.. please make it this, to George Monbiot's open letter to the Saudi monarch. It's an excellent summary of how utterly disjointed, contradictory and cynical Government policy is on energy (and yes, Government here means SNP as well as Labour).High fuel prices are, as we've long said, a blunt instrument when it comes to reducing emissions. Unlike smarter policies, such as personal carbon trading, localising planning to design out car dependence, higher prices do hit the poor.
Today's American media shows very clearly the effects of price rises (if the NYT asks for a login, go here):
1. Trucking in decline as freight moves to rail.
2. Flying in decline. Americans would be moving to rail if passenger services hadn't withered.
3. Car use in decline, buses and light rapid transit on the up.
A lower-carbon lifestyle is coming, like it or not. The question is, do you want governments that pretend we can reduce oil prices in the short term, and which keep planning new roads and economic models dependent on cheap oil in the long term? Or do you want governments which have the ideas to make that low carbon economy a strong one, building up the appropriate new industries, and promoting the infrastructure needed for life after cheap oil?
Reviews and attempted rebuttals of Monbiot's arguments in the comments please.
