Owen Paterson and climate change

Simon Bullock

30 September 2013

Owen Paterson is the UK's environment minister, and has just reacted to last week's landmark report on climate change arguing that there's not too much to worry about.

His wilful complacency on climate change would be shocking from any Government minister, but it's doubly so because he's in charge of the environment. Surely David Cameron should move him to somewhere he'd do less damage. But then, what harm might Mr Paterson do elsewhere... ?

Here's what he said on climate change:

 "People get very emotional about this subject and I think we should just accept that the climate has been changing for centuries.

"I think the relief of this latest report is that it shows a really quite modest increase, half of which has already happened. They are talking one to two and a half degrees.

"Remember that for humans, the biggest cause of death is cold in winter, far bigger than heat in summer. It would also lead to longer growing seasons and you could extend growing a little further north into some of the colder areas.

"I actually see this report as something we need to take seriously but I am rather relieved that it is not as catastrophic in its forecast as we had been led to believe early on and what it is saying is something we can adapt to over time and we are very good as a race at adapting."

But what if Mr Cameron moved Mr Paterson to another ministry...? What might he say there?

New health secretary Owen Paterson on smoking and cancer?

"People get very emotional about smoking and I think we should just accept that people have been dying for centuries.

I think the relief of the latest evidence is that it shows that the number of smokers dying is falling, indeed more than half of them are already dead.

Remember that a big cause of death is stress. Smoking reduces stress. Also if some people do die early, it will reduce the number of older people dying from other causes, such as road accidents.

I'm relieved that smoking and death is not as catastrophic as forecast. We can adapt to death over time, and we are very good as a race at adapting."

Or how about...new defence secretary Owen Paterson on increased terrorism risks?

"People get very emotional about terrorism and I think we should just accept that bombs have been going off since the 15^th century.

I think the relief of the latest evidence is that it shows a really quite modest increase, and indeed much of it happened a long time ago.

Remember that for humans the biggest cause of death is smoking. Being blown up reduces the chances of a smoking-related illness. And clearing up after an explosion can be good for growth.

I am relieved that terrorism is not as catastrophic as forecast. We can adapt to fear and death and misery over time and we are very good as a race at adapting."

People would be rightly appalled if he said such things about terrorism or smoking. But Mr Paterson's complacency on climate change, in the face of overwhelming evidence, is effectively much the same thing. Politicians in America have it right: Secretary of State John Kerry said: "this is science, these are facts, and action is our only option". If Mr Paterson wants to keep on playing down the real risks of climate change, maybe he needs to get a different job.