Giving airtime to lobbyists who would undermine environmental concerns

Dear Jonathan (and the Any Questions production team),

I was so shocked by the views expressed in yesterday's broadcast by the panellist, Claire Fox, that I have just been online to find out more about her. How, I wanted to know, could someone obviously so intelligent and articulate express such incredibly stupid opinions about global warming and sustainability? We (as individuals and as a society) are still struggling to face up to the magnitude and urgency of the threat posed by the increasing impact human (largely economic) activity is having on our finite and vulnerable planet, and you give airtime and credibility to someone who is basically saying that there is nothing to worry about! Or at least, nothing that market forces and technology cannot take care of.

My Internet search took me to www.lobbywatch.org, where I found a profile of Claire Fox's Institute of Ideas. That explained a great deal to me. I find it hard to imagine that you could have known about her institute's lobby function and still invited her to be one of your panellists. Unless, of course, you were more interested in the "entertainment value" of her contrary views?

Many of your listeners, I am sure, will have been impressed (as I was) and perhaps influenced by Ms Fox's intelligence and fluency into doubting that all the fuss about global warming and sustainability is really warranted, which is the very last thing that is needed when we still have so far to go in facing up to just how important they are.

So what motivates people like Claire Fox and the lobby group she belongs to?

I cannot explain her personal motives, of course, which may well be based (consciously, at least) on sincerely held beliefs, but I can, I believe, explain the forces on behalf of which (unknowingly, I'm sure) she is acting, forces which strive to undermine concern about global warming, the environment and sustainability, because this concern is undermining sections of the economy, which respond in defence of their interests.

We are, in fact, in a terrible dilemma, because we ALL (not just a few greedy capitalists) depend on an economy and way of life which are inherently unsustainable on a finite and vulnerable planet with its ever increasing population of technologically empowered but essentially insatiable human beings.

It is a dilemma that can be solved - but we have to face up to it first; and time is running short.

Yours sincerely

Roger Hicks

www.spaceship-earth.org

Link: BBC Radio 4 Any Questions

c

To: anyanswers@bbc.co.uk Re: Giving airtime to lobbyists who would undermine environmental concerns Date: Saturday 13 May 06

Dear Jonathan (and the Any Questions production team), I was so shocked by the views expressed in yesterday's broadcast by the panellist, Claire Fox, that I have just been online to find out more about her. How, I wanted to know, could someone obviously so intelligent and articulate express such incredibly stupid opinions about global warming and sustainability? We (as individuals and as a society) are still struggling to face up to the magnitude and urgency of the threat posed by the increasing impact human (largely economic) activity is having on our finite and vulnerable planet, and you give airtime and credibility to someone who is basically saying that there is nothing to worry about! Or at least, nothing that market forces and technology cannot take care of. My Internet search took me to www.lobbywatch.org, where I found a profile of Claire Fox's Institute of Ideas. That explained a great deal to me. I find it hard to imagine that you could have known about her institute's lobby function and still invited her to be one of your panellists. Unless, of course, you were more interested in the "entertainment value" of her contrary views? Many of your listeners, I am sure, will have been impressed (as I was) and perhaps influenced by Ms Fox's intelligence and fluency into doubting that all the fuss about global warming and sustainability is really warranted, which is the very last thing that is needed when we still have so far to go in facing up to just how important they are. So what motivates people like Claire Fox and the lobby group she belongs to? I cannot explain her personal motives, of course, which may well be based (consciously, at least) on sincerely held beliefs, but I can, I believe, explain the forces on behalf of which (unknowingly, I'm sure) she is acting, forces which strive to undermine concern about global warming, the environment and sustainability, because this concern is undermining sections of the economy, which respond in defence of their interests. We are, in fact, in a terrible dilemma, because we ALL (not just a few greedy capitalists) depend on an economy and way of life which are inherently unsustainable on a finite and vulnerable planet with its ever increasing population of technologically empowered but essentially insatiable human beings. It is a dilemma that can be solved - but we have to face up to it first; and time is running short. Yours sincerely Roger Hicks www.spaceship-earth.org Link: BBC Radio 4 Any Questions c