UK policy: cut climate change adaptation team

[Anne]

UK's climate change adaptation team cut from 38 officials to just six

The UK is facing a multi-billion pound bill over the next few years for the costs of adapting to the effects of climate change – including flooding, much fiercer storms, droughts, heatwaves and more extreme weather. The government's advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, have warned that the measures needed to prepare the UK's infrastructure will include defences for power stations, transport and communication networks, changes to how buildings are constructed, and new ways of trying to prevent flooding, such as an upgrade to the Thames Barrier.

But the number of officials charged with dealing with the issue within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has been dramatically reduced. A freedom of information response to a question by Friends of the Earth confirmed the reduction from 38 to six posts.

Because cutting the deficit is so much more important.

[ccgwebmaster]

UK's climate change adaptation team cut from 38 officials to just six

The UK is facing a multi-billion pound bill over the next few years for the costs of adapting to the effects of climate change – including flooding, much fiercer storms, droughts, heatwaves and more extreme weather. The government's advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, have warned that the measures needed to prepare the UK's infrastructure will include defences for power stations, transport and communication networks, changes to how buildings are constructed, and new ways of trying to prevent flooding, such as an upgrade to the Thames Barrier.

But the number of officials charged with dealing with the issue within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has been dramatically reduced. A freedom of information response to a question by Friends of the Earth confirmed the reduction from 38 to six posts.

Because cutting the deficit is so much more important.

They also cut flood defences, despite it being shown that for each 1GBP spent on them, 8GBP of damage would be prevented. Talk about cutting off the nose to spite the face... but then I guess poorer people are more likely to live in flood zones, being unable to afford housing in safer areas? (and this theme appears to drive a lot of UK government policy right now)

[ccgwebmaster]

On UK policy - this idiocy too:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/may/15/uk-signals-support-eu-import-tar-sands