The biggest single source of CO2 in the UK -
Heathrow Airport airline traffic
You Couldn't Make It Up!
When the Heathrow airport runway expansion plan was passed, it came to light that Heathrow was the largest single source of CO2 produced in the UK.
So, if you're a true Greenie, then you'd surely be in favour of reducing air traffic.
The 'answer' to increased CO2 and other pollutants from Heathrow aircraft exhausts was - to introduce an ultra low vehicle mission zone around - yes Heathrow airport as one area.
This has the effect of charging motorists vehicle excise duty, duty on fuel, congestion charge and perhaps an extra levy in certain zones. Four 'consumption taxes' when the aircraft flying above them enjoy tax free fuel do they not?
Petrol & Diesel distillation
Petrol and Diesel are by products of the 'distillation' of oil in simple terms - at certain temperatures, Petrol and Diesel separate out from the Crude oil product. Essentially, these are products that can be sold and if not used, well what are you going to do with it?
Electric fantasy
Petrol / Electric and Electric never found fame in the early 1900's because the electricity wasn't there as it is now in the form of mains coverage, for those using batteries, the batteries were heavy and less efficient and didn't last long.
Petrol electric - where a petrol engine drives a generator and the current fed to a motor fared better, but the cheap cost of petrol meant this faded out.
Battery is wrong, wrong,wrong
Using a battery to drive a motor is the wrong way to go about the job - the frictional losses of 25% of efficiency through transmission coupled with the weight of the car render this an ultimately futile exercise. Coupled with the draw on the current starts to deaden the battery as you use the power it contains.
Petrol and Diesel have great calorific value for their size. If you get me. The potential energy they contain is truly enormous.
Politicians love the idea of electric cars, but I doubt few of them have any idea of how cars work or the toxic sludge that is created when your 'green' battery is made.
So, where is all your electricity coming from to make the power for these batteries? Nuclear, Coal, Gas? Not very clean are they.
Ok, the windmill or two and the solar panel may help, but how long are you going to sit by the side of the road waiting for the solar panel to give you enough volts to get to the nearest town?
Realities
Vehicles are cleaner and more fuel efficient than thirty plus years ago. Government officials rarely have the 'nous' to know what they are talking about when it comes to technical things like vehicles, being in the main career politicians and yes men and women who rarely have any grasp of the subject they are in charge of in government.
Where else in the world could a complete amateur be given a job they know perhaps little or nothing about?
Rather than go down the LPG route for cleaner vehicles, the getting rid of internal combustion engines (which are about the best current solution to meet our transport needs) is folly.
How will your sales rep doing 30,000 miles a year manage with an electric car?
How long will a battery make a big Tractor go for?
Or your articulated lorry hoping to make a delivery to a supermarket and the power goes, so does the cooler and the produce goes off.
Why not tax aircraft for the damage they do?
The bottom line is no one in the media or government EVER mentions aircraft emissions.
It is about as galling to endure as seeing a grinning politician without a clue, 'welcoming' emissions reduction when we all know that the plan is not workable and they are only the mouthpiece.
This is what happens when you put unqualified people in charge.
Like Robotics, we need an up front educated debate about things that will impact on our future - headed by people who know their subject, not wallies.
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