Is the government having a rethink on its support for biofuels, or simply trying to save cash by cutting corners on green issues?
The news in yesterday's budget suggests both. A subsidy on so-called "clean" biofuels, is to be replaced with a fine should fuel suppliers not meet targets to sell at least 5 per cent of their fuels from renewable resources by 2010. The subsidy would have paid energy giants like BP and Shell 20p for every litre of biofuels they sold.
By removing the tax break, the government stands to save about
£500-550m to spend on other stuff (new coal power stations perhaps?).
The energy companies won't be able to trouser the extra pennies, but no
doubt they'll pass on the extra cost to consumers.
Meanwhile, few new investigations into the possibility of cleaner renewables are being funded. Biofuels are almost undoubtedly (excuse the hesitation, but one can never quite be sure) not the answer, but something out there may well be.
The best answer we have at the moment would be fewer people travelling less.
China's attitude to human rights stinks but their one child policy is spot on. Imagine the energy consumption and food shortages now if they hadn't implemented it. Rather than criticise them the real challenge is how to persuade the rest of the world to follow suit. The democracies cannot force it and would have a hard time persuading their voters. The theocracies (and these days that seems to include the US) seem to believe it will all work out for the best if we leave to their preferred god. Populist dictatorships cannot afford to upset the populus too much in case they revolt.
As for travel, the problem is that we start the debate from the assumption that travel is a good, we accept that rising living standards will mean more people travelling, and increased speeds make it feasible, and therefore desirable, to travel further. Wrong. Start from the assumption that most travel is unnecessary and it gets a lot easier.
Most business trips, including political summits, are a waste of fuel and time. Use the phone or the internet. Develop improved teleconferencing. Spend some serious money on putting fast fibre optic connections everywhere. Make working at home, or in local hubs, the norm, not the exception. Use modern small scale manufacturing technology to localise production rather than making everything in vast quantities in a small number of locations which requires staff to travel vast distances to work and raw materials and product to travel even further. Change planning zoning rules to encourage people to live near work, and make it easier to move house if you change jobs.
Basically make transport so dammed expensive that everyone seeks alternatives.
Posted by: Phil Thane | Thursday, 13 March 2008 at 08:22 PM
Dear Ethics Girl, I'm afraid this has nothing to do with this post but can I ask if you have any idea what is the best thing to do with old batteries? I have a dead laptop battery and a phone one and I don't just want to put them in the bin but not sure what the alternative is. Any ideas gratefully received! Thanks
Posted by: Amanda | Sunday, 16 March 2008 at 04:49 PM