It seems like a million years, but five years ago today, just as the first lockdown was underway, the Business Energy and Industrial Strategy. Secretary of State, Kwasi Kwarteng wrote a dismissive letter to some Labour politician who was chairing a select committee, saying, well – read it and weep
That select committee chair was… Rachel Reeves.
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 414ppm. As of 2025 it is 427ppm, but check here for daily measures.
The context was that while, in theory, carbon capture and storage was official government policy nothing much was happening.
What I think we can learn from this is that it’s fun to keep the receipts for politicians. What they say in opposition is one thing. What they do if and when they’re in government is something else, quite often. That’s extremely banal, but there you have it.
What happened next Kwarteng was the shortest ever lived Chancellor of the Exchequer, I think, bar one who died on the job. He was thrown under the bus by Liz Truss. Reeves is now Chancellor, and CCS is probably toast – let’s see what happens in June…
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:
April 3, 1980 – US news anchorman Walter Cronkite on the greenhouse effect
April 3, 1991- Does coal have a future?
April 3, 2000 – Australian diplomats spread bullshit about climate. Again