DIY Building advice self build construction garden design gardening garden buildings home tips

Type search for do it yourself home improvement
construction, buildings,
DIY, gardens, home tips >

Custom Search

UK GOVERNMENT CLIMATE CHANGE PLANS AND PUBLIC OPINION

Public opinion

Opinion polling evidence, collected by Ipsos MORI , shows that:

In light of environmental concerns, there is substantial support for some climate change policies.

Ipsos MORI's evidence shows there is a perceived need for political leadership:

There is also a need for action:

See the article on the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) which is replacing EcoHomes.

Green transport

In London, nitrogen dioxide is currently 50% above the EU air pollution limit.

YouGov and Ipsos MORI data found:

Green collar jobs

A Study of Emerging Markets in the Environmental Industries Sector states that the environmental goods and services market in the UK in 2004 was worth £22 billion. The Stern Report 2007 predicts that low carbon industries will double in size over the next decade. See this list for access to the Stern Report

www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Independent_Reviews/independent_reviews_index.cfm

Proposals for green collar jobs include reviewing regulation in the energy and waste sectors to ensure that there are further economic incentives for decentralised energy production and waste treatment plants.

Summary

If green economies are just created in order to fuel increasing development, by effectively replacing all of the 'old stuff' with shinier and more attractive 'new stuff' then the overall effect will be a global increase in emissions and environmental damage. Shipping the damage abroad where it is outside of the UK's equation is not the solution.

It would be more green to pay people unemployment benefits to laze around at home wrapped up in duvets. The Government did this with the steel and mining industries in the 1980s after all.

It is well known that people respond better in surveys than they do in real life. No one is going to say they want more pollution! But they won't change their behaviour unless they are made to by big economic incentives and legislation.

Recycling paper and cans is a trivial act that has a big feel-good factor, and doesn't achieve much, except peace of mind. Now the news is full of global warming, but there is a huge increase in demand for plasma and LCD TVs which use far more energy than old CRT TVs, endless 'must have' electronic gadgets, and SUVs; or SUVs and a hybrid town car.

Energy consumption keeps on rising no matter what anyone says about it - the new technologies use more and more. Flat screen displays are now everywhere, shop windows, libraries, banks... using up more energy in new ways. More internet use, more energy use. More, more, more.

All evidence is from Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute Report 'Tipping Point or Turning Point? Social Marketing and Climate Change', available from www.ipsos-mori.com