guest said, 17/08/2006

Biodiesel.

I, like a growing number of people, am producing my own biodiesel from waste vegetable oil. It has the proven benefit of cutting or eliminating harmful emissions, and in part may address the problem of businesses illegally dumping their waste in the drains. However, in discussions with others in Europe, Australia, USA and other countries, it seems that our country is the only one that requires duty (currently 27.1p/litre) to be paid on the biodiesel used. It seems rather short-sighted that people in this country should be penalised for investing their time and money into an activity that helps reduce harm to our environment, uses renewable sources, and lessens our depletion of the world's natural resources. Under the basis of reciprocity, will the government consider deleting the requirement to pay duty on biodiesel, or approving lower road tax for those who run their vehicles on it?

guest said, 25/08/2006

I have added more substance to the energy section of the contract. The list of what citizens will do is based very simply on the 7 categories of action in individual energy use that make most difference to carbon emissions. The Government list is based on our analysis of the policy framework Government needs to put in place to maximise citizen action. Nick Eyre, Energy Saving Trust.

guest said, 31/08/2006

THis idea of a contract smacks of another stupid labour idea. I can just see the IT consultants and management consultants standing up and saying we have got a solution for climate change and here it is - you will get these three benefits (equity) etc and oh by the way can you pay us another fortune. The history of these IT contracts is so bad, I cannot understand why the idea of a carbon contract has even been entertained at the individual level. Is the level of thinking in the government really so reliant on consultants. Come on. This type of thinking is taking us down the road of even more state interference. THe government would be better making hard choices that make the industry captains think rather than going at the individual again. Lastly, for any contract to be enforcable it must be monitorable. Who will monitor it? The police. Who will watch for environmental impacts that are outwith cash mediated transactions - such as going down to the woods and getting logs for your fire. Let's get with the prgoramme and change the big things and the big things are - electricity generation, transport of goods, energy efficiency etc.