Comment: Recession? Don't forget our Duty to the Environment

We can't allow a possible global fiscal squeeze to jeopardise progress already made on environmental legislation argues Daniel Furr.

It has been a year since the credit crunch started. The US economy is effectively in recession, UK is heading in the same economic direction and the stock markets have entered into ‘bear’ territory. Finance ministers the world over have evaluated and concluded tax cuts are necessary for the economy – green taxes in many countries have been terminated.

Green economics is now insensate and politicians, in an urbane manner, are telling voters to forget any environmental incentives in the current economic climate. Tragically, any targets for achieving alternative energy will be significantly missed – or ignored – and many politicians have seemingly shelved their green credentials. An individual with great fortitude will be required to become the tutelage of the achievements completed to date and to protect the radical agenda for the future.

Like many, I understand the importance of the economy and protecting jobs, wealth and prosperity. Defending aspirations are required, but it is dissolute for politicians to label, depict and demonise green taxes as expensive means of generating and increasing government income because it is unholy inaccurate. Characterising environmental measures in puerile terms misleads the general public and generates negative attitudes towards green taxes. During a recession, these taxes become an easy target for alternating fiscal policy.

Another problem is how governments have implemented green taxes. The United Kingdom, for example, would secretly and poorly explain certain measures; no one was surprised when the public thought of them as “stealth taxes”. Voters had nothing but antipathy and were disgusted by high taxation bills – especially on petrol and car tax. Inadequate presentation skills from the Treasury means the British are forever it seems sceptical of any environmental taxation.

The pandemonium in the oil markets have seen inflation spike throughout the world – increased consumption in the emerging markets and threat of war have increased speculation. Crippling oil prices should be a portent, but locating and extracting more oil is the apparent solution; we should be abandoning our dependence on oil – governments disagree however. Vetoing alternative, cleaner and sustainable sources is unwise for the future and for the economy itself. The hypocrisy of demanding Saudi Arabia for example to produce more oil and fund environmental projects – at the same time - is hilarious. Yes, the Middle East wish to add diversity to their economies, but no one will jeopardise the main contributor to their national budgets. So what is the world to do?

Firstly, it is unwise to stop environmental policies during a recession. Political fashion statements are ostentatious and unattractive to the voting population. Turning serious issues into political footballs is dangerous and risks contaminating the subject matter. Britain's execrable green fiscal policy risks ending up mired in resentment and protest. As I said at the start, tax cutting the green agenda has painted such directives as being expensive to the economy. The stereotype is now truth. Once great virtues are now being disassociated with and politicians are focusing on new beliefs instead – Presidential candidates are silent on environmental matters. In the United Kingdom, the Conservative party and the government are more or less focusing on the economy and crime. The environment “costs too much” during a recession and those three words are torturous to hear. Isolating the green agenda for political gains is playing Russian Roulette with the Earth's future.

Society, it seems will have to be educated [again] to understand the importance of environmental policy. It will have to understand that, sometimes, it is significant to introduce taxation to fiscal policy to protect our environment. If we keep vanguarding ourselves against responsibility, then the economy in the future will have to allocate vast amount of money to repair the damage. We either spend a little now or pay billions later.

It may be “the economy stupid”, but it's also the environment too.