Climate Debate in the UK: It's a Little Different

UPDATE: a version of this has been "Rescued" at Daily Kos.

Like, the US, the UK has its more "liberal" party (Labour), which is currently in power, and its more conservative, the Tories. So their differences on the Climate Crisis would be similiar, with Labour backing carbon limts, and the Tories yelling that global heating is a hoax?

Not exactly. According to the Guardian:

The Tories are to challenge Labour on a key plank of their green policy by adopting a far more ambitious target for cutting harmful greenhouse gases.

Experts asked by David Cameron to look at climate change have concluded that they should set a target of reducing carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, a substantial advance on Labour's commitment to 60 per cent. Many scientists believe the 80 per cent figure must be achieved in developed countries if the average temperature around the world is to rise by no more than 2C over the next 40 years. Any rise greater than that represents what scientists believe to be the 'tipping point', when climate change would start to have a devastating impact, with floods, hurricanes and the loss of eco-systems.

If you've been accustomed to recent American politics, you might conclude this is a cynical attempt to show up the opposition, with no actual intention to pursue such a policy. Maybe. But it doesn't sound like it:

Nick Hurd, MP for Ruislip-Northwood and chairman of the group, said: 'We are under no illusions about the political challenge, not least in securing an international agreement on a global emissions framework. However, the politics must fit the science and not the other way round.' The group's recommendation was endorsed last night by several environmental groups, including WWF, Christian Aid and the Tearfund.

All the national politicians take the Stern Report seriously, which says that the UK needs to devote 1% of its budget to addressing the Climate Crisis now, or it will be paying far more in the future. Although the UK is not meeting its CO2 reduction goals yet, there is far more awareness generally there than in the US, and more debate on "how" rather than whether anything is necessary. The citizenry appears far more aware of the transformations that are coming, one way or another. If the US doesn't wake up soon, we are going to be--at the very least--the Ford to the world's Toyotas: because of a lack of foresight and will: obsolete and whining.