Best of a Bad Bunch
The environment
Whether or not you accept the arguments about climate change (and neither of us are convinced by them) then the idea of not polluting the planet seems like quite a good idea. Recycling makes sense if it is done properly, renewable energy has to be a good thing if it means we are not dependent on foreign powers for our energy supply. Electric vehicles will improve the quality of our air and we support all of these measures up to a point.
The point is reached with the introduction of ‘green taxes’. We all know where this is going to end up.... as yet another way to fleece the taxpayers. Car drivers pay car tax to use the roads but then pay parking meters to park on them, petrol tax to drive them, are fined at every opportunity, they are bringing out toll roads now and still we have roads in most of the borough that would not look out of place in a third world country. This is precisely the sort of thing that is going to happen in the name of the environment if a very close eye is not kept on things.
No one would object to energy saving light bulbs if they actually worked. They don’t. In fact the idea that the old (working) bulbs are illegal under EC rules is not true but nevertheless we have these substandard items foisted upon us. When someone then decides to introduce an energy tax for using energy saving light bulbs then you are going to want someone representing you that is prepared to stand up for fairness and common sense even if they are branded as not caring about the planet, an unjustifiable but inevitable response to common sense and the idea of fairness by rabid greens.