| The call for cigarette packet-style warnings on petrol and diesel pumps demonstrates a lack of understanding of the difference between cigarettes, cars and reality. The suggestion comes from an opinion article (1) in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), which seems to have become yet another vehicle for environmental alarmism linked to social engineering. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to place ‘flood risk’ labels on homes built on flood plains so buyers are fully aware of the risks. ABD Environment spokesman Paul Biggs said: “It’s a sad fact that environmental research has become highly politicised by being well funded if suitably alarming statistical links can be made with adverse health or climate outcomes. This helps to underpin government policy agendas such as supporting more taxation and mobility restrictions. People who rely on petrol or diesel vehicles cannot discard them or give them up like a cigarette. A much more relevant label would show the proportion of fuel tax paid per litre, which is currently well over 60% and provides the Treasury with £28 billion in revenue per year. This is a real economic benefit compared to the overall negative costs of extreme climate and air pollution policies.” The article also tries to change name of the current Interglacial period known as the ‘Holocene’ to the ‘Anthropocene,’ but maybe ‘Adjustocene’ would be a better description given all the data adjustments that have made the past cooler. The authors also demonstrate a lack of understanding of the much hyped and extremely costly Paris Agreement, which even if implemented in full (it won’t be) would only reduce global temperatures by 0.05C by 2100 (2) (3). Ends Notes for Editors (1) BMJ: We need health warning labels on points of sale on fossil fuels: https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/03/31/we-need-health-warning-labels-on-points-of-sale-of-fossil-fuels/ (2) Paris climate promises will reduce temperatures by just 0.05C by 2100: https://www.lomborg.com/press-release-research-reveals-negligible-impact-of-paris-climate-promises (3) The truth behind Paris Agreement climate pledges (Sir Robert Watson, former UN IPCC Chair): https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-11/tca-ttb110119.php #DrivingSense |
