Did you see an episode of that spy thriller ‘Spooks’ a few months ago, with terrorists threatening to blow up the Thames Flood Barrier? The Baddies (terrorists) wanted to force the Government into publishing a top secret document, while the Goodies tried to stop them.
Then it transpired that the document was the Government’s real policy on the environment: since it’s far too late to stop climate change, the only issue is how to grab control of the world’s resources in the aftermath of environmental meltdown. Meanwhile, the Government will pay lip-service to green issues with a series of utterly meaningless ‘initiatives’, purely to keep the population quiet. Suddenly, the Baddies weren’t quite so bad and the Goodies were… confused.
At the time it seemed a depressing portrayal of a possible future. Now, I simply believe it to be true.
Increasingly, people see moral as well as financial reasons for choosing low-emission engines and driving fewer miles. Okay, so budget airlines are advertising flights for £9.99 and the Government supports a second runway at Stansted – but thank goodness Gordon Brown has axed Stamp Duty on ‘carbon-neutral’ homes, eh? All 200 of them.
Makes you wonder who writes the script.
I used to love the Goodies - Bill Oddie really was funny once - but I digress…
I saw the episode of Spooks to which you refer and am similarly concerned that the script was not far wide of the mark. The Government are as confued as Ken Livingstone when it comes to green issues. Just look at the Congestion Charge for an example: a Toyota Prius enters the zone for free while a smart (roughly half the size) pays the full price?
So is it really a Pollution Charge rather than a Congestion Charge?
autonut | 23 Jan 07 - 20:16I firmly believe that Governments and Oil Companies worldwide are working hand-in-hand in paying mere lip-service to green issues, and in the interest of continued oil revenues are systematically suppressing the new technologies offering alternate power sources.
OK I’m an old-school petrol head, but I’ve no doubt that the technology is in place to convert my GTA to run on hydrogen with no significant decrease in driver satisfaction. I just wish they’d get on with it!
AlfaMartini | 14 Feb 07 - 18:20