Reform council leader Linden Kemkaran denies man-made climate change
“You plainly don’t believe that we are in an exceptional era of global warming which is really frightening”
The Reform leader of Kent County Council, Linden Kemkaran, has come under fire for refusing to say that human behaviour is the main cause of climate change.
Speaking to LBC’s Iain Dale about the possibility of the government approving Rosebank oil field, Kemkaran said “the climate always has changed” and refused to say that global warming is primarily man-made.
Kemkaran said: “The climate is always changing, it always has changed, it always will change. Trying to stop it, that is an act of folly.”
Fellow guest on the show, Guardian journalist Polly Toynbee, challenged the Reform politician, stating: “That is denial.”
Kemkaran responded: “No I’m not denying anything, the climate is changing. What is denial about that?”
The Guardian columnist said: “You’re implying that this is in a sort of normal pattern of change”, to which Kemkaran replied: “Well of course it’s in a normal pattern of change.”
“No it’s not a normal pattern of change,” Toynbee said.
Kemkaran then made an astonishing admission, stating: “We have to be honest, the planet will be fine, the planet will look after itself. We are talking about the survival of the human race.”
The Reform council leader said that Labour MPs’ opposition to drilling for more oil and approving Rosebank oil field is “schizophrenic”, adding that “it’s an absolute folly and it’s making us very poor”.
Dale then came in and asked Kemkaran: “Do you believe global warming is at least in part due to man?”.
Kemkaran deflected, stating: “I think it’s due to lots of things and I think it’s always changing. I think it heats up and it cools down.”
Toynbee said that Rosebank should not be approved, as though it would generate “a little bit of tax” for the treasury, “for this we sacrifice our right to speak out I think and say look ‘we’ve passed 1.5 degrees, we are heading for 2.5 degrees’, at which point the world is boiling”.
Kemkaran dismissed her point, stating “The world is not boiling Polly”.
“Well we know Reform are amongst the deniers,” Toynbee said.
Toynbee called Kemkaran’s stance “preposterous”, adding: “You’re not someone who believes in facts or experts”.
The Reform politician said she believed in “lots of facts”, stating “I’m a former journalist, don’t insult me”.
“You plainly don’t believe that we are in an exceptional era of global warming which is really frightening and you think it’s within a normal pattern of change,” Toynbee countered.
Kemkaran claimed “we’re coming out of a mini ice age, that’s what’s happening”. There is no evidence to suggest that the world is currently coming out of a mini ice age.
After a summer of six heatwaves and a record 1,100 wildfires in England and Wales, Kemkaran said: “Is there any such thing as a normal British summer, can anyone tell me?”.
Dale then interjected again, telling Kemkaran: “You haven’t answered my question, do you believe that global warming is at least in part, if not wholly down to humankind?”.
“Well it’s down to lots of things,” Kemkaran said, “so that must include humankind”.
The Reform politician ended by saying, “But I think the focus on that is completely out of proportion”.
This is despite over 99.9% of peer-reviewed scientific papers citing human activities as the primary driver of modern climate change.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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