Environment and climate change

As Prof Sir David King said, 'Climate change is the most severe problem we face today'.

The evidence is entirely clear that we are using up the resources available to use on our planet at an unsupportable rate, and in the process polluting the seas, atmosphere and land. This pollution includes carbon dioxide, which we are emitting at an alarming rate. While a certain amount is necessary in our atmosphere, these levels are increasing sharply, leading to an increase in the greenhouse effect and global temperatures. We will have to work extremely hard to keep this heating down to less than 2 °C.

While this may not seem much, and indeed in the annual temperature cycle it is not that much, a sustained increase of this amount would be catastrophic for our planet, leading to sea level rises, and the destruction of whole ecosystems. Agriculture will change, and millions of people will be displaced from their homes. Increased instability will lead to more 'rare events', such as major storms and floods. Another problem with carbon emissions is that some of it dissolves in the oceans, leading to acidification, threatening fish stocks, on which so many people's diets depend, and natural features such as coral reefs.

Copenhagen is critical

The current Copenhagen talks are absolutely critical for us to make a stand and take a concerted effort to avoid all these disasters. While the EU alone has taken some action, and Kyoto led to some improvements, this may be out last realistic chance to make a difference; we have already emitted a third of all the carbon we can afford to emit this century.

And we have made a difference before - as a global community, we moved away from CFCs in response to the hole in the ozone layer we had caused; we just need to act now on a wide scale. I joined thousands of others at the recent Wave march in London, showing how much we all want a positive solution to come out of Copenhagen.

Julian at the Wave protest

Writing Lib Dem policy 

I was a member of the Lib Dem working party that produced our national policies on climate change and the environment. These policies aimed at moving this country to a zero-carbon economy by 2050, which at the time was a major advance over anything else being proposed. These proposals were welcomed by the then Director of the Friends of the Earth, saying '“We are delighted that the Liberal Democrats have come up with a range of progressive policies aimed at making the UK carbon neutral by 2050”. 

Popular recycling

Recycling, especially in Cambridge, shows how the public can be engaged positively with environmental campaigns. Residents of Cambridge in general support the recycling facilities that are provided, and if anything, would like to see even more recycling facilities, such as for generic plastics. This has been achieved through a liberal, empowering approach to changing culture. Rather than the authoritarian approaches used in some other Councils, with the threat of fining people who don't recycle, which creates resentment, we have provided people with facilities and enabled them to use them.

However, we now need to focus more on reducing and reusing materials - recycling is better than landfill, but not actually the ultimate aim we should have. We must tackle food waste, overpackaging, and the consumerist approach of making clothes and appliances that do not last and are not worth replacing.

Climate science

The science behind climate change is well established, despite what some portions of the media may make over a few badly phrased emails. There is of course some uncertainty in exactly what will happen - but I cannot see anyone can sensibly take the gamble that nothing bad will happen. And even if one doesn't accept the predictions for climate change, it is clear that we are gradually running out of materials such as coal and oil - and cannot get more!

But I think scientific considerations play more of a role than just highlighting the problems that face us; they also play a role in the solution. Work such as the fantastic book 'Sustainable energy without the hot air', by the Government's Scientific Advisor on Energy (and my co-author) Prof David MacKay, shows the huge contribution an understanding of physics can make. Similarly, while technology alone cannot provide the complete answer, it can play a huge role in providing new forms of alternative energy, and more efficient manufacturing and transport. It also provides an answer to the economic concerns of a switch to a zero-carbon economy - we can have green jobs, designing and making environmentally sustainable items.