The Conservative dominated coalition government is starting to gradually turn from 'green' to a brown colour (does mixing blue and orange make a brown colour??).
What was purported to be the greenest government 'ever' by the Conservatives, has shown something else recently, with Eric Pickles this week looking like a Dickensian character axing the 198 National Indicators.
The indicators are used to assess what each local authority is doing to cut emissions in their area and other important things. Unless they are replaced by some other information system that reveals what local authorities are doing, the fear now is that there will be no incentive to do anything.
If it is replaced by something simpler, then so be it, but such data should be available nationally so progress can be checked.
Other legislation under scrutiny includes a simplification of tree protection, again the concern is that the information being collected maybe reduced, giving cowboy tree surgeons, property owners and developers, opportunities to damage or remove trees.
The demise of some of the Quangos (announced yesterday) is probably less of a problem however some are of concern. The Carbon Trust and The Energy Saving Trust were not mentioned.
The latest news is that low carbon public transport is to see some cuts, with old rail stock not replaced and cuts to bus services. The controversial Seven barrage has been cancelled. RenewableUK put some light on the costs of the Seven Barrage, pointing out that the barrage would last 120 years whilst the proposed nuclear power stations would last 40 years.
All in all, it is seems the Conservatives and now the Liberal Democrats have been lying about their green credentials.
Added: Although there are some green shoots... New Energy Focus article about green energy investment.
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