The Environmental Audit Committee said the scheme would be more effective than taxes for cutting carbon emissions.
Under the scheme people would be given an annual carbon limit for fuel and energy use - which they could exceed by buying credits from those who use less."
This news story was in the papers and on the today programme. I haven't yet heard someone say the truth about all these trading initiatives. If we really do have a problem with a man made acceleration of global warming and if green house gasses are involved, something that I believe is incontrovertible, but is still disputed in some quarters, then reducing emissions is the only answer. The whole concept of trading was dreamt up as a smoke screen for the large industrial countries not doing anything to curb their excesses and to reduce their need to tackle the research needed to overcome these problems. In addition it allows Mr Bush and his backers to carry on making millions with no sanctions. Now our poliitians are talking about an individual system, but this is a diversion from the real issue. No matter what we do on an individual basis, without some concerted action from the governments that matter, we cannot have a measurable affect on the situation. That doesn't mean that I don't think that people should act responsibly, of course they should, but the implication that this bottom up method will be effective is just to try and get the feel good glow going. Don't be fooled, if green politics mean anything they have to be embraced by all parties and they have to be acted upon from the top, and straight away. If we are content to allow the planet to become uninhabitable for future generations, and my guess is that that is just three or four generations down the line, then we can going down smiling doing what Mr Yeo and his committee have thought up.
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