El-Mariachi Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 It seems universally recognised outside the US Govt that climate change is upon us, however, the question is can we actually avoid it ? or have we gone so far down the road that it is now inevitable ? http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article1940796.ece Govt's (especially our own) as well as councils seem to be preparing for a huge hike in taxation, otherwise known as "Green" taxes. This is supposedly to reduce our carbon emissions although it comes across (atleast to me) as an opportunity to raise more revenues (esp for cash strapped councils). Can anyone explain what will actually be done with the money raised through these new taxes ? Secondly, rather than fight against climate change would our energies be best spent on adapting to it rather than in fighting a what seems unwinnable battle ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloudybay Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Secondly, rather than fight against climate change would our energies be best spent on adapting to it rather than in fighting a what seems unwinnable battle ? The French are already one step ahead http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1495717,00.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgksheff Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I, personally, expect our lives to be more considerably changed as a result of the current hysteria and political posturing, than anything we can actually do to alter the current phase of global warming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I read in one of the papers today that the UK's contibution to the global emmision of 'geenhouse gases' amounts to around 2% of the world total. Even if additional taxes achieve a marginal reduction in our contirbution it will be totally insignificant in global terms, and of course the largest contibutors of greenhouse gases will take not a blind bit of notice. As I've said elsewhere, this report which everyone is getting so excited about was commissioned by none other than our own Gordon Brown. He has an increasingly large black hole in his budget, and I'll wager he has already pencilled in some tentative figures for the amount of additional revenue he'll receive from the 'green' taxes he'll justify on the basis of this report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-Mariachi Posted October 30, 2006 Author Share Posted October 30, 2006 As I've said elsewhere, this report which everyone is getting so excited about was commissioned by none other than our own Gordon Brown. He has an increasingly large black hole in his budget, and I'll wager he has already pencilled in some tentative figures for the amount of additional revenue he'll receive from the 'green' taxes he'll justify on the basis of this report. Alas, this is my fear that we're all going to end up being taxed to our eyeballs yet nothing will change. Look at the trillions we must have paid in fuel taxes over the last several decades, how much of that money has actually been ploughed back into transport ? Rip off Britain is about to go that one step further.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mod_Man Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I think it is wrong to just Tax the ordinary person when it is rich Corporations who are causing the most damage. I wonder how much water the soft drinks companies use compared to the general public. I'm sure companies could cut down on unnecessary packaging. Tax them first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berbick Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Bizarre, the solution to the green problem, is always to raise taxes. Its amazing Why not put in place some cycle lanes ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadgetgirl Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 At the end of the day, its not a good move to penalise business when there are loads of gullible victims of taxation already paying through the nose. Globally, I'm not sure what good me paying to turn a light off is going to do when the likes of the US, China and India sprew their filth into the atmosphere....seems a bit pointless and the only people to benefit is the government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick2 Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 It's very easy for us to say "we only produce 2%, it's not our fault" but we have been an industrialised country for a very long time, and in that total time we have contributed a large amount of polution, it's our responsibility to help sort it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaFoot Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Only 2% of the total? So if reduced to 1% so we can be even more pleased with ourselves. Or sommat! 2% of the total is still a lot more than a large number of other countries are producing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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