How Big is Your Carbon Footprint?

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What if you sell your carbon allocation to buy lots of beans?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/carbon-rations-for-consumers/2006/07/19/1153166454930.html

Carbon rations for consumers

Britain is devising a plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions by rationing individuals' carbon use.
The scheme could force people to carry a swipe card that records their carbon allocation, with points knocked off each time they buy petrol or air tickets.

Under the scheme, citizens from the Queen down would be allocated an identical annual carbon allowance, stored as points on an electronic card similar to air miles schemes or supermarket loyalty cards.

Points would be deducted at point of sale for every purchase of non-renewable energy. People who did not use their full allocation, such as families who do not own a car, would be able to sell their surplus carbon points into a central bank.

High energy users could then buy the points. Motorists who had used their allocation would still be able to buy petrol, with the carbon points drawn from the bank and the cost added to their fuel bills.

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From the BBC report about Environment Secretary David Miliband's speech at the Audit Commission's annual lecture:

Quote:

[...]
Chris Huhne, the Liberal Democrats' environment spokesman, welcomed "any discussion about household carbon allowances".

But he stressed: "What David Miliband must realise, however, is that proposals such as these are years away from being practically possible.

"Rather than using blue sky thinking to give the impression of doing something, green action is needed now.

"Green taxes have fallen to their lowest level since Mrs Thatcher was prime minister. This is a shocking indictment of a government that claims to care about the environment."

The government is also investigating the potential for carbon loyalty cards, league tables, and awareness-raising through labelling and carbon calculations to get people involved in saving their planet.

The Department of Communities and Local Government along with the Departments of the Environment, Trade and Industry and the Treasury are looking at the role of "community level" approaches to mobilising individuals.

The study will report back its findings to ministers during the first half of 2007.

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Another form of indirect taxation that will befall us all.

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Interesting.

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Tryagain wrote:

Another form of indirect taxation that will befall us all.

Huh?

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I guess this means no more summits, or conferences.

Al Gore once burned something like $400,000 worth of jet fuel to attend some environmental whacko meeting.

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What is 'whacko' about environmentalism?

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The people who support the notions while forgetting their history and heritage.

Whacknuts.

For 100 years conservation efforts in the U.S. have been led and paid for by hunters and fisherman. What's been accomplished is nothing short of outstanding. But the Sierra Club doesn't want you to know that.

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cjhsa wrote:

The people who support the notions while forgetting their history and heritage.

You mean, Blair and his government have forgotten their history and heritage?

Well, I agree here ... a bit, indeed.

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cjhsa wrote:

The people who support the notions while forgetting their history and heritage.

Whacknuts.

For 100 years conservation efforts in the U.S. have been led and paid for by hunters and fisherman. What's been accomplished is nothing short of outstanding. But the Sierra Club doesn't want you to know that.

A generalization and not true. Besides, you are talking apples and oranges because strictly speaking environmentalism is not conservation and vice versa.

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How Big is Your Carbon Footprint?

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