What I wanted to say on TalkRADIO

Yesterday, I was interviewed on TalkRADIO. The time goes so quickly and clearly I wasn’t asking the questions so I’m disappointed to only mention one or two of the half dozen points I wanted to make.

Thankfully the internet gives me a second chance.

Whose behaviour needs to change the most?

Easy…the richest individuals on the planet.

There are 7.6 billion people on the planet and 50% of the pollution (emissions) is caused by the top 10%.

If the richest 10% of individuals were to reduce their consumption to the level of the average European, that would produce a 30 per cent cut in global emissions.

So Extinction Rebellion (XR) aren’t trying to take us back to the ‘stone age’.

Do the costs of climate action need to hit hard working families?

No.

This is a political choice. There is so much that needs to be done but the fact that parts of Labour (and not the Conservatives) are pushing for what is known as a ‘Green New Deal’ indicates it’s likely to disproportionately benefit the least well off in British society. Here are just a few examples:

• Retrofitting (e.g. insulating) homes could alleviate fuel poverty and lower energy costs;
• Creating skilled, well-paid jobs in the Green economy such as installing solar panels ;
• Reduce use of the car / Massive investment (electrified) bus transport would reduce inequality at a regional and household level for working class communities.

Everyone values the NHS…why not have the equivalent in public transport and retrofitting UK homes?

Who pays?

Of course, ambitious climate action is going to be expensive so if it doesn’t fall on hard working families who foots the bill?

Simply, those that can most afford it.

I was shown a video recently of the Economist and Academic, Jeffrey Sachs, who spoke about billionaires in space and taxing the rich. This is a guy I would want in my corner. He spoke about:

• 2,775 billionaires worldwide with a combined wealth of £9.5 TRILLION (that’s £9,500,000,000,000);
• If they were each just allowed to keep US$1 billion (£726 million) for themselves there would £8 trillion left over (£8,000,000,000,000!)

The money’s there, and some form of wealth tax would appear to be part of the answer to the question of who pays.

What about China?

China is a problem, and their emissions are huge. Did you know people in China have apps on their phones telling them if it’s safe to go out, the air pollution is so bad?

Britain got rich on fossil fuels and so it’s unfair to lecture poorer countries to stop using them unless a) we cut harder and faster first and b) we help poorer countries to develop sustainably.

China’s political system is different to ours…they announce what are called “Five Year Plans” and the latest one 2021–2025 has for the first time omitted a numerical economic growth target, instead setting longer-term climate goals and introducing the idea of a CO2 emissions cap.

China’s problem in the twentieth century was ensuring it fed its 1 billion plus population. If the US, UK and EU match their words with real climate action I’m sure China will follow.

Do you think the Chinese don’t want to breathe clean air?

I’m British — I demand my government honours its climate promises, upholds human rights and avoids double standards. The UK is known for its diplomacy…let’s not lecture but show ourselves to be supportive and an example of what can be done.

Average emissions

A fairer way to consider emissions is the average per citizen. For Americans (USA) it’s 15.5, for the Chinese it’s 7.4 and for us Brits it’s 5.6 (and these figures (in tons) don’t include international flights or the CO2 emissions in what we import).

A return flight between London and New York emits 1.6 tons per passenger so an investment banker flying once a month across the Atlantic will emit almost 20 tons of CO2.

So, once again, the average 5.6 tons for each Brit is skewed heavily in favour of the rich business elites — hard working (class) families going on holiday every other year are not the main problem.

Thoughts on hypocrisy

There has been a bit of noise this week about XR founder, Gail Bradbrook, driving a diesel car. Robert Rinder did mention in our discussion the hypocrisy of those like, Prince Harry, ‘lecturing’ us about the climate and yet flying so much — I agree with him.

I mentioned Bill Gates (who recently wrote a book about the climate crisis) who has FOUR private jets.

It’s important (if anyone is to listen to XR activists) that we have made personal choices in our lives that show we are willing to be the change we want to see.

I’m not vegan (yet), I still drive a car and I won’t promise to never step foot on a plane again. BUT I have made significant changes to my diet, which is now almost entirely plant based and I’ve flown one short flight in the last three years (to speak about climate change(!) and only because protests in Barcelona stopped me travelling to Madrid by train).

But let’s discuss real hypocrisy:

• A UK government which is hosting COP26 this year giving the green light for a new coal mine in Cumbria and new oil exploration in the North Sea;
• Barclays, HSBC and Standard Chartered suggesting they will be ‘net zero’ and ‘Paris Agreement compliant’ whilst continuing to finance new fossil fuel infrastructure projects around the world (profits before people);
• Media companies and newspapers giving a platform to people who are lying about the physics (it’s not free speech to use your wealth to undermine a serious conversation about issues which are existential to the human race and what to do about it). In fact, that undermines democracy;
• Conservative MPs saying they care about ‘hard working families’ when, after 11 years in power, they have to be shamed by a footballer to provide free meals to children during a pandemic;
• The FTSE4Good index (the London Stock Exchange’s flagship Environmental, Social and Governance Index (ESG) index including fossil fuel companies such as BP and Shell and major fossil fuel investors such as Barclays and HSBC.

Thanks to Robert Rinder

I’m grateful to him for giving me a few minutes to hopelessly fail to make the above points.

Unlike some of his TalkRADIO colleagues, he believes the scientific consensus and rightly stated climate breakdown will hit the poorest disproportionately. Robert appears to me to genuinely care about how a badly executed response to the climate crisis could burden hard working families who have already been hammered by the COVID pandemic and economic downturn.

Thank you, Robert!

To the listeners of TalkRADIO

I’m not surprised by a lot of the social media response to my interview — why should they listen to a white, middle-aged guy who was wealthy enough to give up his job to volunteer for XR? Yes, I may be a ‘bellend’ but I don’t think I’m having a mid-life crisis. Volunteering full-time, leading XR’s Finance Team for two years, didn’t feel like retirement to me…at times I felt I was working harder than I ever did for HSBC or Lloyds Bank!

If a doctor told you you had cancer, you wouldn’t reject the diagnosis because he or she was middle class with no mortgage. Wouldn’t you listen, do some of your own research and work with the specialists to attempt to get better.

You absolutely shouldn’t listen to me!

I’d much prefer you to listen to Liam, an electrician from South London, who was one of the 15–20 people who turned up to the first XR Wandsworth meeting I held in a pub back in early 2019.

Liam’s been on TalkRADIO in the past and he’s brilliant.

Privileged XR activists don’t love their kids more than poor working class parents.

If you don’t want to listen to me because you perceive me to be wealthy, then that’s also an argument for stopping getting information from the 70% of the British print media owned by five billionaires (see the paragraph ‘Who pays?’ above for why they might not want you to understand the danger of global warming).