Northfield Election Candidates Debate Climate Change at Hustings

• May. 4 by Christopher Smith (0)

The Northfield constituency saw four of it’s potential election candidate’s debate various issues at a recent hustings, with climate change and the environment high on the agenda.

The hustings, co-organised by the Northfield Eco Centre, gave voters the oppotunity to question some of their candidates in the lead up to the General Election on May 6th.

Incumbent MP Richard Burden (Labour), Keeley Huxtable (Conservative), Mike Dixon (Liberal Democrats) and Dick Rodgers (The Common Good Party) were the candidates in attendance at the Northfield Baptist Church, with John Borthwick (UKIP), Susan Pearce (Green Party) and Les Orton (BNP) absent.

Climate Change In the United Kingdom

Climate change was one of the main issues at the hustings, with two questions regarding the subject being posed to the candidates throughout the evening.

On the UK’s own carbon emissions and the securing of a safe, environmentally energy supply, all the candidates agreed that more investment and research was required into renewable energy sources. Mr. Rodgers put particular emphasis on tidal energy, encouraging more research into the technology in order to stop potential blackouts across the country by 2016.

The topic of nuclear energy was decidedly more divisive. Richard Burden, Keeley Huxtable and Dick Rodgers all agreed that nuclear power appears to be the most viable option to keep Britain’s power grid running and to cut carbon emissions. However, Mr. Burden expressed his concerns over the long-term effects of nuclear waste,with Mike Dixon echoing the sentiment and ruling out nuclear power altogether.

Mike Dixon and Keeley Huxtable both emphasised the importance of insulation to cutting carbon emissions, with Huxtable outlining the Conservatives plans for a ‘Green Deal’. Under the terms of the Deal, homeowners would be offered a £6,500 loan to install insulation, with the loan paid back over 25 years through savings made on energy bills.

Dick Rodgers placed emphasis on the infrastructure of the country, claiming nationalisation of the UK’s transport infrastructure was the only way to successfully cut emissions. He also claimed that too much focus on making profits hampered the fight against climate change.

Mike Dixon expressed similar doubts about the national energy infrastructure, claiming that Great Britain was too reliant on other countries for energy sources. Dixon also outlined plans to move away from the National Grid to ‘micro power suppliers’  (communities generating their own energy through renewable energy). Keeley Huxtable wants to keep the National Grid, but outlined a plan in which homes and businesses that generated excess energy through solar panels could sell energy back to the National Grid.

Tackling Climate Change In Developing Nations

Northfield residents also expressed concern towards the effects of climate change on developing nations. Mike Dixon of the Liberal Democrats claimed that it needed to be recognised that climate change can’t be changed by one country alone and had to be addressed through all the nations working together, a sentiment echoed by the rest of candidates.

Richard Burden stated that climate change was already in effect in Africa, and that a policy of mediation and adaptation was needed. This involves helping developing nations to adapt to the effects of climate change, as well as allowing nations such as China, India and Brazil to develop in a more eco-friendly manner. He also emphasised the importance of ensuring emissions from developed nations were cut quickly.

The issue of countries such as China and India was also on the mind of the other candidates, with Dick Rodgers stating that countries such as the US needed to reduce emissions before asking growing nations to. He also stated that improved human rights in China were important, as well as addressing China’s ‘mad rush’ of development. Mike Dixon also expressed concerns about China and India, but stated that there was no real answer as of yet.

Keeley Huxtable addressed the issue of aid given to developing nations, claiming that reforms were needed to make sure that aid got through to the right targets instead of the half that currently makes it. She also outlined plans to increase aid to 0.7% of income.

Other issues on the agenda at the Northfield Hustings included cutting local crime, the legality of assisted suicide and the televised debates.