Climate– LINKs Biggest Ever Challenge. Report on outcomes of the Scottish Environment LINK Congress November 2007
Several interviewees for A Strong Coherent Voice pointed out, rising to the challenge of climate change will require LINK to address itself to new audiences in new ways: a Third Age in the history of LINK. Many politicians now accept the scientific evidence that climate change is a reality, and that it presents a major threat to future stability, yet they do not feel they have a public mandate for action. When it comes to hard policy decisions on climate-sensitive matters, they revert to short-term political expediency, whether it is on the fuel-tax escalator, airport and motorway extensions, or removing bridge tolls. They argue that the public is not ready to accept lifestyle penalties, and so they opt for votes rather than offering strong leadership