The British government is raking in billions more in so-called green taxes than it needs to erase the country’s carbon footprint, the Taxpayers’ Alliance said in a report.
The lobby group said emissions in 2005 had done damage worth an estimated 11.7 billion pounds, compared with green taxes and charges of 21.9 billion pounds the same year.
The alliance said the 11.7 billion pounds figure covered the "social cost" of climate change to the world, such as weather changes and related disasters. UK green taxes should not exceed this figure, it added.
Fuel duty and vehicle excise duty were between 30 and 40 times higher than needed to cover estimates of the social cost of CO2 emissions. The group also said that, on average, UK households were "over-paying" 400 pounds a year.
The group said government ministers are "cynically" raising revenue rather than using the money to improve the environment.
Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.
There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.
This post is the second of a two part series. Read the first installment, Unreported Emissions From Natural Gas Blow Up BC's Climate Action Plan.
Methane leaks from British Columbia's natural gas industry are likely at least 7 times greater than official numbers increasing the entire provinces' carbon footprint by nearly 25%. That's like putting 3 million more vehicles on BC's roads.
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Jason Cash
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Seer Green CE Combined School
http://www.rfmlv.net/
Sylvia Stafford
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ChurchAngel: West Bend
http://www.scrabster.co.uk
I think green companies or
I think green companies or anyone going green should get some sort of tax relief from less sales tax on CFL's to tax breaks if you have solar panels or wind turbines. Australia is setting some good standards doing away with incandescent bulbs all together.