THE ENVIRONMENT

Key Question : What is the impact of Climate Change on current political debates ?

FROM http://www.planetprepa.fr/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/GLOBAL-WARMING-VOCABULARY-TOOLBOX1.pdf

Watering down the UK’s net zero strategy may backfire for Rishi Sunak

by Robert Ford ( adapted )

Sat 23 Sep 2023 14.19 CEST

The Augustinian message “Lord, make us green, but not yet” was the basis of Rishi Sunak’s announcement last week of his package of proposals to delay and water down Britain’s policies to achieve net zero carbon emissions.

Voters who are keen on carbon-cutting in theory become much less keen when the bill arrives. By pushing everything costly further into the future, the Conservatives can win back disaffected voters by rousing latent fears of their big-spending Labour opponents.

That is the theory. Does it stack up? Sunak demonstrated one remaining strength of a fading, unpopular government: the ability to set the agenda. His proposals led every broadcast and front page, and diverted the entire political conversation on to new terrain. And there are promising signs in the polling. While large majorities, including most Conservatives, back net zero pledges in principle, specific policies are indeed less popular. British voters are not keen on bans on fossil fuel vehicles and gas boilers, and new taxes on flights or gas for heating are unpopular. The more direct and immediate the cost of green policies, the less voters like them.

The extension of London’s ultra low emissions zone (Ulez) to London’s outer boroughs was due to come into force just weeks after voters went to the polls. The imminent costs of Ulez were at the front of Uxbridge voters’ minds when they went to the polls – many faced concrete costs or knew someone who would.

The problem for Sunak’s government is the policies they are changing didn’t represent the same danger to voters’ wallets. Sunak’s plan requires focusing their attention on notional savings arriving many years hence rather than the bills and troubles they face now. This is possible – imagined fears have real power in politics – but not easy. Voting Conservative to protest at having to scrap your car next month is one thing. Voting Conservative to ensure a broader choice of cars in 10 years is quite another.

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Perhaps a campaign on a less immediate and contentious issue will succeed. Or Sunak’s crusade against imaginary bins and meat taxes will end up as just another footnote in political history. As the airwaves fill with argument over this initiative, we will all do well to remember the dictum of Conservative PM Arthur Balfour: “Nothing matters very much, and most things don’t matter at all.”

Rishi Sunak back when he liked showing off his green _____(1). Ambitious net zero targets have been at the heart of the Tory agenda for years. Now, as PM announcing a _____(2). The test should be, do we have the fairest credible path to reach net zero by 2050 in a way that _____(3) people with us? Since I've become Prime Minister, I've _____(4) our plans and I don't think they meet that test. The ban on petrol and diesel cars _____(5). _____(6) out gas _____(7), watered down. He insisted this is just a new _____(8) towards the same goal. This country is proud to be a world leader in reaching net zero by 2050. But we simply won't achieve it unless we change. We'll now have a more _____(9), proportionate and realistic approach that _____(10) the burdens on families. The Prime Minister adamant that nothing has changed. I think it is absolutely wrong to describe in any way, shape or form what I am doing today is watering down our _____(11). Our _____(12) remain. Rishi Sunak saying he's _____(13) decisions in the national interest, not for political reasons. But the promise he made a year ago when he entered number 10 was to lower the political temperature, to restore calm. Yet as a result of today's _____(14), he has industry _____(15) denouncing him and blue on blue anger as Tory MPs worry about another U-turn. Some Tories _____(16) by today's announcement, but this again is a divided party. The Prime Minister is well _____(17) that there's a strong section of Conservative MPs who believe that this is absolutely vital for our country, but also for our party. There is huge political _____(18), I think, if we become seen as a party which is _____(19) about the need to _____(20) our economy and the opportunity that it represents. Rishi Sunak's attacks on _____(21) thinking are aimed squarely at one man. These were once Boris Johnson's targets. Today, he warned the PM not to lose _____(22). For once, Labour agree with him they would reinstate the _____(23) to ban new petrol cars by 2030. We would keep that at 2030 because that's what business has been investing for. That's what business _____(24). That's how we can meet net zero. But it's also how we can lower the fuel costs for _____(25) who have cars. As the Prime Minister spoke, in New York, world leaders are _____(26) for the UN Climate _____(27), unimpressed with what they've heard. Well, I think it's unfortunate that he would do that. And I think the people of the United Kingdom largely agree that it's the wrong decision. Do you have a message for the Prime Minister, sir? That's for people of the United Kingdom to address, and I certainly _____(28) with him. Is it going to set back the cause, sir? Well, he's doing the wrong thing. A climate _____(29) in place for many years, today _____(30). This the go-ahead for net zero differences to be at the heart of the election. Sam Cote, Sky News.

Let's match these halves!

Your Job : Contrast the 2 positions of these iconic politicians, Sunak and Gore, in a structured paragraph.

Focus on the appropriate use of adverbs and linking words.