Greenlashing the Next Generation Within an Inch of Their Lives!

The term 'greenlash' is applied to attempts by disaffected groups to block environmental legislation. Paul Taylor (of the Friends of Europe thinktank) points to the growth of rural protests in Europe (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/16/europe-farmers-climate-green-protest-eu). The plan to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050, make agriculture more environmentally friendly and preserve biodiversity is in serious trouble. There's been large demonstrations by farmers in a number of EU countries. They have blocked roads with tractors, publically burned bales of hay, spread manure in streets etc., etc. Farmers are also increasingly voting for right-wing, nationalistic parties in elections. The EU is attempting to defuse things by withdrawing a bill to halve the use of chemical pesticides by 2030. There will be more 'consultations'. This is a device known as 'kicking things into the long grass' or simply procrastinating. Taylor opines that such actions are unlikely to make rural folk change their recent voting habits and that the 'greens' will suffer most. Perhaps the farmers won't complain when they are increasingly exposed to droughts, floods and other extreme weather events? Getting folk to make urgent, necessary changes in their activities was never going to be easy. Politicians seem much more tolerant to agricultural lobbies than of demonstrations by 'pesky' environmentalists. Votes are what they crave. Altruism only seems to apply to immediate family groups. Future generations are unlikely to be impressed by the behaviour of their parents and grandparents.