How green is the Brown budget? 23 March 06

He should really be called ‘Two Runways’ Brown, in view of his comments in the pre-budget report calling for a second runway at Stansted, and favouring a third at Heathrow and further massive aviation growth as proposed in the 2003 White Paper, as well as other transport growth. This in spite of sharp criticism of the White Paper by the Commons Environmental Audit Committee, the Lords EU sub-committee on the environment and the chair of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, among others.

www.hm-treasury.gov.uk./media/FA6/22/pbr05_chapter3_269.pdf

Pictures of yesterday’s protest against Brown’s aviation hypocrisy can be seen at: http://portal.campaigncc.org/?q=node/975. We were upstaged by a neighbouring WDM protest whose act included no. 11 door in full frame!

You are too generous Mark. Compared to what he could and should have done this is small beer from the Chancellor. I wonder if he was merely responding to some of Cameron’s recent pronouncements and covering himself for future exchanges across the floor of the House. Brown is in a very powerful position but chose the greenwash route over real radical action.

As you indicated below Ken Livingstone is far more impressive. I had a chance to hear him and question him this Monday (20th) at a City Hall discussion on environmental issues. He was interesting on the way EDF were chosen. Apparently they were one of 9 corporations keen to do the work. Ken explained that in contrast to the days of the GLC when he was pilloried for being Red Ken by the right wing press and big business stayed well clear, corporations are now interested in green/eco/sustainability contracts. They understand they can make money from them.

Now if Ken can pull this off then why not the government? They are, after all, not short of information some of it available from the likes of the SDC, a government funded body.

This Labour government will go down as cowardly and conservative on green issues and reckless and irresponsible on Iraq.

Douglas Coker

but anything’s better than Bush.

What a sorry state this world is in. Who’d have guessed that Homo sapiens, evolving smarts over so many millennia, has in this final hour turned into Homo stupidus maximus, as we collectively commit eco-suicide.

Can’t believe it. Maybe they found some advertisers who aren’t blocking them.

The only low point was This Week on Sunday, in which Gearge Will trotted out the tired arguments: “In the 70s scientists were warning of an ice age,” “It’ll cost trillions to combate GW.” That’s a pretty big bill for the cut on one’s finger from turning out lights not in use.

I bought a Spanish Phrase book recently (published in 1954, part of the old “Teach Youself” series). As well as useful phrases (“Please trim my moustache”, “Where can I buy a rifle?”, etc.), it contains some general information about the country for the traveller. Two gems:

In 1954, there were nearly 180,000 cars on Spanish roads.

There were six flights per week from London to Spain – four to Madrid, and two to Barcelona (Mondays and Saturdays).

Lasy year alone the Spanish bought 1.5 million new cars, and welcomed 52 million tourists.

Some good news about mileage requirements for guzzlers… Bush gets the credit!

SUVs, Pickups Get New Mileage Rules March 29, 2006

Bush administration issued new rules Wednesday ratcheting up gas mileage requirements for pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans, for the first time covering the largest SUVs on the road.

The new fuel economy rules, covering 2008 through 2011, would save 10.7 billion gallons of fuel over the lifetime of the vehicles sold during the period.

Under the CAFE system, automakers now must meet an average of 21.6 mpg for their 2006 model year light trucks. That average will rise to 22.2 mpg for 2007 vehicles. Under the new rules, the fleetwide average would reach 24 mpg by 2011, when the largest SUVs will be included in the calculation.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/29/tech/main1451947.shtml

I note that the new proposals will include heavier SUVs (such as the Hummer), but only from 2011 onwards. And that large pickups will still be excluded.

Manwhile, China (one of the primary excuses for America to back away from Kyoto) is introducing its own version of CAFE, which puts both Bush and Brown very much in the shade. Car tax raised to 20% to spur fuel efficiency, from chinadaily.com.

Shows what you can do when you don’t have to worry about getting re-elected!

Late afternoon, GW Bush was out with the new pope fishing on a private lake near by his Crawford,Texas ranch.

The media noted a gust of wind blew the pope’s hat off which landed in the water about 10 feet from the boat.

GW promptly got up, walked across the water, retrieved the hat, and re-entered the boat to hand the surprised pope his hat.

The media headlines the next day were…

“George W. Bush CAN’T SWIM!”

Damned if he does or if he doesn’t….

A couple of recent quotes from the chancellor:

Mr Brown said the climate change issue was an ethical one, in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“If it is affecting both our habitat and environment and affecting those people who are dependent on that environment the most – and that is poor people in poor countries – then this has got to be looked at, not just as an economic issue but a social issue.

“And you could therefore say that it’s got an ethical dimension as well.”

The chancellor added: “When Opec meets on June 1, it must look at its production quotas and how we can increase output and refining capacity.”

I’m looking for information on the budget announcement that an extra 250,000 homes would be insulated, with a £20million fund earmarked for this.

From what I hear its to be run in conjunction with utilities like British Gas, Npower etc. I can’t find any information on their websites. Would appreciate being pointed in the right direction.