LOSS OF FREEDOM? HORSE TRANSPORT?

Are we are now more dependent on Energy Imports than ever before? In spite of signing up to Kyoto accords, Government has not done the obvious to reduce waste of energy: Vehicle registration tax (VRT) has not been turned into energy saving tax - dependent on the fuel efficiency km/litre of vehicles. Once inefficient vehicles are purchased there is an ongoing commitment to waste of resources.
As far back as when Charlie McCreevy was Minister for Finance, I wrote to him proposing that VRT be turned into a tax designed to encourage purchase of fuel efficient vehicles. I repeated that proposal to Brian Cowan Minister of Finance before the 2005 budget and received a letter back that something would be done.

Nothing has happened yet - only policy statement that something will be done.

Similarly as far as I know, nothing has happened since my letter earlier this year to the Minister for Transport - Martin Cullen. In that letter, I suggested that all new vehicles should be required to have a prominentlydisplayed nd easily-understood Fuel Rating to encourage people to have pride in the fuel efficiency of their vehicles.

Surely there needs to be an effort to encourage pride in fuel efficient vehicles instead of in polluting fuel guzzlers. Neither has there been put in place (As has been done in some other EU countries) any system for payment of suppliers of small sources of locally generated electricity e.g. householders with wind turbines or combined heat and power.

Is it not more important to give tax breaks to encourage sustainable local energy sourcing than for breeding horses (unless of course the government want us to travel by horses) instead of cars in the future?

Why do we have to wait for another fuel supply crisis like the one in the late 1970's when petrol and diesel purchases were limited to £2 per vehicle queuing at the pumps. I was so thankful that two weeks before that crisis, I changed from a fuel guzzling 28 mpg petrol to 50 mpg diesel and got 150 miles per queue instead of 56!

Those who value “independence” need to recognise that waste of fuel not only pollutes the air, but also dims our freedom.