What do U.K. Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats have in common?
There’s good climate news from the United Kingdom. On Saturday, the leaders of the country’s three major parties — Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Labor — all signed a joint pledge to aggressively fight climate change and phase out the use of coal.
This isn’t because politics is any less divisive or partisan in the U.K. than in the U.S. Rather, it reflects key differences between our political cultures. On this issue at least, their conservative leaders, unlike ours, seem to accept the Enlightenment values of scientific inquiry, rationality, and reason.
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The agreement comes in the middle of an electoral campaign that's being hard fought, according to The Guardian.
The agreement of the three party leaders is highly unusual and comes amid a general election campaign that is becoming increasingly bitter.
The prime minister, deputy prime minister and leader of the opposition have all clashed over green issues, but the joint declaration states: “Climate change is one of the most serious threats facing the world today. It is not just a threat to the environment, but also to our national and global security, to poverty eradication and economic prosperity.”
“Acting on climate change is also an opportunity for the UK to grow a stronger economy, which is more efficient and more resilient to the risks ahead,” the joint statement says. “It is in our national interest to act and ensure others act with us.” A senior UK military commander has warned previously that climate change poses as grave a threat to the UK’s security and economic resilience as terrorism.
The declaration was hailed as “inspiring leadership” by Al Gore, former US vice president and by multinational business leaders as a clear message that the UK is a good place for climate-friendly investment. The cross-party agreement in the UK contrasts sharply with the US, Australia and Canada, where right-of-centre politicians argue against the need to act on global warming.
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Now perhaps I wasn't paying attention, but did the news media in America give more than a 30 second sound bite to this? This ought to be a wake up call for America - and a real challenge to the Republican Party. It's definitely something we should all be spreading the word on: politicians setting their political differences aside to address a real problem. You know, actually trying to solve a problem (with government no less!) instead of seeing it as just an opportunity for political gain. Dealing with the real world, and facts and stuff.
Does anyone on the right even remember how to do that over here? Hail Britannia!