"The level of complacency about conservation is rapidly evolving into outright hostility"

CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADER Kemi Badenoch called environmentalists trying to stop the approval of new North Sea oil and gas fields 'eco-nutters' during Prime Minister's Questions.

- MARK CARWARDINE

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, called Prince Charles (as he was then) a 'stupid eco-loony'. Meanwhile, 'eco-zealots', 'eco-morons' and 'eco-clowns' are all expressions used by national newspapers on a regular basis.

Why are environmentalists treated with such little respect? There is no longer just a shocking level of complacency about conservation. It is rapidly evolving into outright hostility. If politicians and the media were to talk about 'LGBTQ+ nutters' or 'farming-morons' or 'junior doctor-loonies' with the same level of disdain they wouldn't get away with it.

They would be forced to resign, and rightly so. But environmentalists are fair game.

I believe we environmentalists have been tilting steadily towards political crisis for some time - and the name-calling is just one manifestation. The crisis is not one of legitimacy (the evidence for ecological destruction grows by the day) and it isn't one of collapsing public support. I think it's all about perception.