Fuel

[graafen]

As the fuel prices in this country continue to climb rumours are starting to fly around that another fuel protest is immenent. Speaking with my work colleagues it seems there are mixed feelings about this, with quite a few not wanting this to happen because they are too dependant on their cars.

So I put this to you, if we don't protest what do we do instead? How can we force the goverment to reduce the tax on fuel?

Comments

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Buy more fuel-efficient cars?

Why do you *want* to reduce the tax on fuel, anyway? If you're causing a problem (pollution, greenhouse effect etc. in this case), then it's your obligation to pay for the remedy.

The way to go is not to reduce taxes; the way to go is to reduce fuel consumption and the effects it has.

[graafen]

Our cars are actually quite fuel-efficient compared to other countries (like America) and we have a safey and roadworthyness test, which includes emissions tests(unlike America, which doesn't).

We've done a lot to reduce the amount of pollution our cars cause, and even with that we're still charged through the nose for our fuel.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*noddles*

[ysengrin.livejournal.com]

Some areas in the US require something very much like the MOT test - but it's handled at the state level and can vary wildly from place to place. Some localities it's not much more than a check to see if the break lights work, other places it's a full blown emissions and mechanical check.

[ysengrin.livejournal.com]

"Brake" lights that is. I need my morning coffee.

[graafen]

Ahhh, my bad then. :)

[rustyfox.livejournal.com]

The promotion of fuel-efficient cars should start with the government. The promotion of renewable-fuel cars should start with the government. They need to have the balls to stand up to the oil industry who bury technology detrimental to their business, no private company can reasonably be expected to do so. As far as I know, we have a trickle of at best hybrid cars, and little seems known about them. We need a government hell-bent on selling as many new generation engines as possible. We need a government who will invest in refining renewable carbon-neutral fuels. What's been done so far isn't good enough. It's one thing to stand and shout about environmental effects, but we never hear anything about alternatives - other than those who have everything in reach of their doorstep bantering, "oh, well just don't drive". Usefull. Very usefull.

The more I uncover on 'green' fuels the more I learn about other countries having already got there. Elsewhere in the EU many busses are already run on biodiesel. What does the average person here know about it? Everything comes from the top, without commitment from the top down there's no reason or incentive for the huge corporations to take upon themselves a greener attitude.

And as Thalyi points out, we do at least require yearly emissions tests and road safety checks, engines taxed according to pollution output, and thankfully we in the UK don't have a culture of 5mpg oversized engines. Despite this effort we're still taxed to buggery though. I hear plenty about the duty being there to counter environmental damage - I hear nothing about exactly what remedies that pays for. A governement that cares? Hardly.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Well, it's up to you to put pressure on the government/corporations/..., though. Buy cars that are fuel-efficient, as opposed ones that aren't - or if you can't find a suitable car, write to the industry and tell them that they've lost a sale because they're not selling the kind of car you want.

I'm sure you could come up with lots of other things to do. Yes, there *are* things the government can do, but ultimately, the power lies with the purchasers, doesn't it?

[rustyfox.livejournal.com]

I can see your point but would have to disagree. Most people (*I* think) are apathetic towards the whole thing. They are, afterall, our leaders.

We need leaders with a different attitude, that's my whole point. Even the green party seemed to have the wrong idea, and just continue this taxation farce to "protect" the environment with no firm idea of how to do things differently. We need leaders with balls and sights set in the right direction in the first place. Most of us lowly tax payers either don't presently care or are naturally ignorant of what could be done, or has already been done - and burried.

I'm doing my bit - experiments with rapeseed oil in my 8 year old turbodiesel are going well. The carbon I'm putting back is no more than that used to grow the stuff, with no apparant loss of performance. As far as I'm concerned, this is the future. There exists the refined biodiesel version (100% and 5% blended with ordinary diesel), but very few engines can run with it unmodified (due mostly to rubber corrosion than anything funamentally different). Our government are well aware things could change tomorrow, and thousands of people with the right cars already could start filling with easily renewable, much greener biodiesel fuels, and millions of newer cars could be built with only minor modifications, sold with national marketing campaigns to spread awareness of this 'new' wonder-fuel that won't dry up. Every chippy in the land could be paid to recycle their waste oils. So why isn't this happening?

I'm sure it's nothing to do with the lack of excuse for taxing near 50% :-/