Three stories over the Christmas break highlight that policy makers are no longer prioritising the environment or giving real thought to the impact of their decisions on pensioners, the disabled and anyone unable to drive.
Dorset County Council publicised its opposition to the Navitas wind farm off the coast of Swanage.
Are the councillors ignoring the fact that all energy generation requires some payoff?
Energy based fossil fuels, including fracking, will produce Carbon Dioxide.
Nuclear power is potentially dangerous and requires the disposal of nuclear waste. It will be impossible without a £24bn subsidy to French and Chinese state- run companies. Much of this will be paid by today’s young people.
Wind power is not perfect. But it can be brought on – grid relatively quickly, helping to fill the energy gap sooner rather than later, until other renewables, like solar and tidal power, are developed to their full potential. To save a view, which many believe will not be spoilt anyway, what will our councillors favour instead of this scheme?
And while policy makers should be encouraging the use of good, affordable, public transport, we have learnt this week that train fares for commuters and bus fares for non – bus pass holders have both gone up. If this continues, anyone who has no access to a car will become increasingly excluded from activities that require travel. And our hope of reducing the impact of climate change will diminish even further, leaving the next generation, as ever, to pay the price.
I have said that the responsibility for these policies, which seem to ignore the needs of today’s children, low income families and the elderly, lies with ‘policy makers’.
But, of course, the real policy makers are the voters. And this year they will be able to decide whether we must continue on this course or demand a different way of doing things. The message they send with their vote will determine the direction of travel for the next five years at least.
Jane Burnet,
Green Party Parliamentary Candidate,
South Dorset
