Energy ration cards for everyone planned
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
(Filed: 02/07/2005)

Every individual in Britain could be issued with a "personal carbon
allowance" - a form of energy rationing - within a decade, under proposals
being considered seriously by the Government.

Ministers say that increasingly clear evidence that climate change is
happening more quickly than expected has made it necessary to "think the
unthinkable".



They believe they need to start a public debate on energy rationing now if
Tony Blair's aspiration of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by two thirds by
2050 is to be achieved.

Under the scheme for "domestic tradeable quotas" (DTQs), or personal carbon
allowances, presented to the Treasury this week, everyone - from the Queen
to the poorest people living on state benefits - would have the same annual
carbon allocation.

This would be contained electronically on a "ration card", which could be
the proposed ID card or a "carbon card" based on supermarket loyalty cards.

It would have to be handed over every time a form of non-renewable energy
was purchased - at the filling station, or when buying tickets for a
flight - for points to be deducted.

High users of energy would have to purchase points from low users, or from a
central "carbon bank", if they wanted to use more energy.

The scheme applies the principle of carbon trading already accepted for
industry.

The implications of domestic carbon trading have been studied for two years
by the Tyndall centre for climate change research, which says the scheme is
"feasible, affordable and fair".

The virtues of the scheme, according to Mr Blair's "green" advisers, the
Sustainable Development Commission, are that it would provide a "virtually
guaranteed" way of reducing fossil fuel emissions by 60 per cent by 2050.

That is the amount scientists say is necessary to avoid "unacceptable"
climate change, such as the switching-off of the Gulf Stream, the melting of
the Greenland glaciers and the die-back of the Amazon rain forest.

Domestic tradeable quotas have many advantages over carbon taxes, not least
that they are independent from political control, the commission says.

It has recommended that the Government "formally consider" domestic
tradeable quotas, "within two years".

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Elliot Morley, the minister for
the environment and climate change, said the Government was committed to a
review of its policies by the end of the year.

"We should have an open mind about the kind of levers that we apply and not
be afraid to think the unthinkable," he said. "It is fair to say that for a
lot of people personal carbon allowances falls into the unthinkable
category.

"I don't think we should dismiss these approaches.

"There might be a decade of debate in it before we get anywhere with it, but
my job is to consider quite radical new approaches."

The problems were the cost and making it work as a system that prevented
cheating.

Kevin Anderson, of the Tyndall Centre, said: "Once you have accepted that we
need a reduction of 60 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 - which
it seems now that all parties have - you need to start soon.

"We saw what the public thought of carbon taxes in the protests over the
fuel tax escalator. The beauty of personal carbon allowances is that you
only need to make about a 1.25 per cent reduction in carbon emissions every
year.

"This is a way that enables us to make the necessary annual changes without
radical adjustments to our lives.

"It is about making the small changes year by year. It won't stop us going
on holiday. But it might constrain how many times we fly.

"This could be up and running within four to 10 years."

A Private Member's Bill to establish DTQs and a trading system was
introduced recently by the Labour MP Colin Challen, but this is the first
time it has been seriously considered by ministers.



Source: Daily Telegraph.

My Comment: Phew, just what will they think of next. This is scary or
what.



--
************************************************** **********
Gavin Staples.


Horseheath. Cambridge, UK. 93m ASL.
House to Let. For details see on my website.
www.gavinstaples.com
site regularly updated

"Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute". ~Josh Billings

All outgoing emails are checked for viruses by Norton Internet Security
2005.
************************************************** **********

Gavin Staples wrote:
Energy ration cards for everyone planned
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
(Filed: 02/07/2005)

Every individual in Britain could be issued with a "personal carbon
allowance" - a form of energy rationing - within a decade, under proposals
being considered seriously by the Government.

Ministers say that increasingly clear evidence that climate change is
happening more quickly than expected has made it necessary to "think the
unthinkable".


What a load of tosh. GW is a myth - and even if it *is* happening, you
can't prove it's due to human activity, so yah boo shucks to you, we are
going to carry on bombing countries out of their oil so we can power our
3 ton SUVs through plenty more driving seasons yet.

George W Bush.

"Chris" wrote in message


What a load of tosh. GW is a myth - and even if it *is* happening, you
can't prove it's due to human activity, so yah boo shucks to you, we are
going to carry on bombing countries out of their oil so we can power our
3 ton SUVs through plenty more driving seasons yet.

Dinky Brain, you are missing the point. Politics is not interested in
solving problems so much as controlling those that might, if they could
get away with it.

Why do you think the United Kiddum was suddenly confronted with the
magic number of 1% illegal immigrants just when it was? Where were
these half million and more people hiding before the Tory Party wanted
to get its bill for Daft Cards through Playshool?

Get real, thicko.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Just for discussion. Many of us who have been on this ng for a few years
occasionally take a topic and discuss it amongst ourselves. This was one
such.


Gavin.



"Jim Smith" wrote in message
...
Why was this posted in this NG?


"Gavin Staples" wrote in message
...
Energy ration cards for everyone planned
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
(Filed: 02/07/2005)

Errr, why did you therefore quote the whole thing?

In message , Jim Smith
writes
Why was this posted in this NG?


"Gavin Staples" wrote in message
...
Energy ration cards for everyone planned
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
(Filed: 02/07/2005)

Every individual in Britain could be issued with a "personal carbon
allowance" - a form of energy rationing - within a decade, under proposals
being considered seriously by the Government.

[snip]
--
Tim
http://www.stopharlownorth.com/

On Sat, 2 Jul 2005 15:36:16 +0100, "Gavin Staples"
wrote:

Just for discussion. Many of us who have been on this ng for a few years
occasionally take a topic and discuss it amongst ourselves. This was one
such.

In that case, create a 'list' and take it to e-mail.

--
Alan White
Twenty-eight miles NW of Glasgow, overlooking Loch Goil and Loch Long in Argyll, Scotland.
Web cam and weather:- http://www.windycroft.gt-britain.co....her/kabcam.htm
Some walks and treks:- http://www.windycroft.gt-britain.co.uk/walks/index.html

In article ,
Gavin Staples writes:
Energy ration cards for everyone planned
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
(Filed: 02/07/2005)

This seems to have been lifted from the online edition of a newspaper,
so why not just post the link? That would be less annoying and would
avoid breaching copyright.
--
John Hall

"The beatings will continue until morale improves."
Attributed to the Commander of Japan's Submarine Forces in WW2

Sorry Tim. Fair point.
I shall consider myself suitably admonished.

"Tim" wrote in message
...
Errr, why did you therefore quote the whole thing?