Essex Conservative MP Jeff Watson's statement that, "aggressive action to fight climate change and air pollution could lead to an increase in domestic violence and suicides," exemplifies the depths to which debate concerning global warming/climate change has fallen.
The general public is being inundated with predictions of the apocalypse coming in our lifetimes - on the one side should certain actions not be taken; on the other if they are.
A progressive-conservative view is for governments to concentrate on encouraging those concrete actions that can be taken by individuals in their daily lives; to provide tax incentives to businesses to actively seek methods of improving their environmental performance; and to forge partnerships with firms in developing sound alternative fuels. In short - focus on the carrot approach first, realising that the stick of more expense being attached to "ungreen" activities are an option that may have to be taken.
The public will respond to such reasonable approaches to a problem we all recognise as existing. They will turn off if the rhetorical extremes Jeff Watson indulged in continue to bombard them.
