56 newspapers in 45 countries have taken the unprecedented step of speaking with one voice through a common editorial.  “The science is complex but the facts are clear” the editorial says:

Unless we combine to take decisive action, climate change will ravage our planet, and with it our prosperity and security. The dangers have been becoming apparent for a generation. Now the facts have started to speak: 11 of the past 14 years have been the warmest on record, the Arctic ice-cap is melting and last year’s inflamed oil and food prices provide a foretaste of future havoc. In scientific journals the question is no longer whether humans are to blame, but how little time we have got left to limit the damage. Yet so far the world’s response has been feeble and half-hearted.

But the doubters are gaining credibility and publicity.  Funded by a well organised and industry backed network they remind me of those scientists who were wheeled out through the 70s and 80s to raise doubts about the links between cancer and smoking.

People are easily confused by science.  By planting seeds of doubt it will be even harder to persuade people that they need to alter their lifestyles as part of coming to terms with a carbon constrained future.

It seems de rigueur on the right to question the links between human activity and global warming, and even to doubt the planet is warming.  It is a shame that Glyn Davies is genuflecting in the direction of the sceptics.

Put aside the details of climate change science, it seems common sense to me that we have developed an economy and society based on over consumption which cannot be maintained without a significant impact on the environment which we rely on. 

Perhaps that it is putting it too simply, but you can overcomplicate these things.  We cannot exploit our natural resources indefinately without consequences. 

Simple as…Push pinapple, ground coffee…

‘we will fund the creation of a Low Carbon Region … with the aim of creating the first Low Carbon region in Europe.’ (p.56)

Sounds good. Then I look up and see what is soon to be the largest open-cast coal mine in Europe.

Joined up government?

A series of measures were announced by the Assembly Government to reduce demand on the M4 to compensate for the decision to abandon plans for a ‘relief’ road.

And yet today, outline planning permission was granted for a massive new ‘International Business Park’ four junctions along. 

A 300 acre site – bigger than the Cribbs Causeway shopping centre in Bristol – will be built in countryside next to Junction 33 of the M4.  Creating extra pressure on the M4 at the same time as new measures are announced to try and reduce it a few miles down the road.

It was driven by the old WDA and when that was merged into WAG the liabilities for the site and the commitments were taken into WAG.  The economic development side pointed to the ‘need’ for a prestigious business park attracting HQs of major firms.  The transport side pointed out the enormous traffic generation potential from a car-centric development on an already congested section of the motorway. 

Local Authorities in the valleys fear investment will be sucked away from them, and the Vale of Glamorgan see the risk of repeating the errors plain to see at Culverhouse Cross.

Of course, there have been keen attempts to polish the turd.

A new “airport style regional transport hub” will result in up to 10 bus services an hour running through the site to Cardiff, with links to local railway stations.

Of course Park and Ride linked to a major bus interchange will be of value.  But you don’t need a massive business park with some 1,500 car parking spaces to achieve that.

A turd is still a turd.