- The Guardian, Wednesday July 13 2005
Wake-up call
Lord Wakeham, the Thatcherite energy minister who moved from electricity privatisation to become a director of disgraced US energy giant Enron, and was cleared of any wrongdoing, reckons "vast areas of the world will benefit from global warming" - or so he told the Lords economic affairs committee, which he chairs. "Siberia will become a rather nice place to live" and "targets or penalties to reduce carbon emissions will not work". Asked if he was concerned that his comments made him sound as if he was lobbying for the energy industry, Wakeham replied that there were two former chancellors and two economics professors on his committee. Exactly.
Dangerous vocation
Who would be a climate scientist in the US? Congressional Republicans are investigating the work and funding sources of seven who have sounded the alarm about global warming. Democrats and other scientists are saying it could be politically motivated and are even suggesting a smear campaign is shaping up.
Diamond geezers
Last week, the Natural History Museum opened its diamonds exhibition - sponsored by De Beers - with a bash thrown by Vanity Fair. Around 50 supporters of Survival International, including actor Julie Christie, picketed the event. Survival's director, Stephen Corry, explained that the protest was prompted by the museum's refusal to include in the exhibition the issue of the Bushmen of Botswana's eviction from their land - which many believe was to make way for future diamond mining by De Beers. "When the Bushmen were evicted, they were told it was to make way for diamonds," Corry says. "How can their destruction be completely ignored by one of the world's foremost museums without us thinking commercial sponsorship has taken precedence over objective education?" Nicky Oppenheimer, chair of De Beers, says: "This is simply, absolutely untrue . . . and they have never been able to produce a shred of evidence."
Little gems
There had been much talk of a glittering Hollywood guest list at the De Beers party, but the most famous guest was an ex-footballer's ex-wife. Many guests took leaflets from the Survival picketers and expressed interest, although one breezed past saying: "I'm here for the alcohol. I don't give a fuck."
Missed opportunity
One of Transport for London's (TfL) justifications for the £400m Thames Gateway bridge is to bring work to local boroughs. Pity poor Bexley, then, which a draft TfL study finds will not get a single new job.
