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1) Boris Johnson's use of the term "bunny-hugging" speaks volumes about the background he comes from and his utter dishonesty. It is used by those with a background in shooting etc, to dismiss the views of scientists or experts they don't like.
#BUNNYHUGGING
#BUNNYHUGGING
2) It implies that someone is a sentimental animal lover, who has their judgement clouded by a shallow sentimental attitude to animals. However, it is typically used disingenuously to dismiss the informed opinions of experts, pointing to inconvenient evidence.
3) As I say, it is primarily used in a disingenuous and dishonest way to smear people. Underneath his charming avuncular exterior, Boris Johnson is a nasty piece of work. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/14/black-eyes-boris-johnson-plot-attack-reporter-darius-guppy
4) Here is @ChrisGPackham defending himself against such insinuations.
“If I were a ‘bunny-hugger’ then that would compromise the integrity of the BBC but I base my arguments on good, sound fact” https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/oct/09/chris-packham-interview-springwatch
“If I were a ‘bunny-hugger’ then that would compromise the integrity of the BBC but I base my arguments on good, sound fact” https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/oct/09/chris-packham-interview-springwatch
5) What this tells us about Boris Johnson is that he is thoroughly disingenuous and dishonest (hardly news), and that he does not take the climate and ecological crisis seriously. That he is just playing it for PR purposes.
6) What he is trying to do here, is to reassure political donors that he is not taking this matter seriously, and is only pretending to take the climate crisis seriously, to allay the concerns of the public.
7) Boris Johnson and his political advisers know a large proportion of the public are very concerned about the climate crisis, so he must play up concern about it to prevent a loss of support for him. https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/coronavirus-climate-crisis-uk-government-poll-environment-a9467371.html
8) Yet, at the same time, Johnson knows a lot of his political backers are very worried about action to address the climate crisis, lest they lose money. So Johnson know he must signal to them, that he doesn't really take the matter seriously.
9) What Boris Johnson here is doing is calling climate scientists and experts warning of the dangers of the climate crisis as bunny-huggers.
10) This is what Johnson's former climate envoy said about him.
'Lifting the lid on the apparent chaos, Ms Perry O’Neill said: “He has admitted to me he doesn’t really understand it [climate change] – he doesn’t really get it, I think is what he said.”' https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-climate-change-emergency-conservatives-brexit-a9315951.html
'Lifting the lid on the apparent chaos, Ms Perry O’Neill said: “He has admitted to me he doesn’t really understand it [climate change] – he doesn’t really get it, I think is what he said.”' https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-climate-change-emergency-conservatives-brexit-a9315951.html
