The Big Ask Climate Debate comments_2428 April 2008
I am glad that the Prime Minister regards Climate Change as so important, but disturbed that neither FoE or the Government seem to have heard of the ultimate in renewable energy, namely 'Concentrating Solar Power'. Arnold Schwarzenegger is using it to help California reduce its emissions with a 500MW power station. It was developed in the USA in the 80s, but I suspect further work stopped by the oil lobby. The Prime Minister should be persuading the oil companies to invest in this technology, rather than trying to pump out more fossil fuels, which we probably should not burn anyway. A fraction of the Sahara Desert could meet the world's electricity demand.
Peter Foreman
It is great to hear Tony Blair speak of the importance of the issue of climate change and how renewable energy sources need to be encouraged. This is certainly the way forward regarding our energy needs, nuclear power would be a step back. Annual targets are also very important as it's too late to say 'oops' five years on. There would be exceptional circumstances get out clauses in the bill. Britain needs to lead the way in reducing climate change gases and some of the measures needed to bring this about aren't going to be popular. If the situation is explained I'm sure the British public will realise that sometimes, like vaccinations, we have to hurt to enjoy a better life.
Maureen Edwards, Sheffield Friends of the Earth
I fully agree with Tony Juniper's comments as well as recognising all the government has achieved in the last few years. However, as far as both the UK and the EU are concerned it has not taken the really tough lines that are needed to reduce transport emissions, these have to be through regulation, whether by taxes or by reducing the level of permitted emissions from cars and planes. Better technology will not emerge quickly enough until it is required by law. This is especially so in the aviation industry, carbon emission trading is not going to be sufficient, and the UK, as a rich nation, should not be expanding recreational aviation at the present rate, expansion can only be justified in the countries where it is essential for growth. We used to take cheaper continental holidays by coach and rail, we still can. Attention to all these necessary CO2 savings will be far greater if there are annual targets, when failures would be highlighted much more quickly.
Patricia Dale
I get frustrated by the constant "we're only 2% of the problem" quote from the government. Some of the biggest global polluters are UK companies, Shell, BP for example, and as a leading member of the global economy we are responsible for a key part of the emissions growths in India and China, where so many of the goods and services we consume at home now originate.
Rob Cartwright
If talk could save us, Mr Blair, I wouldn't be sweating. But we are nowhere near where we need to be on cutting emissions - or even slowing them. Why waste billions of pounds on a nuclear 'deterrent' when no amount of warheads will protect us from the economic and social ravages of climate change?
Government is throwing small change at this problem - even in the wake of the Stern Review. What we need is MASSIVE investment in energy efficiency and new energy-generating technologies. We need a government with the courage to impose the heavy taxes on pollution (including aviation) that you claim to support. And we need a huge campaign to inform the public: make global warming 'real' for people.
Only government can do these things. Prime Minister, start to walk the walk on climate change.
Gregory Norminton
I would like you to carry out legislation which will force businesses to be more energy saving. I am appalled at the colossal waste of energy locally where I live by the Diageo building which has all the lights on in every room all night in an empty building. I am sure this is nothing new up and down the country. The simple act of turning off the lights at night in all office buildings would save a great deal of energy and be less damaging to the environment. I also think that legislation should be brought in so that offices install wind turbines and solar panels. Talk is cheap, what is needed now is action. This debate has been going on for at least 20 years. Lets act now before its too late.
Vitra Sookoo
I absolutely agree with Tony Juniper that we in Britain are not practising what we preach. Our miserable record on recycling, building energy-saving homes, urban air pollution, public transport investment, investment in provision for cycling (really pathetic!) and Government's policy on airport expansion all speak for themselves. It's all very well saying that individuals must do their bit and we can all make a difference. In practice, trying to do your bit is often far from easy and seems like fighting every step of the way!
One example of many: an area where individuals find it hard to get energy saving adopted is in offices. It's not difficult to see why: there are no regulations, there is no legal requirement to have a responsible person for energy consumption and sustainable practices, office buildings are usually not owned and often shared with others and so there is no direct control over energy use or incentive to save it, and individuals risk unpopularity if they are seen as nagging others to switch off their computers, printers, fans, heaters, lights etc., to open windows instead of using air conditioning, to recycle, to use recycled products, etc. etc. All of this could become accepted routine but it needs leadership, regulation and pressure on chief executives from Government, CBI, Confederation of Small Businesses etc. to give simple instructions about what can be done, regulation to require a responsible person in each office, and ongoing publicity re office energy consumption and targets for getting it down.
Christine Eborall
I have been following the "global warming" debate with increasing dismay, unfortunately it seems to be turning into an opportunity for the government to impose another raft of "green" taxes which will penalise the poorer sections of society because energy costs make up a much larger proportion of their budget. I am totally opposed to road pricing, as it has been explained to the public, because for it to work someone has to be made to stop using their cars by being priced off the road. This would be a particularly eletist tax since drivers of the newist cars (often with the largest engines) would be unaffected by the increased cost. Also the implications for civil liberty are appaling; the government would effectively be fitting every motorist in the country with an electronic tag, and thereby be able to track any individual, if they wished (very worrying). I would suggest a far simpler method of road taxation - fit a sealed electronic device which measures only the number of miles a car has traveled in a month/year this device could be downloaded at (say) MOT centres and the driver pay accordingly. This would be fair because you pay by road usage but your movement are not monitored. Also the idea of making some roads more expensive to use than others (via road pricing) could mean that a driver be sent an expectedly large bill that they could not afford after they had travelled; with a standard price per mile people would be able to calculate in advance how much their journeys would cost, much simpler and fairer.
Regarding the environmental costs of running your home, ie taxing of water supply, waste disposal, and heating fuels - please stop bombarding us with misinformation about the latest "green" crisis, it devalues the arguement. The farce of domestic wind generation is a case in point - 2 years ago they were going to be a vital contributor to micro-generation; now that they are available through B & Q we are told that they may just about power a hairdryer on a windy day, make your minds up! The extra taxes being imposed by local authorities for rubbish collection are quite unjustified; this service is part of the cost of domestic rates, if it is to be charged separately in future then household rates must be cut accordingly. Charging for water - well I live in North Wales where it rains for most of the year (lol); seriously, it is clear that we are getting wetter winters and drier summers so it does not take a genius to work out that we need to store more water when it is raining, so build some more reservoirs - and while you're at it how about repairing some of those leaking mains, spend some money Thames water.
Dominc Astbury
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