james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray
@james-bg.bsky.social
4.2K followers 750 following 2.9K posts
Editor-in-chief of BusinessGreen, writing for a couple of decades or so about the environment, the economy, green politics, and the Climate Theory of Everything
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · Dec 23
Climate change isn't woke. Or rather, it's a bit woke and there's nothing wrong with that, but that's not all it is. Political and business leaders urgently need to reject the lazy thinking that is trying to paint climate action as an elite endeavour. www.businessgreen.com/blog-post/43...
Climate change isn't 'woke'
Donald Trump's victory has triggered fresh calls for a rolling back of climate action, but such arguments are based on lazy and dangerously flawed assumptions - in an end of year essay BusinessGreen e...
www.businessgreen.com
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Reposted by James Murray
markgongloff.bsky.social
Mark Gongloff @markgongloff.bsky.social · 1h
Every so often you come across a piece of evidence that feels strong enough to change minds.

This chart from @hausfath.bsky.social is one of those, directly refuting at least 2 standard climate-denier talking points we've heard from Trump recently

Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
A Chart Climate Denialists Can’t Ignore
Every now and then you come across a piece of evidence that feels strong enough to cut through the noise and change minds.
www.bloomberg.com
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 28m
Desperately bleak new report from @oceanauk.bsky.social on the UK's collapsing fish stocks. www.businessgreen.com/news/4520088...
'Deep Decline': Half of UK's top 10 fish stocks critically low or overexploited
One-in-six UK fish stocks are in a critical condition but are still being fished beyond safe limits, new Oceana UK report warns
www.businessgreen.com
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 54m
I wrote something last week on what such a strategy would probably look like.

Given it is grossly simplistic, deeply reckless, and little more than a fig leaf for continued fossil fuel use it is surprising Badenoch couldn't announce it already. www.businessgreen.com/blog-post/45...
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James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 57m
Quick story on Kemi Badenoch's promise that a 'proper strategy' for tackling climate change is on its way. www.businessgreen.com/news/4520109...
Kemi Badenoch promises 'proper strategy' for tackling climate change
But conference speech provides no indication as to what promised strategy would entail, beyond support for new nuclear projects and reforms to curb electricity bills
www.businessgreen.com
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 1h
Tories suggesting £1.6bn of public spending savings by scrapping net zero. Much more plausible than Reform's circa £40bn claims, but still suggests a lot of green building or clean tech programmes could be cut.
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Reposted by James Murray
dorianlynskey.bsky.social
Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 1h
I reviewed a book about why the UK nuclear industry has declined and there were many reasons but I swear the author didn't mention gender identity once
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
Badenoch's 'I'm not a climate sceptic' plan in full:

The Conservatives intend to knowingly make climate change worse. We will develop a proper strategy for tackling it at some point, but no we will not tell you what it is nor when it might be delivered.
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
Badenoch does not provide even the slightest hint as to what her 'proper' strategy for tackling climate change would be.

The plan is lots of policies that would increase emissions and undermine clean tech investment, while insisting the party is not climate sceptic.

Deeply, deeply unserious.
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
Badenoch also backs new nuclear and says N Sea strategy would be 'drill our oil and gas now'.
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
"I am not a climate change sceptic, but I am a net zero sceptic," Badenoch says.

Sets out plans to scrap the 'carbon tax' on electricity and scrap 'Labour's wind and solar levy'. Says it will cut bills and reduce the energy bill for the average restaurant by £5,000.
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
Badenoch promises the Tories would cut bills, slash costs for businesses, 'end the madness of having to tear out your boiler or gas hobs' (this is not something people have to do).

Insists "this is real action not slogans".
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
'I am saying enough... We will get rid of the Climate Change Act and replace it with a proper strategy that actually works, a strategy which protects the natural environment and the landscapes we love, a strategy that takes sensible steps to tackle CC without bankrupting ourselves in the process.'
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
Badenoch claims this is all because 'we chose a slogan of net zero over a serious strategy for a stronger economy and a better environment'.
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
'Energy is growth... countries with cheap energy grow faster, countries with expensive energy decline,' says Badenoch, citing how UK pays 4x more for power than the US.

Says this has driven deindustrialisation, including the loss of farming and fishing, as well as steelmaking.
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James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
Commits to abolishing business rates for high street businesses.
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
Insists Tories would spell out all their savings, which now apparently total £47bn, including £23bn from welfare. It's truly fantastical stuff.

Interestingly framed as not burdening future generations - something that does not apply to Tory plans on climate.
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
'None of this works without a strong economy', says Badenoch. Insists Tories are the only party with a plan to 'get our economy back on track'. Promises new 'golden economic rule' to ensure at least half of all public spending savings go to cut the deficit. The rest will bring down taxes.
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James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
Badenoch vows to ban doctors striking and pledges to shutdown 'rip off' university courses and double the apprenticeship budget.
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
... , 'fix the state', which has grown by a third since Brexit and covid. Badenoch pledges to cut civil service to the size it was in 2016 (again, this is all easy apparently), with some of the savings coming from reforming the police not to chase 'political correctness'...
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2h
Badenoch sketches out blueprint: Quit ECHR, reform welfare to get millions more people into work and ensure 'support only goes to those who really need it' (easy apparently)...
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 3h
Says the Tories would reverse Labour measures. Scrap their 'vindictive tax' on education, on family farms, on small businesses. Would reverse Labour's employment bill.

Suggests things can be fixed by reversing measures that have been in place less than a year or not even been introduced yet.
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 3h
Not the slightest recognition of the last decade of Tory economic management, unaffordable tax cuts, or collapsing public services. Just the tired idea that yet more turbo-Thatcherism will work this time.
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 3h
Badenoch says all the other parties are touting economic plans built on the 'magic money tree' and 'more debt', which is why 'Britain needs Conservatives back in charge'.
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 3h
'The tax burden is so high it is making Britain poorer,' says Badenoch, as she cites business closures.
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james-bg.bsky.social
James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 3h
Badenoch accuses Labour of a doom loop of higher taxes and weaker borders.
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