A fascinating paid-for advert from the Poole Conservatives, claiming that Mark Howell called on people to downsize their pets. This arose in a debate on Climate Change, where what Mark highlighted was that whilst people are getting more careful about flying and other aspects of life, that the Carbon Footprint over a year of keeping a large pet is similar. He was challenging for people to have an honest debate around all aspects of the family carbon footprint.
The Conservative Cabinet lead on Transport and Climate Change has spent the last two years mostly kicking the can down the road.
A shift to a “renewable energy” electricity tariff (which was no more than paying a premium for the Renewable Obligations of a big 6 Energy company) had to be undone with the eye-watering price hikes (a choice to back the energy companies rather than citizens by the national Conservative government). We should have been investing directly in renewable energy production and energy saving investments.
A move to using Hydrogonated Vegetable Fats rather than Diesel in the Council’s fleet vehicles also had to be undone, as they didn’t live up to the promise, and the price of HVO also escalated. A few electric Refuse Vehicles have been purchased, but wholesale change has not happened.
Meanwhile there are increasing signs that Climate Change is becoming a runaway process, and that we will need to invest heavily in mitigation measures to protect from more extreme weather events, especially flood defences, and more extensive drainage. The Environment Agency grant that the Unity Alliance won for a seawall protecting the Old Town and Oakdale is just the start of it.
Heatwave image from https://phys.org/news/2022-07-southwest-europe-swelters-wildfires.html