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A Liberal-Democrat controlled council in London is set to become the first local authority to charge higher parking tariffs for gas-guzzling cars (http://www.politics.co.uk/news/domestic-policy/environment/environment/gas-guzzlers-be-charged-more-parking-$455718.htm)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2000_Citrus_Honda_Insight.jpg
Only the Honda Insight is tax-free

October 25, 2006 - www.politics.co.uk (http://www.politics.co.uk)

Richmond upon Thames council has drawn up plans for a sliding scale of residents' parking permits based on the amount of carbon dioxide a vehicle emits.

Cars that emit less than 100 grams of CO2 per kilometre, such as the Honda Insight hybrid, will pay nothing. The next band, which includes the Toyota Prius, would get a 50 per cent reduction, and owners of a Fiat Panda or Ford Ka would get a ten per cent cut.

The next bands would then impose an additional charge, of ten per cent for Ford Fiestas and Peugeot 306s; of 50 per cent for an Audi A4 or Masda MX5; and a 200 per cent increase for Renault Espaces, Range Rover 4X4 and Porches.

The plans, which will go before Richmond council's cabinet on November 6th, also include an extra 50 per cent charge on permits for a second car.

"Climate change is the single greatest challenge facing the world today. We can no longer bury our heads in the sand and pretend that it is not happening, or that dealing with it is up to somebody else," said council leader Serge Lourie.

"Richmond upon Thames is one of the highest CO2 emitting boroughs in London. For too long, it has been seen as a problem that only central governments or international organisations could address. The truth is that we must all start acting now at local level."

Last month, Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell won approval from the party conference for his plans to introduce a new £2,000 road tax for the most polluting cars.

They were included in a package of tax plans which aimed to shift the burden from income and wealth to bad behaviour – particularly that which causes climate change.

David Cameron's Conservatives have also promised to increase the proportion of green taxes in the UK, and shadow chancellor George Osborne told the party conference earlier this month: "We will tax the bad not the good, that will be our approach."

However, the Tories on Richmond council are not impressed with the new parking tariffs – the local party leader, councillor Nicholas True, said they amounted to a million-pound tax on local families and businesses.

"There's talk about gas-guzzlers. Actually it's small family cars, 1.5 litres upwards will pay extra under [the] proposals," he told Today

Richmond upon Thames (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_upon_Thames) is probably to London like Georgetown is to Washington D.C.

They are pretty serious on the gas-guzzler/CO2 tax - Honda Insight exempt, Prius pays only 50%.

Politics in Britain and America often mirror each other. Both sides of the aisle in the UK are addressing Climate Change - hopefully this will happen in the US soon.

All of this sounds good but why do we (the public) have to be punished by another tax when we are paying thru the nose for energy already? Look at the 3Q profit Exxon just posted, $10.4 billion. Big industry, including auto makers, should have been addressing this CO2 problem many many years ago with all the profits they have been vacuuming from our wallets. We really never had a choice up until now, with hybrid technology just hitting the mainstream when it has been available for decades.:D :D

Oil companies only make money on what WE buy. If we buy less they make less. There have been efficient automobiles since the mid 70s' Most of us just decided to drive other things.

Blaming the government or corporatioins for this is like blaming the drug dealer for our addiction. We have to do something about it. We can't and shouldn't rely on government or corporations to do the right thing. We should punish these orginizations by using less oil. The government will get less taxes, and corporations will make less profit.

If we want change we have to be the cause of it. Changing elected officials will do nothing. Complaining about profits of a corporation will do nothing. But every time we drive a little slower, increase the air in our ties, and do all the little things to bring up our fuel economy we are making change.

Look at the gallons saved banner in the forum home page. That is what our little community of less than 300 people have saved based on the tanks they put in the database. Imaging 3,000 people then 30,000 people then 300,000 people doing what we try to do. The gallons saved gets pretty big doesn't it? And 300,000 people is not a lot of people if you think of the population of the US.

As far as the tax on guzzlers in that london suburb goes, It might be a bit cruel, but maybe it will get some to pick a cleaner car for their next purchase. Personaly I think they probably did it just to get a bit more money in their coffers.

BBC also reports it (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6082690.stm?ls) in greater detail.

I'd love to make a change. I'd love to drive an EV, but when I go to a car dealer, there is no EV to buy. If we want to get around for our jobs or families, we have no choice but to use gasoline. Hybrids use LESS gas, but still they have to use gas. So they tout E85. Where can E85 be purchased? Not at any gas stations around here that I've seen. Why? I don't know, E85 has been around for awhile. It's not out in the future like the hydrogen fuel cell.

Others choose to buy SUV's because, for what ever reason, they feel they need an SUV. GM built SUV's because, generally speaking, as a nation we didn't want to buy fuel efficient cars until $3 gas. Maybe GM can be accused of marketing (more profitable) SUV's more efficiently than fuel efficicent cars. But we bought into them as an American symbol.

As long as Exxon and others make billions selling gas with the present business model, what incentive do they have to change and provide another choice? This is where the government needs to step in, IMHO.

You stated my feelings very well. You can only mandate and point the finger so much. Changes made in our personal lives on what, how, and when we drive will mean more than legislation and finger pointing.

The only way the legislation people want will occur is if there is some immediate devistating event. So for now it is up to us and our little band and the 10s of thousands out there that we don't know about that are fighting the good fight to educate more people while trying hard every day to limit our consumption and our impact on the environment.

Hi Rhwinger:

___Soon, very soon … I hope?

Simplifying the Switch. (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2544)

___Good Luck

___Wayne