3pts4awin Posted 30 October 2006 Posted 30 October 2006 the government are scaring the public by suggesting were destroying the planet unless we give them money ("green tax") to curb it. currently britain constributes a massive 2% of the planets emissions. the government are using the media to spread fear, im sure you've all seen the top story.
lookwhaticando Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 2% isn't a lot in a purely numbers context. The biggest polluters will be China and India - they're resource hungry at the minute, and they (China particularly) rely on dirty fuels for energy. If they're not encouraged to cut back on their use of dirty fuels and the pollution associated with them they'll do their bit to double the level of pollutant output. How do we expect to encourage India and China to look to clean fuels if developed countries (mostly the USA, but Europe too) don't take the lead? As much as I dislike the idea of more taxes, we must do something to show we're truly serious about reducing our pollution output. I can accept green taxes as long as the revenue they generate is used to develop green energy technology at home. Getting ourselves further away from oil and gas would be of great benefit to the country anyway - for the economy at least. Edit: I think the government could do better selling this to the public.
Suffolk_fox Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 How Ironic - if we had converted fully to Nuclear years ago (but was protested against by the Greens) we wouldn't have such a massive carbon footprint....
lookwhaticando Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 How Ironic - if we had converted fully to Nuclear years ago (but was protested against by the Greens) we wouldn't have such a massive carbon footprint.... You ain't kidding... Nuclear has it's problems too, but it's cleaner than coal/oil in the shorter run. Nuclear is good for producing lots of energy quite efficiently, but we should develop other green technologies too for areas which require less energy production. A mix of nuclear and wind/solar/tidal etc is the best option. Nuclear for large central power generation, other technologies in localized areas as appropriate.
davieG Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 Some simple preventative measures would help before taxing people to death. Let's have a few carrots instead of the bloody stick all the while. All new houses should be: built to a much higher level of insulation. fitted with solar panels fitted with mini-windmills (surely the looks are less important than the affects of global warming) Grants for older houses for all the above. All public & business vehicles operating with specific, workable boundarys should be either electric or hydrogen (hybrid) vehicles - with a corresponding Vat & Road Tax reduction to pay for the additional cost until it came down. All electric and similar cars to be Vat/Road Tax free. A MASSIVE investment in public transport, hell that can't/wont even introduce free transport for pensioners properly, think how many 'old gits' could be persuded to get off the road if it was free & decent. Instead of making schools too big to manage they should make sure that nearly every child could either have a school within walking distance or provide free transport - get those 4x4 school taxis off the road. Same goes for hospitals. Every business employing above a certain number of people to provide free transport in exchange for tax concessions. etc, etc, there are many more options that could be considered. Some would cost but in real terms they would be cheaper Let's see some imaginative thinking not 'if it moves' tax it.
Suffolk_fox Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 I sell rainwater harvesting systems - so many builders are saying that this is definitely the way forward.
Dr The Singh Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 I agree with most, it's a right con!!! Especially with the biggest polluters in the world(US, China, India) not willing to do foook all, and an interesting stat, that China builds a coal\fossil fuel power station every 5 days, and if UK stoppped polluting full stop, it would take China around 2 years to make that value up!!!
Suffolk_fox Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 America and UK are among China's biggest customers... A trade embargo would certainly make them sit up and listen. Mind you, us having a trade embargo against the Septics would be great!!
Dr The Singh Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 America and UK are among China's biggest customers... A trade embargo would certainly make them sit up and listen. Mind you, us having a trade embargo against the Septics would be great!! It's doesn't quite work like that though, does it SF. Where would we get all of our cheap imports from, cus we manufacture f all in this country!! China apparently require 12 nuclear power plants but duo to mass growth, coal is the cheaper and quicker option!! India, is jumping through hoops trying to get another nuclear power plant, and they take years to to build. Then you have all the other 'up and comming' nations such as pakistan, brazil, south africa, there energy needs are growing at a mass rate!! In other words, the world is foooked, UK cutting it's energy emissions will be a drop in the ocean!!!
Daggers Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 Ban governments. Anarcho-syndicalist communes rule! Or rather, they may rule but it depends on the outcome of a series of meetings we are going to have to decide whether they do or not, where we will rotate the speaker through the use of numerology.
cisono Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 Some simple preventative measures would help before taxing people to death. Let's have a few carrots instead of the bloody stick all the while. All new houses should be: built to a much higher level of insulation. fitted with solar panels fitted with mini-windmills (surely the looks are less important than the affects of global warming) Grants for older houses for all the above. All public & business vehicles operating with specific, workable boundarys should be either electric or hydrogen (hybrid) vehicles - with a corresponding Vat & Road Tax reduction to pay for the additional cost until it came down. All electric and similar cars to be Vat/Road Tax free. A MASSIVE investment in public transport, hell that can't/wont even introduce free transport for pensioners properly, think how many 'old gits' could be persuded to get off the road if it was free & decent. Instead of making schools too big to manage they should make sure that nearly every child could either have a school within walking distance or provide free transport - get those 4x4 school taxis off the road. Same goes for hospitals. Every business employing above a certain number of people to provide free transport in exchange for tax concessions. etc, etc, there are many more options that could be considered. Some would cost but in real terms they would be cheaper. Let's see some imaginative thinking not 'if it moves' tax it. I totally agree. For instance, I cannot understand why solar panels are not massively in use in the whole of Italy for instance? We have sun there most of the time... would make sense. In the UK, windmills and mini-windmills are probably better options. I am sure that someone could come up with innovative, decorative designs for them! More to say, but have to go to work now. May add more later.
l444ry Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 If all the beefburger fanatics would have listened to Jamie Oliver perhaps we would still have rainforests worthy of the name. Bit late now that the horse has bolted!!!!
Lemon Harpic Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 Ban governments. Anarcho-syndicalist communes rule! Or rather, they may rule but it depends on the outcome of a series of meetings we are going to have to decide whether they do or not, where we will rotate the speaker through the use of numerology. Post of the Year!
Head Honcho Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 2% isn't a lot in a purely numbers context. The biggest polluters will be China and India - they're resource hungry at the minute, and they (China particularly) rely on dirty fuels for energy. If they're not encouraged to cut back on their use of dirty fuels and the pollution associated with them they'll do their bit to double the level of pollutant output. How do we expect to encourage India and China to look to clean fuels if developed countries (mostly the USA, but Europe too) don't take the lead? As much as I dislike the idea of more taxes, we must do something to show we're truly serious about reducing our pollution output. I can accept green taxes as long as the revenue they generate is used to develop green energy technology at home. Getting ourselves further away from oil and gas would be of great benefit to the country anyway - for the economy at least. Edit: I think the government could do better selling this to the public. It will take the UK decades to use the same amount of energy that China will use in the next year to build and power the new homes currently being built.
Janx Posted 31 October 2006 Posted 31 October 2006 Ban governments. Anarcho-syndicalist communes rule! Or rather, they may rule but it depends on the outcome of a series of meetings we are going to have to decide whether they do or not, where we will rotate the speaker through the use of numerology. yes reg you're right reg, thankyou judith, lets just stop banging on about it and do something
hairy Posted 1 November 2006 Posted 1 November 2006 the government are using the media to spread fear, im sure you've all seen the top story. Bit like the war on terror then but f#*kin us instead
cisono Posted 1 November 2006 Posted 1 November 2006 the government are scaring the public by suggesting were destroying the planet unless we give them money ("green tax") to curb it. currently britain constributes a massive 2% of the planets emissions. the government are using the media to spread fear, im sure you've all seen the top story. Probably to make us forget about the planned UK secret trials of GM crops affair? (and who knows what else!!!)
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.