Opining in today’s Washington Post, former Prime Minister Tony Blair writes:
Unless the United States radically reduces its greenhouse gas emissions, along with other major emitters, the damage to the climate will be irreversible. … Over the past few years, the debate on climate change has shifted profoundly.
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Clearly, many countries and companies are realizing that, far from being a detriment to their economies, acting early to cut emissions can increase productivity and give them a competitive edge.
Mr. Blair may want to devote less time to convincing Americans how wonderful massive energy taxes will be for their economy, and more time defending the fast crumbling consensus for them in his home country. The Independent reported earlier this month:
More than seven in 10 voters insist that they would not be willing to pay higher taxes in order to fund projects to combat climate change, according to a new poll.
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The findings make depressing reading for green campaigners, who have spent recent months urging the Government to take far more radical action to reduce Britain’s carbon footprint. The UK is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, a target that most experts believe will be difficult to reach. The results of the poll by Opinium, a leading research company, indicate that maintaining popular support for green policies may be a difficult act to pull off, and attempts in the future to curb car use and publicly fund investment in renewable resources will prove deeply unpopular.
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Three in 10 (29 per cent) of all respondents would oppose any more legislation in support of green policies, while close to a third of citizens (31 per cent) believe that green taxes will have no discernible effect on the environment since people will still take long-haul flights regularly and drive carbon-heavy vehicles.
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Mark Hodson, of Opinium Research, said: “Britain appears to be feeling increasingly negative about being more carbon neutral. We are questioning the truth behind being greener and many feel that Government is creating a green fear for monetary gain.”