Commenting on Michael Howard's speech on global warming this morning, Greenpeace campaigner Jim Footner said:
"This was a good speech with some good ideas, and Michael Howard is right when he says Bush should sign the Kyoto Protocol, but on the ground his party is a serious impediment in the fight against global warming. Conservative politicians have tried to scupper wind energy projects across the country while Mr Howard himself has shared a platform with prominent anti-wind campaigners like David Bellamy, who denies global warming is even real. Mr Howard claims onshore wind is unpopular, but this poll shows how wrong he is."
Greenpeace this week released a poll showing that more people than ever support building wind farms, despite a concerted campaign against them over recent months. A new poll by ICM, released today, shows that 80 percent support government plans to significantly increase the number of wind turbines in Britain, with just eight percent opposed. The new poll also shows that seven out of ten support the construction of wind farms in their local area.
Jim Footner added: "Despite a vocal celebrity-led campaign against wind farms, this poll shows people don't just want renewable energy, they want wind farms in their own areas. We hope Tony Blair's speech will put the fight against global warming at the centre of his agenda and signal a genuine commitment to get tough on climate change at home and abroad. Unless he gets squarely behind wind energy in the UK his government will miss its renewable energy targets and damage our efforts to tackle climate change. If the Prime Minister is worried that building wind farms is unpopular he can put his mind at rest. Wind energy is one of New Labour's most popular policies."
ICM questioned 1005 people across the country.
