a benchmark basic standard of living for the poor.
Adam Tugwell 