What a day, what a weekend, what a week for climate protesters! First E.ON gives up on building the proposed coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth. Then BAA backs off from building the third runway at Heathrow. And finally Greenpeace welcomes MPs back to work from the roof of parliament, waving a banner that reads "Change the politics, Save the climate". Let's hope this time the MPs are paying attention.
It would be ridiculous to pretend that E.ON and BAA gave up just because activists had waged steadfast and imaginative campaigns against them. The economy played a vital role too; for months now the maths on the third runway has not added up. E.ON cited the recession as the main reason for its abandonment of the coal plant that, just a year or so ago, was apparently crucial to the continuation of life as we knew it.
But the campaigns by Notrag, Hacan, Climate Camp, Greenpeace, Plane Stupid, Climate Rush and other groups have been absolutely great. They've kept dragging Kingsnorth and the third runway back into the public eye, and made them far more unattractive and expensive propositions than they would otherwise have been. The campaigners have gathered support from all ends of the spectrum, they've pointed out weaknesses in the projects themselves and in the system that begets them, and they've had a whale of a time doing it.
There is one group, however, who will not be celebrating. New Labour has come out of this so badly it almost makes me feel sorry for them. Despite Gordon Brown's odes to courage and principles, his government has lain down like poodles in front of big business whenever it has clicked its fingers.
Despite loud rhetoric about the environment, the government has regularly failed to deliver on the radical steps that will have to be taken to build a low-carbon country. When they could have taken principled stands and won some respect – particularly on the third runway – they decided instead to continue toadying to the business lobby group CBI and its ilk.
Never mind. MPs and negotiators at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December may gain some confidence from this. Perhaps they will think that, as we enter the negotiations (as part of the EU team), it's worth taking a few principles with us. And if they don't, New Labour could well be gone pretty soon anyway. Perhaps the Tories will be a little bit cleverer about the environment than their predecessors.
In the meantime, pour a glass for yourself and, like the protesters on the roof of parliament, celebrate the moment. This could be a turning point for us all.
