Since the dawning of the new Conservative Government in May 2015, any movement on climate change has gone into complete reverse with the Government reducing or removing support for renewable technologies such as wind and solar power and undermining schemes to improve energy efficiency.
In November 2015, we took to the streets in Witney in David Cameron’s constituency to see what his constituents thought about the issues.
David Cameron has made some very positive comments about the need to address climate change. He has also made positive comments about the need for renewable energy. He famously, perhaps infamously, said he’d create ‘the greenest government ever.’
As time has gone on, much like ice in the arctic, these ephemeral aspirations have melted away.
And in a show of perhaps what he really thinks, David Cameron referred to some of the measures needed to address climate and energy issues as ‘green crap.’
Jeff Rice, environmental campaigner and wind power professional, speaking in November 2015 said “David Cameron and his Government are going against what people in the UK want and are going against common sense. People like wind and solar power. Backing these technologies will lower UK carbon emissions and help fight climate change. Ignoring the problem is worse than useless.”
The aim of our street campaign was to give the constituents of Witney the chance to lobby their MP, David Cameron, and ask him to take climate change seriously and reinstate support for renewable energy and energy efficiency programmes.
“Around the world, renewable energy is making great headway in reducing carbon emissions,” Jeff continued. “Undermining and destroying the UK renewable energy industry is a nonsense. The Conservatives are supposed to be the party of business. I work in the renewable energy industry because I believe it’s the future. I’m lucky to work in a sector that I am passionate about, although I do wonder if my business has a future under this current Government.”
Following two days of street campaigning in Witney, we hand delivered over 300 individual lobby letters from concerned constituents to David Cameron’s office in Witney. We estimated that around 75% of constituents were unhappy with the Government undermining renewable energy and energy efficiency.
