Renewables get far less public money than fossil fuels or nuclear

This paragraph in a Guardian story on Wednesday about how renewables represent a much safer bet than gas caught my eye:

"The oil and gas industries, and the nuclear industry, all benefited from far greater public subsidies in their formative years than renewable industries do now. Such is the grip of fossil fuels on national economies that they benefit from five times the amount of taxpayer support than that of green energy, both in the UK and globally."

It's yet another example of how the coalition government is failing to be the greenest ever. See here for the recent analysis by green campaigners that it is likely to be the most destructive government ever in environmental terms. And a riposte to that by green Tory MP Zac Goldsmith where he claims the government is doing loads to support renewable energy. As the quote above makes clear, that's nonsense. But I actually think that, without meaning to, Zac manages to make a pretty convincing case that the government is failing dismally on the eco agenda.