Lately the environment and its welfare has become a big issue. This is partly due to the number of protests about climate change as well as better public awareness of issues surrounding climate change and pollution. In response over the years the government has introduced a number of green energy incentives as well as grants to people who choose forms of renewable energy. Although despite this pollution is widespread and the government has been criticised for doing too little too late. In this article we will look at just what environmental politics is and how it has been affected by mass protests as well as public campaigns.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is a phrase that has been coined many years ago and there are a number of different forms of renewable energy that can be used. One of the most popular/ prevalent is wind farms. Wind farms are essentially large groupings of giant turbines that produce electricity and energy through wind power. Many of these are located throughout Scotland as well as in coastal areas and have proved very effective at generating energy. Another form of renewable energy that has become increasing popular is solar panels. Sales of solar panels across the UK has risen in recent years partly due to their effectiveness and longevity. Despite the UK not always being the sunniest of locations solar panels can pick up UV rays through the clouds and are very effective at generating energy.
However despite the existence of these technologies, many have argued that the government have been to slow to adopt these technologies as well as rolling out government incentives. Furthermore there is a lack of public knowledge surrounding the range of incentives available and what can be done to access them.
Protests And Popular Culture
In more recent events there have been a number of high profile protests against the government on their stance on climate change. This led to widespread disruption to traffic and commuters across London. The climate change movement wasn’t always a large body and its rapid growth has partly been down to social media as well as more engagement from environmental groups such as Greenpeace. In addition to this political parties such as the green party have also seen a rise in demand due to increased media attention as well as awareness surrounding climate issues.
Electric Cars
One of the biggest pledges governments across Europe have made most recently is the circulation of electric cars and abolishment of petrol and diesel vehicles. This has been in response to renewed calls for less polluted cities as well as mounting evidence that climate change is being accelerated by carbon dioxide emissions. One of the main issues with electric cars at the moment is price. Although there have been some government incentives the price of new electric cars remains fairly high which means that the majority of the population are unable to afford them. Critics of the governments plans argue that although petrol and diesel may disappear there isn’t the models available for the general public to be able to afford.