Melting glacier exposes the folly of Reform UK’s position on climate change
Martin Shipton
Research carried out by an international group of scientists including a team from Swansea University has exposed the stupidity of Reform UK’s policy of denying climate change, according to a former Welsh Labour MP.
Nation.Cymru reported how a glacier on the eastern edge of the Antarctic Peninsula had undergone the fastest recorded retreat in modern history, losing eight kilometres of ice – nearly half its length – in just two months. The speed of the retreat is unrivalled since the end of the last ice age.
The landmark research paper, published in the academic journal Nature Geoscience, was co-authored by Swansea University’s Professor Adrian Luckman, who said: “Glaciers don’t usually retreat this fast. The circumstances may be a little particular, but this scale of ice loss shows what may happen elsewhere in Antarctica, where glaciers are lightly grounded and sea ice loses its grip.”
He added that even the historical record offers few parallels: “Although the paleo record indicates some very rapid retreats in the past, the pace of retreat of Hektoria Glacier and its neighbours is unprecedented in the observational record. This is the latest chapter in a sequence of events which started with the collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf 23 years ago,” he said.
Geraint Davies was the Labour MP for Swansea West from 2010 to 2024. During his time at Westminster he chaired the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, and before being elected to Parliament he chaired Flood Risk Management Wales, which was in charge of adapting Wales to climate change for what was Environment Agency Wales.
After reading Nation.Cymru’s story about the retreating glacier, he posted a message to Facebook that said: “Fantastic Swansea scientists record fastest ice retreat in Antarctic accelerating rising sea levels, flooding, land loss, food shortages and forced migration. Meanwhile in the Arctic in Greenland 8500 cubic metre of ice are melting every second.
“This underlines the need to take leadership in getting to net zero and the selfish stupidity of Trump saying ‘drill baby drill’ supported by Reform UK so oil companies, subsidised by the tax payer, make billions to destroy our planet and our children’s futures.”
Mr Davies pointed out that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is a prominent climate change sceptic and opponent of mainstream climate policies, frequently dismissing the scientific consensus on man-made global warming and calling for the UK to abandon its net-zero emissions targets.
Key aspects of his views include:
* Scepticism on the Science: Farage has repeatedly questioned the severity and cause of climate change. While sometimes acknowledging that human activity “may well be” a contributing factor, he has also claimed that natural phenomena like sunspots and volcanoes are more impactful and has promoted the misleading claim that human activities are responsible for only about 3% of the world’s annual CO2 emissions. The overwhelming scientific consensus, as stated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is that human activities are the unequivocal cause of global warming.
* Opposition to Net Zero. A central plank of his platform with Reform UK is to immediately scrap the UK’s legal commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. He describes net zero policies as “economic insanity” and “virtue-signalling” that make the UK “net poorer and net colder”.
* Pro-Fossil Fuels. Farage advocates accelerating the extraction of domestic oil and gas resources, including new North Sea licences and fracking, arguing this provides “cheap, secure energy” and economic growth. Coincidentally, Reform receives sizeable donations from fossil fuel companies.
* Criticism of Green Energy. He has been a vocal critic of renewable energy, calling wind turbines “ugly disgusting ghastly windmills” and opposing government subsidies for green technology, arguing it should only work without public funding.
* Conspiracy Theories. Farage has promoted conspiracy theories, notably the claim that environmental policies, such as London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), are a pretext for implementing “climate lockdowns” to control people’s lives.
“Adaptation” over “Stopping”. A Reform UK spokesperson has stated the party’s position as: “Climate change is real. Reform UK believes we must adapt, rather than foolishly think you can stop it.”
In essence, Farage views the pursuit of ambitious climate action as a costly and futile endeavour that harms the economy and individual freedoms, preferring a focus on traditional energy sources and adaptation.
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farage is owned. They demand he wrecks the UK to fill their pockets.
Farage doesn’t do science. He is incapable, he does what he is told.
They demand he destroys humanity just for their personal profit. But they too will die one day.
I have yet to watch a programme on Net Zero.
Individual’s are influenced by media / peers.
Now is the time for S4C to have a series covering Hydrogen projects (off Welsh coast), Electric Arc steel production in Port Talbot, first digital railway in world on Cambrian Line, using wool as an insulation material to retrofit properties, solar panels, Centre for Alternative Technologies – Machynlleth etc
We need to educate all on net zero, especially younger generation who then focus on highly paid engineering roles.
The idea that an electric arc furnace in a country with the highest wholesale price of electricity in the world, twice that of the United States and seven times the price of India is going to be commercially successful without any ongoing taxpayer subsidy is quite perverse.
Most properties in Wales are unsuitable for wall insulation, wool or any other material. This is because of the airtight seal required of a ‘passive’ building status. ‘Stossluften’ does not work in wet oceanic climates like Wales where winter external humidity is consistently above 80%. This is the reason why all retro-fitting projects result in internal damp. Other solutions such as thermal mass and thermal gradient materials would be better.
The scientific evidence for climate change, almost all caused by humanity burning fossil fuels over the last century and more, is both totally conclusive and overwhelming. The alarming rate at which all the world’s glaciers are receding should be enough to convince everybody unless they are deranged. It is blatantly obvious that immediate, effective action is needed to halt this process for, otherwise, our planet will eventually become uninhabitable.
Yet all the data points to a marked increase in CO2 emissions in this century, with the emissions in the last 20 years be more that the previous two centuries combined.
If actions to mitigate are to be successful we must first remove unfounded mantra and address the real situation. No exaggeration or falsehoods.
What is the point your comment is making?
Is it economic insanity to ignore an industrial revolution that is happening whether we go along for the ride or not, let alone ignoring the benefits of stopping or slowing the climatic damage. It is economic insanity to ignore the health benefits to millions in the UK, asthma, lung disease etc. by the simple act of stopping to burn stuff. I remember black snot from spending a day in London, things are changing for the better. It is economic insanity to be willingly be dependent on other powers for our energy, who can turn off the tap or hold us… Read more »