Jan 27, 2014
The list of over 3,000 regulations on the chopping block--outlined in a speech at the Federation of Small Businesses Conference Monday--includes guidance on contaminated land and hazardous waste management, food labeling regulations, and building regulations such as requirements for onsite green technologies.
The overhaul, which is part of Cameron's Red Tape Challenge campaign, include proposals to "wind down" the code for sustainable homes and limit Environmental Impact Assessments for building projects, according to Naomi Luhde-Thompson from Friends of the Earth.
"Removing EIA would put the environment and people at risk," writes Luhde-Thompson, "with a far greater cost to the public of possible environmental damage.
The reason for these cuts, according to Cameron, is that they will make it "vastly cheaper" for businesses to abide by environmental rules.
"The Government must stop making the environment a scapegoat for the economic challenges we face," said Friends of the Earth's Policy and Campaigns Director Craig Bennett.
Bennett continued, "Important rules that safeguard our health and environment are being lost in this ideologically-driven war on red-tape."
In the speech, Cameron bragged that thanks to him the UK now has the "first Government in modern history to leave office with fewer regulations than when it entered."
Yet Bennett charged, "Building a strong economy and protecting the environment are two sides of the same coin - we won't build a strong, sustainable economy if we sacrifice the long term-future of our planet for short-term financial gain."
______________________
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
The list of over 3,000 regulations on the chopping block--outlined in a speech at the Federation of Small Businesses Conference Monday--includes guidance on contaminated land and hazardous waste management, food labeling regulations, and building regulations such as requirements for onsite green technologies.
The overhaul, which is part of Cameron's Red Tape Challenge campaign, include proposals to "wind down" the code for sustainable homes and limit Environmental Impact Assessments for building projects, according to Naomi Luhde-Thompson from Friends of the Earth.
"Removing EIA would put the environment and people at risk," writes Luhde-Thompson, "with a far greater cost to the public of possible environmental damage.
The reason for these cuts, according to Cameron, is that they will make it "vastly cheaper" for businesses to abide by environmental rules.
"The Government must stop making the environment a scapegoat for the economic challenges we face," said Friends of the Earth's Policy and Campaigns Director Craig Bennett.
Bennett continued, "Important rules that safeguard our health and environment are being lost in this ideologically-driven war on red-tape."
In the speech, Cameron bragged that thanks to him the UK now has the "first Government in modern history to leave office with fewer regulations than when it entered."
Yet Bennett charged, "Building a strong economy and protecting the environment are two sides of the same coin - we won't build a strong, sustainable economy if we sacrifice the long term-future of our planet for short-term financial gain."
______________________
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
The list of over 3,000 regulations on the chopping block--outlined in a speech at the Federation of Small Businesses Conference Monday--includes guidance on contaminated land and hazardous waste management, food labeling regulations, and building regulations such as requirements for onsite green technologies.
The overhaul, which is part of Cameron's Red Tape Challenge campaign, include proposals to "wind down" the code for sustainable homes and limit Environmental Impact Assessments for building projects, according to Naomi Luhde-Thompson from Friends of the Earth.
"Removing EIA would put the environment and people at risk," writes Luhde-Thompson, "with a far greater cost to the public of possible environmental damage.
The reason for these cuts, according to Cameron, is that they will make it "vastly cheaper" for businesses to abide by environmental rules.
"The Government must stop making the environment a scapegoat for the economic challenges we face," said Friends of the Earth's Policy and Campaigns Director Craig Bennett.
Bennett continued, "Important rules that safeguard our health and environment are being lost in this ideologically-driven war on red-tape."
In the speech, Cameron bragged that thanks to him the UK now has the "first Government in modern history to leave office with fewer regulations than when it entered."
Yet Bennett charged, "Building a strong economy and protecting the environment are two sides of the same coin - we won't build a strong, sustainable economy if we sacrifice the long term-future of our planet for short-term financial gain."
______________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.