"UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN…"

There’s nothing that BBC greenies like better than to make us feel bad. It’s glorious spring weather and it’s a holiday, but David Shukman is at pains to warn us that our enjoyment should be limited…and that our unpleasant polluting habits like driving cars and should be reined in. The eco-bogey this time is smog, that nasty, indeterminate stuff (fully of menacing green-creed stuff like PM10s) that will kill us all even if other greenie threats like rising sea levels don’t. True to form with such scare stories, it’s the perfect occasion for Shukman and his chums to give a platform for eco-warriors like Green Party London Assembly member Jenny Jones (the BBC’s favoured candidate to become next London mayor) to pontificate that London is a very dangerous place (the most polluted in Europe, donchya know)where unwitting victims should be warned that they will enjoy the royal wedding at their peril – all very reminiscent of the crews who were paid during plague years to tour the capital intoning “Unclean, unclean”.

It’s a perfect opportunity, too, for the BBC to act as propaganda conduit for the EU and to tell us triumphantly that draconian new emissions fines will be forcibly extracted soon. How wonderful; not only is the EU going to force us to pay more simply to be members (and we have no choice)- it also has a new wheeze to cane us for daring to use cars.

Actually, for the record, it seems that smog “pollution” is on the decline in the developed world , but of course there is no mention of that in this latest BBC sermon.

Update: I don’t often respond to B-BBC comments; I respect other people’s views and that’s what the site is for. However, Alfonso Paulista is an exception. I’ll ignore – though I loathe it – his gratuitous use of the ‘f’ word (I’ve always believed the English language can be powerful enough without the use of expletives); but the claim that WUWT is “not a credible source of information” typifies greenie arrogance and is a gross misunderstanding of how sceintific debate is conducted. Dozens of experienced academics contribute to the site, and on this occasion, the information about smog levels in the US was based on research by the Scientific Coalition of America, the advisory board of which contains 12 leading experts in directly relevant fields. My point is not that smog is harmless or should be ignored – it’s the one-sided, alarmist way the BBC reports such matters that is in question.

I go to WUWT because it is a credible multiple source of information. But it is inaccurate to say that I do not quote from elsewhere. As for my ‘denialism’ – here intended I presume as a gratuitous insult – I wear my doubt and scepticism about climate alarmism (especially when it is based on propaganda spread by government agencies, the EU, and multi-national power companies) and greenie lies as obstinate badges of honour.

Mr Paulista appears to believe that because the smog story was based on a government warning, the BBC should report it; my training as a journalist – admittedly in a different era – was to scrutinise very carefully any government information or press release. Here it was re-cycled without further question, and the message was slavishly embellished by the inclusion of unsupported Green party propaganda about the levels of pollution in London.

And finally, what evidence do I have that greenie Jenny Jones is the BBC’s favoured candidate for mayor of London? The fawning, almost worshipful tone of the link I provided is one clue. So, too, is the number of times that this charisma-free lady is being quoted on BBC outlets. How did she get her free pass to pontificate? She got 458 votes from Green party members. Well golly gosh.