The UK Conservative Party's Boris Johnson, climate realist and member of Benny Peiser's scholarly electronic network CCNet, has been elected Mayor of London, defeating 'Red Ken' Livingstone.
There are a hundred reasons why Boris Johnson should not be Mayor of London. But his dinosaur views on the environment alone are enough to show what a disaster he would be for our city. The man who backed Bush against the Kyoto treaty and who doesn't believe there's a risk from passive smoking cannot be trusted with our future - or even, really, with his own. He's a 19th century man in a 21st century city
--Sian Berry, Green Party, 25 April 2008
Under a climate change denier like Boris Johnson, we would have to fear for our futures, and for the jobs of all the hundreds who work for us. We would also have to fear for the physical security of the city itself, under the assault of unmitigated global warming, were others to follow Johnson's 'lead' on climate change.
--Jeremy Leggett, SolarCentury, 25 April 2008
The prospect of Boris as Mayor of London is just so scary. The prospect of Boris taking over London's Climate Change Action Plan is even scarier. He may have learnt not to reveal his full contrarian bigotry on climate change, but he really doesn't get it, and would rapidly scale back or completely get rid off the ambitious targets in the Action Plan. And that would be a massive set back. I just hope all the environmental NGOs can rally the troops in London in a pro-Ken campaign, even if they can't come out and explicitly endorse him.
--Jonathon Porritt, Sustainable Development Commission, March 2008
Boris Johnson claimed a remarkable victory in the London mayoral contest on Friday night to cap a disastrous series of results for Gordon Brown in his first electoral test as Prime Minister. Mr Johnson's landmark victory, a result that would have been almost unthinkable six months ago, was the most symbolic blow to Mr Brown's authority on a day that left the Prime Minister facing the gravest crisis of his leadership.
--Andrew Porter and Robert Winnett, The Daily Telegraph, 3 May 2008
[The defeated] Mr Livingstone made clear he views 1 May as a referendum on his policies to tackle climate change and protect the health of Londoners. Aides claimed it would be the first election in British history to be decided largely on environmental issues.
--The London Evening Standard, 25 March 2008
Londoners now face a stark choice. Boris Johnson is an environmental vandal, whose main contribution to environmental policy was as a cheerleader for George W Bush's disastrous decision to oppose the Kyoto climate treaty. The election is neck and neck and everyone who cares about the environment needs to vote with the first and second preferences for myself and Sian Berry if we are to stop Boris Johnson wrecking London's environment.
--Ken Livingstone, 25 April 2008
The hypocrisy of the Europeans over Kyoto is staggering. They attack America in hysterical terms, and yet the 15 EU countries have never come close to meeting their own eight per cent target for cuts in carbon dioxide emissions. They have not even agreed which countries should cut the most. If America were to meet its Kyoto targets now, it would require a cut of 30 per cent in emissions, and how, exactly, is that supposed to work in the current economic downturn? It would exacerbate the recession, and when Bush says no, he is doing what is right not just for America but for the world
--Boris Johnson, The Daily Telegraph, April 2001
hmmm - another serving of "insidious venomous divisiveness"
Now for the purge, Boris. All those years of Livingstone cronyism distorting the administration will need some serious blood letting. There can be no enduring long term relationship with parasites so aim well and cut deep.
The only problem is that all the bureaucratic pond life will suddenly see Australia and KRudd as some sort of promised land for displaced leftist slime mould. I suppose there is always Pyong Yang.
"Well scumbo .... What worries me is the insidious venomous divisiveness that pervades all your rhetoric."
ROFL. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Look at the quote from above.
"He may have learnt not to reveal his full contrarian bigotry on climate change,"
Disagree with these people and they accuse you of BIGOTRY - OVER CLIMATE CHANGE FOR CHRIST SAKE.
And you are worried about our devisiveness? You are using the same of tactics of insult, intimidation, guilt, and accustaions about standing in the way of progress. If you could think of a way to play the race card over climate, you would do it in a heartbeat. And you have the audacity to say that we are devisive.
"The world's first election about environmental issues - and the Green got 3.5%!!"
..or, to put this in perspective, probably less than the 'donkey vote'!