Well it’s about time. Nature has been attacking humanity from day one and as we all know, appeasement never works. Time to give it a darn good thrashing!
So that’s it then. The final shred of credibility of “the greenest government ever” has been doused in petrol and ignited with a casual flick of a gold-plated lighter. The appointment of Owen Paterson as environment secretary is a declaration of war on the environment, and another sign that the right of the party – fiercely opposed to anything that prevents business from doing as it wishes – has won.
Alongside the signs that the government is preparing to renege on its pledge not to build a third runway at Heathrow (transport secretary Justine Greening, who fiercely opposed the idea, lost her job yesterday), this appointment reinforces the impression that Cameron’s professed environmentalism is – and always was – phoney.
When the Guardian cries, Angels sing.
Land of Hope and Glory Resurrection at last. Thought it had been thrown out with the bath water.