Fossil fuel producers should be forced to pay for firefighting helicopters following the outbreak of blazes in the UK, the Green Party’s leader has said.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Zack Polanski made the plea as he warned: “We are facing the biggest threat to this country since the Second World War.”
Call to block North Sea drilling
He also urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to “be truthful, be brave” and block new drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea, including in the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields off the Scottish coast.
He was joined on stage in central London by BBC Springwatch presenter Chris Packham, who called on policymakers to “criminalise irresponsible journalism” and to put in place a wildfire warning system.
Recent wildfires
Several wildfires have broken out in the UK over recent weeks, with large blazes at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, Headon Warren on the Isle of Wight, Llanwonno in the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales, and the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland.
Mr Polanski said since the blazes, ministers had produced “no emergency briefings, no new plan and precious little detail about how this Government will protect people from the crisis”.
He warned that “the sheer scale of the devastation is hard to comprehend” but added: “We need to look it in the face because this is only a taster of what’s to come if we don’t act now.”
Funding and resources
He continued: “We need a robust wildfire prevention strategy, a fire service with the resources it needs to tackle blazes when they come.
“And that must include firefighting helicopters when needed and not again ever seeing the shocking sight of requiring a charity to step in to contract a private firm to help fight fires.
“And this should all be funded by taxing the fossil fuel giants who are profiting from fuelling these infernos.”
None of England’s fire and rescue services are thought to have direct access to firefighting aircraft. Phil Garrigan, chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council, has previously said he backed “investment in specialist wildfire capabilities, including aerial firefighting support”.
Water companies and political pressure
Mr Polanski also called for water companies to be taken “into public hands” because “money is flowing out of our hands into the pockets of shareholders, just like water is flowing out of those companies’ leaky pipes in the middle of a drought”.
Speaking as if to Mr Burnham, the Green Party leader also said: “I hope you will have the courage to be truthful, be brave and hold firm to your party’s commitment to no new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, including both Rosebank and Jackdaw.
“Now, some will say we can’t afford to make these changes. These last few weeks are showing we can’t afford not to – we are facing an existential threat.”
Chris Packham's remarks
Mr Packham said: “Is there a public wellbeing system in place which will tell people when there’s a risk of wildfire, so that they can be prepared to evacuate and have evacuation plans in place?
“Well, do you know what? There is.
“It’s available to the fire and rescue service but it isn’t available to the public because it’s deemed to be unreliable.
“Is it unreliable or is it just a bit too scary?
“We couldn’t even instigate a ban on disposable barbecues.”
The presenter and naturalist also called for a “transition to a plant-based diet”, warning animal agriculture was a “leading driver of biodiversity loss”.
He continued: “We’ve got to address the mis- and disinformation and we’ve got to do that with positive information campaigns – we’ve got to have people’s minds on the front foot so they know what’s true before they hear the lies.
“Then they will question the lies.
“Otherwise, you know what happens if you tell a lie frequently enough? It eventually becomes the truth.
“And that’s what we’re suffering from.
“‘We can’t afford net zero’? We can’t not afford net zero, and we’re beginning to see that that’s the case.
“We’ve got to sort out the media.
“I’ve been fantasising this year that we could perhaps criminalise climate denial – we should certainly criminalise irresponsible journalism.”
Labour response
After the press conference, a Labour Party spokesperson said “actions speak louder than words”.
They added: “Up and down the country, the Greens have repeatedly opposed plans for new reservoirs and clean energy projects.
“That makes it harder to achieve what they say they want.
“The Labour Government will crack on with delivering these vital upgrades. The Greens should get on board.”
