The irony of Anderson’s outburst is that the decarbonisation of the UK electricity system is perhaps the country’s greatest climate success
Much of the historic decline in coal can be attributed to the building of new gas power stations. These still produce vast amounts of carbon dioxide, just not as much as coal. But the revolution of the UK energy system over the past 10 years has been driven by the rise of solar, and most importantly wind. The UK has more than 11,000 wind turbines which collectively generate nearly a third of all electricity.
Anderson may eventually conclude that battery lawnmowers are simply superior to petrol models. Dare we hope he goes one step further and use any type of lawnmower less? No Mow May is approaching, after all. Launched in 2019 by charityasks gardeners to leave their mowers in the shed that month. This would help the growth of wildflowers, which are vital sources of nectar for bees, butterflies, moths, and beetles.