Wow.
Tony Blair has called for the UK to face the reality of human-caused climate change.
This is a huge deal. Governments have traditionally said ‘we can’t know for sure’ – the same magic thinking I ranted about a few posts below, only writ large – out of motivation to avoid doing anything and make hard choices or cross big business. For the British PM to stand up and make such a claim as this will change the rhetoric a great deal.
Cal mentioned that Tony sounds like he is, personally, scared. And I think she’s right. That speech came out of his own realisation that his children are screwed if nothing is done.
He’s going to be under massive pressure to moderate his position. I hope he stands strong – he’s been bloody-minded enough over Iraq, after all. And I don’t think he’s going to achieve terribly much in concrete terms. He can kiss any Washington influence he actually has goodbye if he tries to make this an issue over there.
But it shifts the balance of power in the public debate, and that is a wonderful thing.