Britain’s new prime minister just got rid of the climate department

Image: Charlie Bard / Shutterstock.com

With the celebration of Britain’s new prime minister, Theresa May, also came concerns about imminent environmental issues. Immediately after accepting the PM position and moving into the grounds, May eliminated the Department for Energy and Climate Change and replaced it with a Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Many green groups and politicians have voiced their outrage and concern, saying the act was “plain stupid,” “deeply worrying” and “terrible.”

The most worrying aspect of the removal of this important department: Britain needs it now more than ever. Without some sort of government plan of action, it will be really difficult to tackle the environmental issues facing them in the near future. The country is facing floods, droughts, heatwaves and food shortages caused by climate change. Greenhouse gases are building up in the atmosphere all over the world, and Britain is not immune to the consequences. While prevention is possible, it’s also important to be prepared for the damage that has already been done.

If ignoring the environmental destruction continues, serious consequences could happen quickly. For example, there could be a 30% decrease in the amount of water in rivers during droughts, up to 20% increase of water during periods of heavy rain, and even an increase of heat deaths a year from 300 to 1,000. These are not small changes.

In these circumstances, residents of Britain (and the world) can only hope that Theresa May either changes her mind, or implements other plans to help the environment. Not taking action against climate change will be detrimental to our earth. If we do not make moves and create strategies now, we will end up learning the hard way how our actions affect the future.