UK Opposition Chief Rejects Climate Doom and Gloom
Date: 10-Jan-07
Country: UK
Author: Adrian Croft
Cameron has made the environment a priority since taking over the leadership of the Conservative Party in late 2005, helping the party build a lead over Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour Party in most opinion polls.
Blair has said he will step down this year although the next general election is not due until 2009.
Cameron said he was not trying to scare people into voting by talking about the environmental challenges facing the world.
"I've been trying to recapture the environment and climate change from the sort of doom mongers. I mean if this is all about doom and gloom and taxes, we're not going to persuade people to come with us," he said in an interview to be broadcast by Sky News on Wednesday.
"If you switch to a hybrid car you can cut the cost of your transport. If you cycle to work every now and again you feel fit and healthy. There's a good positive reason for doing these things which is not just about money -- it's about your own well-being," he said.
"If we can convince people of that, then I think we're half-way there," he added.
The key was not to try to be a "hair shirt-wearing doomster", he said. "We've got to try and make the environment and climate change uplifting and fun and interesting ..."
On Tuesday, Blair drew fire from environmentalists for refusing to commit to giving up long-haul holiday flights in the interests of combating global warming.
Blair, who has championed international action to counter climate change, said individuals could make a difference on global warming but what mattered was an international agreement.
Blair's spokesman said later the prime minister asked earlier this week for all his personal travel to be "offset", which works by investing funds in energy efficiency or forestry projects to counter greenhouse gas emissions from travel.
As British political parties compete for environmental leadership, Cameron is having solar panels and a wind turbine installed at his London home.
Some of his attempts to prove his environmental credentials have backfired, such as when it was revealed that his chauffeur drove behind with his briefcase and a change of clothes when he cycled to work.
Cameron said "green" taxes should be mainly aimed at changing behaviour rather than at raising revenue.
"I think the right thing to do is to see the share of taxes taken by green taxes go up and then at the same time, take taxes on other things down," he said.