Politics of the Environment

The Article "The Politics of the Environment: Greener than thou," published February 11th in the economist, discusses environmental policy in England and, more importantly, the effect the recession and the upcoming election will have on it. It predicts a fairly grim future for "green" issues. The recession has convinced many voters that, right now, environmental policy is a luxury the country cannot afford. A recent poll in the UK showed that the number of voters who considered "pollution a major concern" has dropped from 19% to 8% since 2007. Furthermore, a number of recent scandals (such as evidence that climate scientists were tampering with data) and the relatively cold winter we've had this year has significantly reduced the percentage of British citizens who are certain that climate change is real.

The predicted conservative victory in the upcoming election is another factor that will have a major effect on the future of environmental policy in the country. The conservatives are generally less supportive of the green agenda. In particular, they care less about reducing emissions, and more about preserving the natural beauty of the countryside by preventing it from being filled with wind generators and nuclear power plants. As the article states, the difference is mostly "one of emphasis," with the conservative emphasis being on "the small and local" rather than on sweeping legislation.

This article is a clear example of public policy, and the effects the economic state and a change of government can have on it. Environmental policy can have broad implications in a country, and particularly affects the economy. It seems only natural that a downturn of the economy would result in politicians generally backing away from the green agenda.

Image courtesy of David Simonds and the Economist.

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