PM Cameron's green gaffe sparks uproar

LONDON, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- British advocacy group Friends of Earth said Thursday it wouldn't be surprised if the prime minister did issue a call to back off renewable energy policies.

"It would come as little surprise if David Cameron did tell aides to ditch the 'green crap' -- his government has been attacking environmental policies for years," Friends of Earth Policy Director Craig Bennett said in a statement.

British newspaper The Sun quoted an unnamed Cameron ally as saying the prime minister made those comments in connection to levies used to support renewable energy projects but could also lead to higher consumer prices.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg dismissed the allegations Thursday, the Guardian newspaper reported. Cameron's administration had pledged to push efforts to provide more renewable energy options to British consumers.

Bennett called on the Cameron administration to fight the urge to drift back toward the "toxic" era of his predecessors.

"The best way to protect cash-strapped households from soaring fuel bills is to end the nation's dependency on increasingly costly gas by investing in energy efficiency and home-grown renewable power," he said.