Archive for October, 2006

Pollution by the privileged


With all the talk that’s going on right now in the UK about green taxes, one thing isn’t being said on TV or in the press: what about the less well-off?

In principle I’m in favour of green taxes – that is, taxes being higher on inefficient and polluting goods – but there needs to be some consideration given to the impact of any measures not only on those who are poor right now, but on those who are struggling to keep their heads above water. Otherwise, we will end up with a lot more people falling below the poverty line.

I’m not sure we should have green taxes at all unless we have other, stronger, measures put in place to dictate what is and is not acceptable, say, on Britain’s roads. The rich will continue to drive their ‘Chelsea lorries’ whether we tax them fiercely or not. Their giant, SUV-type vehicles will go on polluting and taking up road space. The owners of these insane and ugly beasts will still be wheeling out the same old pathetic excuses as to why they ‘need’ such cars – my children absolutely must be driven to school on one of these, my dogs need the space to stretch their legs, and so on and so forth. Too many of these climate-busting cars are driven by selfish, arrogant bullies. They’re not going to change, or at least not without being press-ganged into it. They will, of course, berate the taxes imposed upon them but the rich will be able to pay whatever our government demands from them for polluting. Ordinary people will, however, suffer greatly.

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Sunday, October 29th, 2006