More funds

We need more funds to stop us becoming obese, to stop us over-eating and killing ourselves; please stop and think of the children, and donate your hard-earned money, so we can help prop up local candy stores and stop anyone else from gorging themselves on all those bad calories; which you know — in the end — will be better for us, better for them, but more importantly better for you!

Yes, carbon tax trading. 

Soon to be followed by a whole new raft of the-really-decent-thing-to-do-climate-bonus levies.  Of course it’s really nothing but a nonsense.  Another money making scam that ensures the only real change to the status quo, is the one leaving you lighter in the purse. 

At this very moment, every house or community could have solar, wind, geo, biomass energy systems installed that would cut their dependence on fossil fuels and so their emissions.  Not only that, it could even furnish stakeholders with a small steady profitable stream of income, as they pump any excess back into trimmed down national energy grids.  The acreage is available, people want it, efficiencies would improve over time. One glaring thing which could be a reason the full thrust into this land of energy independence is chugging away slower than a eurostar during a french farmers strike, is politicians and industrials haven't quite finalised how they are going to make the people & communities, who produce their own power and energy, pay "that damned levy" to make up for the global billions they stand to lose; as peoples shackled dependence on external energy sources, production, transmission routes start to diminish over months and years. 

I suppose its something that would be viewed with the same level of sneering as an uprising demanding the removal of vat on everything, with a clause inserted, insisting that moody recreationals be made mandatory — just to help us feel that little bit better about the whole thing.

But i'm sure somewhere along the line, they'll find a way.  Especially if a company like royal dutch shell, that made $3.2 billion (net profit mind not gross), still finds the need to cut 5,000 jobs for "productivity" sake, what hope will there be for small energy producing stakeholders once the fossil-giants and poketpols swivel benighted sights on them?

A wastebin for ofgem

So what's the ofgem regulators tough talking, no nonsense approach, to the greedy energy companies?

Give them until the 1st December to come up with something, then refer them to another talking shop after a suitable period of time.  If they don't come up with something that “sorts this out”, the regulator will penalise them, “we can fine them.”

Whoop, springs to mind.

Good he can shop around though.  What about those who can't shop around, who are penalised because they are in arrears or have a pre-payment meter so are unable (due to them been held in a vice-like grip by their suppliers) to switch. 

So when the lights go out in 2015 as we run out of capacity, the many aging plants give up the ghost, and we can't afford to import, at least there'll be a swathe of the current crop of parliamentarians around, on whom blame can firmly, very firmly be attached.

In the meantime i think this firmly sums up most peoples thoughts on the subject.

Energy utilities

Perhaps when it comes down to it, it is me and I have missed all the news in relation to oil, energy, gas and electricity. Maybe my half asleep id has missed the huge onrush of ceo's from energy companies parading themselves before the nations press, spouting their concern for the hard-pressed consumer by cutting gas prices by 35-50% and electricity prices by 19-24% . And with immediate effect. I must have overlooked their concerned visages earnestly peering whilst their mouths trot through the latest prepared speech, that it's about either helping or investing; forgetting there are many out there living on a day by day basis, who find themselves having to choose between lighting, heating, or eating.

You can just imagine their voices crescendoing on, “with oil now more than half it's $146 value a year ago peak,” yes it even touched $68.57 for US light crude before closing slightly up. “We feel the time is right that our consumers are given a break and we're glad to announce a 5% cut in gas and 2% cut in electricity prices,” and just as people decide on how to react to such a statement, it's finished by, “which will take place on January 5th 2009.”

Has anyone heard or seen anything like that? Or is the deafening rush of silence, from the absent, off the field utility companies, the only answer needed?

We would like to believe that a brand new bunch of fat cat ceo's will be walking that gold plank of parting, but I somehow feel the public mob mentality for such a public drubbing has, with simmering largesse, snuffed itself out.

What we do have however, is ed miliband announcing that the government will increase their carbon reductions targets from 50% to 80% by 2050 - 42 years time.

If a day's a long time in politics, then 42 years must equate to the universal equivalent of four big bangs. A very long period of time where even the ideology of those holding the power stick will probably have been radically changed by unforeseen events and circumstances.

If they attempt to reach targets by slow-creep taxation, it will be those on the bottom and in the middle who will take the greatest hit – especially since two big polluting sectors (aviation and maritime), look like been strangely absent from the proceedings.

Alternatively the government could consider bringing in effective legislation ensuring that new builds or repairs to existing builds that require planning applications, incorporate some element of renewable's or energy efficiency within there design. Imagine, a whole new manufacturing sector could be opened up, then sold off before the next popping bubble. Not only for the manufacturing of wafer thin etaic cells, but new inspectors – just like the tax collectors of old – will incorporate the curbing of excessive emissions, clamping down with powers to immediately close a business down, to giving certificates to those households and businesses who effectively meet the required standards.

So government might bring its full weight down to bear on the energy companies, under the possibility of talks about legislation “if they don't play ball!” What the bloody heck does that mean? They need to remove their noses from the utilities brown stuff and work to ensure that those unfortunates stuck on prepayment meters don't pay an extra £200 above normal rates. When you consider that prepayment users are actually crediting companies for their usage as opposed to those on monthly or quarterly plans who pay in arrears, then no wonder they find the pp'ers a useful set of cows to milk and not to do anything to truly upset the cart.

A while ago marie-antoinette was made infamous for saying “let them eat cake!” This current government will be famous for so many things, but one of the worst will be their seeming attitude of, more money for heating? Don't they know its global warming out there?

The unfolding saga will probably come to nought but a grubby watery end.  As in 38 years time panic will be the order of the day, with the government attempting to ram-raid the law into enactment – to reach the target, or quietly bury it under the table.  Let's just hope that in 42 years time that table isn't floating off, somewhere down the thames!