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What is the British governement doing to stop climate change?

I have to do a presentation for my university course where I compare the French and British goverments' plans to tackle climate change. I've found information about the British goverment's policies (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/... but so far all I've managed to find is waffle about what they INTEND to do. Does anyone know what measures are actually being taken?

Update:

Oops, you can tell I typed that one up quickly. Of course, I meant 'government'.

14 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favourite answer

    Since most other people have put a political spin on their answers, I'll just give you a couple of links which I hope will tell you what you need to know.The first is just a link to the index page for the DEFRA Climate Change Bill. Its not quite the same as your link above, and you might find links to more concrete info on it.

    http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/...

    You might also find the following article from wikipedia useful;. It summarises the UK's climate change programme from 2000 to the present.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_Climat...

    Hope this helps, and good luck with your course.

  • 1 decade ago

    Well, you're unlikely to find any concrete and substantive measures coming from ANY government - and for a very good reason.

    This is because the dramatic cuts needed to solve climate change will require governments to impose stiff regulations and taxes on businesses. But any government that does so will only see business and jobs drain away to other, less onerous and less costly countries. So nothing gets done; no nation wants to move first and those such as the US who have most to lose naturally won't cooperate - so it's a vicious circle. That's why all you'll get from governments is more empty promises: more waffle.

    But there is a way citizens around the world could change that situation. It's presented at http://www.simpol.org./ If nothing else, you should find some useful material for your presentation there.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    cant remember there BS plans i think one was taxing flights ?? how thats gonna help i dont know .

    but the point is there is so much room for debate over this , the sun moves in cycles of around 12years , at the moment the sun is hotter than it has been for a long time even the solar system has heated up mostly researched being mars . so theres a massive argument to say that C02 emmisions has nothing to do with climate change (the SUN is hotter than ever = climate change no?

    im more interested in the damage the polution is doing to the planet not climate change .its rediculous really look at the poeple funding all the publicity about climate change they all will profit and gain one way in the other even though they wont debate the facts and people just beleive what there told.

  • 1 decade ago

    What can any government really do? Tax carbon emissions? Fine excessive carbon emission violators?

    The problem IS people. We want to drive to work instead of pedaling or or walking. We like our houses lit and comfortable. Welike eating meat and having it cooked.

    Our climate has been changing all the time. We've had Ice Ages and periods of very warm weather before and we'll have them again. In the 1970's there were those who were worried about global cooling. The next Ice Age is coming! And it is. Right after Mother Nature decides to make it happen.

    Is there global warming? Sure. It's been happening since the peak of the last Ice Age. What happened before the last Ice Age? Temperatures were above normal. And a lot of ice was made liquid. Sea levels were above average. Cloud cover was probably above average and reflected sunlight and things cooled off. A lot of snow fell. And low and behold we had an Ice Age.

    The only measures we can take is kill half the people (which half to you want to be) in the world. That will reduce the carbon footprint. And still we can't be sure there won't be more global warming.

    Do you really think Mother Nature can't handle changes? The Earth is billions of years old and nothing short of the Sun going Nova is going to throw Mother Nature something she can't handle.

    Why are we worried about something that 'could' happen in the next two hundred years? That is just a tick of the galactic clock in the scheme of things.

  • 1 decade ago

    You cannot stop climate change because it changes whether we have an influence or not. In Roman times they had heightened periods of heat and in Neolithic times it was quite cold.

    However we can prevent extreme climate change brought on by human contribution, in terms of the UK I think pollution reduction, greater spending into alternative fuels and greater taxes for motor vehicles are all part of the British environmental initiative.

  • 1 decade ago

    they have started installing electricity stops for electric cars, but i don't think they are doing much except for taxing the *** off everyone. there are a lot of recycling schemes going on with different councils but they are pretty shoddy. Harringey councils seem very good though.

  • 1 decade ago

    Building more motorway extensions, allowing retail parks to spring up on greenfield sites, flying ministers up and down the country when they could be using the train etc etc.

  • 1 decade ago

    they plan to return to human sacrifice, and Al Gore has volunteered to go first because he took credit for global warming being his idea. LOL

  • 1 decade ago

    That is all you will find hot air and lies, Tory Liar and his spin doctors are only interested i putting out garbage and pretending to combat climate change they are not in the least interested in actually doing anything about it.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Taxing everyone to a standstill. that is the standard answer from Labour, so when you have no more money and can neither heat your house or drive your car greenhouse emissions will be nil.

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