The BBC is falling short on its climate protest coverage

THEY HAVE A CUNNING PLAN TO STEAL TURNERS AND
GLUE THEM TO THE GRASS AT WIMBLEDON

… The Today programme this morning attempted to have a discussion on the tactics of Just Stop Oil on disrupting sports events such as Wimbledon and Ashes test matches.

The whole exercise was somewhat hampered by the fact that the two guests which the BBC saw fit to invite, Chris Packham and Lord Deben, could hardly bring themselves to say a negative word about the pressure group. Rather they both wanted to say that if we didn’t want to see such protests it was down to the government to do more to cease oil production.

On climate change at least the BBC is falling a long, long way short

That anyone might disagree with the immediate cessation of exploration for new oil supplies in the North Sea, for example, didn’t seem to enter into Today’s concept of the spectrum of public opinion. Such a view is treated as if it is beyond the pale, like kicking away the crutches of old ladies.

Nor does the Today programme seem at all keen to represent the view – somewhat common among the general population – that Just Stop Oil are a bunch of privileged, middle class people who feel a sense of entitlement to have their views adopted by society at large, and who will resort to unscientific hysteria about an ‘unliveable Earth’ in order to advance their demands.

Lord Deben was allowed to repeat, entirely unchallenged, the spurious claim made by his Climate Change Committee that achieving Net Zero will cost a mere 1 per cent of gross national product. The Treasury, by contrast, refuses to come up with an estimate, saying that it is impossible to do so, given that many of the technologies required to achieve it have yet to be invented or commercialised.