It’s Not Easy Being Green.

[jambutty]

No, this topic is not about Kermit the Frog.

The only reason that I bought The Mail On Sunday today was because with it came a free DVD of the film “Too Late The Hero” starring Michael Caine. I rarely buy any sort of newspaper on the principle that in most cases NEWS papers are more of OPINION papers.

However, splashed across the front page the headline screamed out “SECRET GREEN TAX BLITZ” and went on to reveal what Gordon Brown has in store for us with his secret plans, a leaked document reveals.

In a nutshell we are going to be hit with a variety of extra taxes on the pretext of combating global warming.

To quote the article by Simon Walters verbatim:

Most controversial of all, the documents reveal the Government is planning to grab billions of pounds of extra revenue from motorists – WITHOUT TELLING THEM. It is considering introducing a special mechanism so that whenever oil prices GO DOWN, the Government would get the cash in extra fuel tax – not the motorist.
A leaked letter from Environment Secretary David Miliband to Chancellor Gordon Brown says the advantage of this is that the Government would gain billions of pounds ‘without individual announcements on fuel-duty rises needing to be made’.

I kid you not. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/dailymail/home.html?in_page_id=1766

If TB and GB manage to push this through we can look forward to, if that is the right expression, to no more REDUCTIONS in the price of motoring fuel, only INCREASES.

However that is not the end of the Government’s shenanigans. Just to rub it in that this Government can do what it likes the commons leader, Jack Straw, is defying the protests about the exorbitant MP’s expenses allowance averaging some £130,000 each per year, he is giving all MP’s an extra £10,000 per year (£6.5 million) as postal expenses on top of the current average claim of £4,000 per year. At the top of the claims list is Hendon Labour MP Andrew Dismore with £25,146 to the bottom of the list Ilford Tory MP Lee Scott at just £600.

The trough gets larger and the snouts get greedier.

[bullseyebarb]

Not exactly a surprise, is it?

[lancsdave]

Perhaps we can club together and get TB & his master ( Bush ) a good broadband connection and a webcam each. That way they can stop wasting money on flights across the atalantic for TB to have a 2 hour meeting. Mind you I suppose arse licking is not quite the same done virutally instead of physically

[WillowTheWhisp]

We could always invite them both to an AccyWeb meeting. There was a bit of face licking going on at the last one. Does that count?

[garinda]

The report by Sir Nicholas Stern, which inspired the Mail on Sunday's usual politically biased story, goes on about how many trillion pounds global warming will cost, the biggest recession in history, mass exoduses of displaced people, a fifth of all creatures becoming extinct etc, and then sumarises by saying that it may not happen at all.

The 700 page report probably wasted more of the earth's resources than it will save.

[jambutty]

There is no doubt in my mind that global warming is a reality. It may well be down to a natural cycle but it is also being accelerated my man’s activity on this planet. And it is this accelration that is going to cause unprecedented disasters unless we drastically curb the CO2 emissions, amongst others. Starting NOW!

It is a proven fact that some 10 million tonnes of ice (or was it 100 million tonnes) is disappearing into the sea from the polar ice caps each year. The overall effect on sea levels may only be minimal now but it is accelerating and it also affects the world’s weather patterns.

But it won’t happen because of corporate greed and selfish attitude of certain countries. The USA is one of the largest polluters on this planet yet they won’t even entertain the thought of signing up to the Kyoto agreement let alone actually do it.

Everyone seems to have the attitude of “I will if you will” but no one is prepared to be first because they KNOW that the rest will either not follow or drag their collective heels so they end up as being mugs for the rest of the world. And no one wants to be a mug.

Some scientists have suggested that if the current rate of north pole ice cap melt continues, in some 20 years it will push the Gulf Stream southwards and we in the UK or at least the northern part of UK will lose its benefits. It won’t be global warming for us but local freezing.

[Ianto.W.]

It would be easy to say "it won't matter to me" but I do fear for future generations, it will come faster than predicted so yes we must all stop poisoning the planet now.

[garinda]

Global warming may well mean that we will need fur coats, rather than sunglasses.


Failing ocean current raises fears of mini ice age - earth - 30 November 2005 - New Scientist

[WillowTheWhisp]

For what little effect the UK has in the global scheme of things it's like trying to bail out a sinkng boat with a sieve.

[jambutty]

I agree WillowTheWhisp that what we do in the UK will have very little practical effect in the general global scheme of things but does that mean that we shouldn’t take action. What if everyone in the sinking boat bailed out using a sieve? It takes many snowflakes to make a snowball. (Ancient Chinese proverb that I have just invented)

It sounds to me that the “I will if you will” syndrome is rearing its head.

Methinks that we will need sunglasses as well garinda. To shield us from the glare from the snow.

I can’t help getting the feeling that the Labour government is just using global warning as an excuse to tax us even more so that Gordon Brown can try to fill the economic black hole that has been created through unnecessary spending, like illegal wars and the proposal (that is quietly going through), to replace Trident in 20 years time at an estimated cost of £25 billion. Not forgetting the thousands of Quangos pushing paper from one office to another.

[WillowTheWhisp]

So are you in favour of us doing something or agin it? I'm a bit confuzzled.

The best we could do would be to convince the bigger culprits that they need to get their acts together.

[jambutty]

I am in favour of EVERYONE DOING SOMETHING WillowTheWhisp but like many people I am waiting for others to take part as well. The “I will if you will” syndrome is alive and kicking.

Why should I, or anyone, put ourselves at a disadvantage when we KNOW that others will take advantage of our efforts so that they can continue in their own way unabated thus nullifying our efforts? When the various world leaders and those who actually do the ruling lead by example I will follow. Until then I will continue to do my little bit just as long as it doesn’t make my living worse than it is.

However I will admit that my energy conservation is driven by living within my means and not global warming.

Convincing the States, China and India to drastically curb their CO2 emissions would be like convincing our MP’s to take a 50% cut in salary and expenses. It just won’t happen.

I’ve just heard on the news that our esteemed (???) government led by TB is going ahead with a second runway at Gatwick and also the fifth terminal at Heathrow. Do they not realise that these ‘extras’ will INCREASE air traffic and all the pollution that goes with it. Oh! But hang on, the government is considering taxing aviation fuel and other air travel taxes, so that’s OK then.

Someone tell me again that all these extra taxes are to fight global warming rather than more revenue for the government.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by jambutty

However I will admit that my energy conservation is driven by living within my means and not global warming.

.

Mine too - which is why I'm constantly nagging at the kids to turn the lights off!