Should the government be forcing us to change our lifestyles?

Posted by: Kevin Hillier on 28 May 2008 at 6:06pm

The Government and local authorities are bleedind the citizens of the U.K. dry.Unfair and unjustified stealth taxes are being levied on all of us in the form of green and global saving practices.Where does all the revenue go.I expect it goes on more red tape and the next plot to claw more from us.

Posted by: Tim on 21 May 2008 at 9:51pm

Peter,

The global temperature has remained the same since 1998 except for this year when it is predicted to decrease.

In 2007 we had an El-Ninio which should theoretically mean that an increase was shown in the global mean temperature; but it didn't

So where is all the evidence of damage that we are supposed to be doing to the planet?

The Vostock ice cores prove that climate change is not anthropogenic, but now we have proof that the climate is not even changing naturally.

Posted by: Mike on 24 Jan 2008 at 10:22am

CFLs require more energy in their whole life cycle (from getting the materials, through manufacture, use and final disposal) than ordinary incandescent lamps, so they actually produce more pollutants. Wind generation is, on average, under 25% efficient and highly variable (Denmark are not building any more as they have found they destabilise the distribution system because of the variability). There is also a question mark over their 'whole life' energy balance (do they take more energy to create, maintain and remove than they actually capture from the wind?).

I am still unconvinced by all the hype. I have a godson who is employed to find new ways to tax people under the banner of 'go green and save the planet'. He tells me all the taxes and carbon trading are a scam designed to take our money and give us a 'feel good factor' with no measurable benefit to anyone apart from government coffers. He works for the European Commission!

I suggest everyone reads the book by Christopher Booker and Dr. Richard North, called Scared To Death and published by Contiuum (available through Telegraph Books). Is there really 'Global Warming' or is it a government scam?

Posted by: Ken H on 16 Nov 2007 at 7:39am

I read and listen to so much about becoming more "green", Britain is said to be responsible for approx 2% of the world carbon emissions. The government have set a target of a 20% reduction by approx year 2020 that equates to a world saving of 0.4% of the total world emissions. Surely the true benificiaries are the various government departments with massive increase in "green" taxes.

Posted by: David Smith on 26 Oct 2007 at 4:26pm

The government are forcing the normal people out there with stupid green taxes and higher living prices all in the name of saving the planet.... whilst most are taking pointless trips via taxi, high powered cars (3.0ltr+) and Air planes etc round the country for meeting about saving our plane. Work that out???

Posted by: Duncan on 15 Aug 2007 at 10:05am

Don't fall for the 'energy efficient light bulbs" scam. In temperate regions (e.g. UK) they don't save energy. The additional energy used by a normal incandescent bulb is lost as heat. Bearing in mind lighting is generally used at night when a house is being heated this heat is not wasted. It heats your home. If you fit an energy saving bulb it just means the heat has to be replaced by the central heating system. (This obviously doesn't apply in hot climates where they are very useful - especially if you run air conditioning).

Energy saving bulbs are a triumph of marketing hype over uninformed consumers. They don't save energy here - and the environmental impact of their production is considerably greater than an equivalent number of normal bulbs. And as for the government endorsing their use it is just more spin to fool people to think they are *doing* something. Don't let them enforce changes which are driven by commercial interests not science.

Posted by: Peter on 29 Jul 2007 at 10:12am

I can't believe the government havn't imposed some global warming reducing measures given the over whelming information that now exists to support the damaging effects we are having on the planet. We are experiencing so many local weather changes that I feel that action should be enforced. As an example, households should be forced to change light bulbs to the energy efficient type and electrical goods should have better stand by solutions built in to them. I can't smoke in public but I can kill the planet!!!