Just remember.. this is the same guy that told us he was gonna sort out crime, NHS, transport.. blah blah blah...

Think were safe enough

Yes, but at least now, when you get mugged and beaten up, you can tell the Police, "I was walking along a lovely pollution-free street, with hardly a car to be seen, when all of a sudden...."

Actually, I think Tony Blair is just getting round to telling you all what he has been refusing to admit to for years. I hardly think it amounts to "We're all about to die", but whether you choose to believe it or not, we are in the midst of catastrophic climate change. Maybe taxation doesn't fix things, but they have to do something to shock self-indulgent consumers out of relying on their Chelsea tractors to shift their obese children 100 yards to school.

I drive a "chelsea tractor" have no obese children and already pay through the nose for the priviledge of driving my vehicle of choice. Fail to see how charging more for the priviledge of parking it etc will help global warming at all. Especially when whatever adjustments we make to a lifestyle will be wiped out several times over by China's growth.

Try driving less, or switching to a more fuel efficient car, and you never know, it might click!

As for China, there's not a lot we can do as a nation to change their activities, but as we don't have sulky 4 year olds making our laws (although I sometimes wonder), they're less likely to take the attitude of "So and so does it, why shouldn't I?" Best we can do is to set an example to the developing world that a green economy can be a successful economy, and do everything in our power to minimise our environmental impact.

The goverment are under this illusion that if they push the tax up on fuel-it will persuade people not to use it as often or to get a more efficent vehicle.

But it dont work and they know it...

Many people have no option but to drive a large,uneconomical vehicle like 4x4's,people carriers etc when they have a large family,but they get penalised which is wrong.I know one arguement is that couples should restrict to maximum of 2 children,but the goverment have already predicted a tax shortfall because the economy needs more tax payers contributing in the next 20 years so they need people to have more kids!

Besides-it makes little difference what we do on this tiny island when you've got the likes of China and the US who can pretty much do as they please cause they anwser to nobody.They are probably the worst polluters on planet earth so perhaps the UK should impose trade sanctions against them until they change,but Blair is living in their pockets anyway so i wouldnt hold my breath.

Better education is needed-not persecuting those who can ill afford more tax hikes.

I don't want to drive an enviromentally friendly car, even though there are a few enviromentally friendly " chelsea tractors" no one actually recognises them, they just lump them all together and assume the worst.
The vast majority of pollution is not made by the uk but the uk will choose to tax us out of existence, will I change my car ? NO. will I stop flying ? NO. As long as they continue to build 4x4 there will be a market for them, not as status symbols but as utility vehicles the purpose for which they are intended. Does that make me a sulky 4 year old, not in my eyes .

I think there's a key element there. Not one person I know will stop driving their 'Chelsea Tractors', because of cost, and frankly, I'm not in the least bit surprised at that. Why should they? The cars are available, affordable to them, and so, of course people will buy them. That's just common sense.

Now, if the Govt. want to try applying pressure to large car manufacturers in order to stop manufacturing these cars, then I'd respect that, at least far more than I respect them trying to tackle the issue by just generating more revenue for their coffers, by the very people who vote them in.

The only thing I am absolutely certain of is that nobody adopts sweeping lifestyle changes, at the level that is allegedly needed, by being forced to. At some point, you meet a breaking point where 'the people' say enough is enough, and you see repeats of the old 'Poll Tax' riots.

If warmer temperatures are on the horizon, I'd bet my bottom dollar that more civil riots will hit us way before that point.

the world has gone mad.

along with Blair and Bush.

the men in white coats are at my door !!!!!!!! arrrrrrrrrgh

We are gein a misubishi L200 next year purkey because no oher car will suit our needs

John is well over 6 foot and has a torn disk in his back so needs a higher driving position. We also need a big car as we have to kids travel alot are getting a large breed od dog and need something to hold all that inc luggage and bikes!!
why should we be persecuted??

anyway back on topic....

im not convinced it will be 10 years!! scare tactics from Blair again to make more bloody money from us!! Why not charge these big companies such as ICI higher taxes or force car manufacters to produce more eco friendly cars!! Dont shove the responsabilites on to joe public!!

ps sorry for spelling the keyboad keeps missing leters iv typed!!