Category Archives: Matt Ridley

Ecomodernist unease as Paterson uses their platform to attack Green Blob

Necessity is the mother of strange bedfellows, according to an old adage. And it is presumably this maxim which led the Ecomodernists to jump into bed with arch-neoliberals Owen Paterson and Matt Ridley last week. They may well be rueing … Continue reading

Posted in ecomodernism, GMOs, Matt Ridley, Owen Paterson | 3 Comments

Ecomodernism takes us back to an old future

The risk all utopians run is that entryists will use their idealism for their own ends. This would appear to be happening this week, as arch neoliberal brothers Owen Paterson and Viscount Matt Ridley, and others, seek to appropriate Ecomodernism … Continue reading

Posted in ecomodernism, Living Marxism, Matt Ridley, neoliberalism, Owen Paterson, People Need Nature | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Super-Ridley blats the Bat-people: But will the evil Raccoon win out?

        “Escaped pet raccoons are beginning to establish themselves in northern England with potentially devastating consequences for native wildlife.” Viscount Matt Ridley Viscount Matthew White Ridley is many things. He is a very rare beast: a hereditary … Continue reading

Posted in alien invasive species, bats, coal, invasive species, Matt Ridley, Policy Exchange, Rampisham Down | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Highthorn Opencast Coal Mine – some questions

Coal is, amazingly, still a large component (20%) of the UK’s energy supply. Still, that is big decline compared to the 85% of UK energy provided by coal in 1956, when we were still a manufacturing nation. Most of the … Continue reading

Posted in coal, Crown Estate, Matt Ridley | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Viscount Matt Ridley: The New King Coal

            I have written many times (eg here, here and here) about Viscount Matt Ridley. Ridley styles himself as “The Rational Optimist”, is brother in law of former Secretary of State against the Environment Owen … Continue reading

Posted in climate change, Denialists, Matt Ridley, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Owen Paterson calls for the use of nuclear submarines to power the UK

        Owen Paterson wants the UK to run on electricity from Nuclear Submarines Owen Paterson is a bit of a submarine himself these days. He goes under, for weeks at a time, then pops up, fires off … Continue reading

Posted in climate change, Denialists, Global Warming Policy Foundation, Matt Ridley, neoliberalism, Owen Paterson | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Farewell Owen Paterson: your work here is done

And so the rumours have finally been confirmed, Owen Paterson has been asked to stow away his wellies for the last time and return to the back benches. It may seem incredible that Paterson only became Secretary of State against … Continue reading

Posted in corporate lobbying, deregulation, GMOs, Matt Ridley, Neonicotinoids, NFU, Owen Paterson | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Paterson refuses top Scientists’ briefings on Climate Change: where does he get his views from?

It was a massive shock – to no-one at all – that Owen Paterson has refused to take a briefing on climate change from the Chief Scientists of the Met Office, Department of Climate Change or even Defra. This amazing … Continue reading

Posted in climate change, Eton, Matt Ridley, neoliberalism, Owen Paterson | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Paterson – climate change will increase crop yields: Govt Scientists -Climate Change will cause crop failure

David Cameron may or may not be preparing for a major cabinet reshuffle following the Euro and Local Elections – and my favourite blog fodder Secretary of State against the Environment Owen Paterson may or may not be looking to … Continue reading

Posted in agriculture, climate change, Matt Ridley, Owen Paterson | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

A political blog: the unholy alliance between UKIP and the Marxist Libertarians

the cheeky chappy   Last week I forced myself to watch a Channel 4 documentary “Nigel Farage: who are you?”, made by self-styled “fashionable left-wing film-maker turned wicked libertarian” Martin Durkin. He has previously made such edifying and entertaining pieces … Continue reading

Posted in anti conservation rhetoric, anti-environmental rhetoric, Astroturfing, climate change, Living Marxism, Matt Ridley, UKIP | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments