May 30, 2023

What do we do about the climate madness? That’s the issue that Lord Frost addressed in a recent speech to the Global Warming Policy Foundation in Britain.

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Short answer: not much, not yet. But there is hope. Frost reckons that the governments in Europe are “beginning to get cold feet” on their climate agendas

I actually sense our own Government is beginning to realise that the economics are more doubtful than the Net Zero proponents argue. If, as some commentators say, our Prime Minister is beginning to get worried by the costs of Net Zero, we can only welcome that.

Then he notes that support for Net Zero policy is starting to fall with “incipient questioning of Net Zero measures across Europe” as climate change policies start to bite.

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The most strongly supported measures are those which most people probably believe would not affect them — changes in pension fund investment rules and frequent flyer levies — while support for phasing out gas boilers has halved and support for EV subsidies is now only slightly positive.

Frequent flyer levies? How about a tax on NGO employees and lefty billionaires flying private?

Unfortunately, politicians in the West “actively prefer to live in complete cognitive dissonance” rather than think about anything. And probably the political system will select for “lifestyle change to save the planet, the politicisation of everyday lifestyle choices, the emphasis on living local and sustainability”.

The only thing that Frost can recommend is to be ready for the step change.

The job of those who are willing to question the rush to Net Zero is to see this crunch moment coming and to start to get the politics ready.

The point is, Frost realizes, that the COVID pandemic showed us how government and public opinion work. Once the government launches a narrative and gets everyone on board, it can’t reverse course, can’t admit mistakes. The narrative continues until the world blows up, and the marginal supporters desert the colors.