Tag: 2020

Five years ago, on this day, November 18th, 2020,

The Johnson government (if you can call it that) launches a “Ten Point Plan for Green Industrial Revolution”

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 414ppm. As of 2025, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.

The broader context was that Boris Johnson had become Prime Minister in July 2019, prorogued parliament illegally and then won the General Election. After shaking hands enthusiastically with people at hospitals, he’d ended up briefly in an ICU. Johnson’s wife-beating father, Stanley, had been aware of the problem of carbon dioxide build-up from the late 1960s, as the Spectator’s environment correspondent

The specific context was that the UK was going to be hosting a COP (first time) and so there had to be SOMETHING to make it look like the green show was still on the road.

What I think we can learn from this is that there can be a nice round-numbered policy document, and some nice graphics, all produced by a department of state.  That doesn’t mean it is a strategy, but academics have to pretend that it is.

What happened next – Johnson was undone by a) himself and b) a scandal people could understand. Sunak basically binned “the energy transition” and “Red Ed” is beavering away, but nobody really believes in any of this stuff, do they?

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

References

Also on this day: 

November 18, 1953 – Macmillan tells the truth about committees

November 18, 1979 – leaked Cabinet Papers reveal effort to “reduce oversensitivity to environmental consideration”

November 18, 1989 – Small Island States say “er, we gotta do something before the waves close over our heads”

November 18, 1998 – coal guy becomes Australian environment ambassador

Five years ago, on this day, January 28th, 2020, a deeply unfunny clown got an education.

A slide show that Prime Minister Boris Johnson says helped convince him on climate change has been revealed for the first time. The slides used to “teach” him about climate science have been released after a Freedom of Information request by UK climate website Carbon Brief. While Mr Johnson has urged action on climate change, he previously, as a journalist, expressed scepticism. He called the presentation, given just after he took office, “very important”. The “teach in”, as it was described in email correspondence, took place in the Cabinet Room of Number 10 Downing Street on 28 January 2020.  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60203674

See Carbon Brief’s story here- 

The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 414ppm. As of 2025 it is 425ppm, but check here for daily measures. 

The context was that Johnson had been dismissing climate change and renewable energy for decades. His dad, as a journalist for The Spectator in the late 1960s had written sensibly about carbon dioxide build up and environmental issues. Pity his son never read any of that, eh? 

What I think we can learn from this is that an expensive education will not make you serious or smart.

What happened next. The pandemic.  The emissions dipped a bit. Then came roaring back.

What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.

Also on this day: 

January 28, 1969 – Santa Barbara Oil spill

January 28, 1993 – Parliament protest – “Wake Up, the World is Dying” – Guest Post by Hugh Warwick

January 28, 2013 – Doomed “Green Deal” home insulation scheme launched in the UK