“ |
What the government is doing regarding climate change is passing the buck on to the individual.
It could easily ban incandescent light bulbs, air conditioners, insist
that public buildings only be heated to 18 centigrade, give the
subsidies the Germans do to those who invest in renewable energy, bring
in strict laws regarding energy efficiency for new houses, stick an
additional tax on electronic goods that don't go into proper standby,
insist of aircraft fuel being taxed at the same rate as petrol and
diesel, forbid subsidies from local or regional authorities to local
airports or budget airlines, and a fair number of other measures.
Expecting the consumer to follow his conscience is a recipe for making
people feel miserable and harassed without significantly reducing
energy use.
| ” |