As record June temperatures hit the UK, with the country under its first-ever red warnings for three consecutive days, climate sceptics gathered at an 'anti-woke' conference in London to disparage Ed Miliband's net zero policies—while sweltering in 35°C heat. The irony was not lost on observers, who noted the delegates fanning themselves with promotional fans emblazoned with the slogan 'Free speech never felt so cool.'
Record Heat and Political Distractions
The UK, like much of Europe, has been gripped by intense heat, with temperature records shattered. Schools closed, nights became sleepless, and wildfires broke out in Derbyshire. Yet, according to columnist Jonathan Freedland, politics has focused on other matters, such as the resignation of a prime minister and the potential appointment of Andy Burnham as the next leader, with debates over who might serve as chancellor. The loudest argument against current energy secretary Ed Miliband has been his advocacy of net zero—pursuing zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Anti-Woke Conference Highlights Climate Denial
At the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in Olympia, west London, Kemi Badenoch told delegates that Ed Miliband was the 'villain' behind Britain's economic woes, to applause. The conference, backed by GB News owner and fossil fuel companies, also featured former US energy secretary Chris Wright, a former fossil fuel executive, who described Britain's green policies as a 'tragic mistake.' Wright expressed hope that a change in UK leadership would align the country with US policies. Delegates, including anti-abortion activists and climate sceptics, were sweltering indoors as they applauded speakers who downplay climate risks.
Net Zero Critics Include Unions and Former Leaders
Freedland notes that Miliband's critics extend beyond the anti-woke crowd to include trade unions angry over his opposition to new North Sea drilling, and former prime minister Tony Blair, who argued for relaxing net zero targets. In Canada, Mark Carney has dismantled green measures, and the European Commission is easing pressure. Freedland argues that while net zero may seem like an unaffordable luxury given economic needs, it is a life-saving essential.
Distraction and Displacement in the Face of Crisis
Freedland draws parallels to the film Don't Look Up, where society ignores an impending comet. He observes that even when faced with incontrovertible evidence of climate breakdown, people find other things to discuss—such as King Charles and the queen no longer living at Buckingham Palace, or Donald Trump's botched repairs to the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial. In the US, Trump's focus on the pool fiasco distracts from his capitulation to Iran, motivated by a desire to lower petrol prices. Freedland concludes that global addiction to fossil fuel is boiling the planet and wrecking the world, and that we cannot escape it by looking away.
