KEG has now been going for over a year, what have we learnt in that time? Two main things: one,
that the problems are far more widespread and serious than most of us thought when getting
involved, but luckily there are things we can all do to help. Two, our children are far more
knowledgeable about this subject than our politicians. This month the children are going back to
school, but that is where the government should go. A survey of Conservative MPs reportedly
discovered that a majority think we can reduce global temperatures without hitting net-zero. Yet if
we have not hit net-zero we are still pumping more CO2 into the atmosphere than we are taking out,
so CO2 levels will continue to rise, which of course leads to global warming. Most of us have got
that now, but not it seems all of us. The permafrost has already started to melt in many areas
around the globe. This releases both CO2 and methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent
than CO2. These dangerous feedback mechanisms will worsen as the planet warms. Thus, the
more we delay net zero, the worse it will get.
What can we do this month? Many disaster relief charities and environmental groups have
designated 23rd September as 'Make the polluters pay' day (https://actionnetwork.
org/forms/join-us-225?). We know who is currently paying the price, those with breathing
conditions who are suffering and dying from pollution and excess heat. Those in hotter climes who
now have more days with dangerously excessive heat and humidity, those in low lying nations who
are losing their homes. Are those who caused this pollution paying to put the problems they have
created right? Why not write to your MP about this issue so you can learn where they stand before
COP28 in December (UN global climate conference)? Maybe he can tell you why, when we know
there is a huge cost to pay to clean up the CO2 in the atmosphere, the electric industry gets an extra
levy (taxation) to pay for the environment (meaning higher electric bills for us). Meanwhile the
fossil fuel industry, which is causing an environmental catastrophe, gets subsidised. Does this help
us use the cleanest fuel source to heat our homes? Surely the polluting fuel industry should be
paying the conversion costs to incentivise us to use environmentally cleaner energy, not the other
way around. Make the polluter pay.
You may have been wondering last month why environmental groups were getting so angry with
the government’s decision to issue 100 more North Sea exploration licenses, if as the government
said, this would secure UK energy supplies and be four times cleaner than importing the fuel. Well,
firstly the four times cleaner is only possible if they never burn it. So why create all the
environmental damage for something you do not use? Secondly, they don’t keep the oil/gas for us;
they sell it on the open market, maximising fossil fuel company profits. Thirdly, both the IPCC and
the government’s own climate change committee have said that to have a chance of meeting global
targets there must be no more new fields developed; developing more means more CO2 emissions,
so more global warming. Fourthly, to secure our energy supply the investment would be far better
spent on reducing our energy needs and in clean energy generation. It would seem the
government needs to go back to school.
Join our Facebook group https://www. facebook. com/groups/knebworthenvironmentalgroup.
You can also contact us via email to Kristin at knebworthenvironmentalgroup@gmail.com.
Our next meeting is at 8pm on Tuesday, 12th September at the Station pub: you can email in advance or just
turn up.