Hi Paul,
Yes the new tax will hit us all, we have had a second blow this year as boat diesel is to be taxed the same as Road diesel. An increase of 50p a litre.

The biggest con with flying is the fuel surcharges that are still being applied even though aviation fuel is less now than it was last year.

The aviation industry pays no tax on fuel so whould you prefer the new charges or aviation fuel to be taxed the same as petrol, I know which I would choose.

Both were items that for years people thought were untouchable.

It was/is only a matter of time before government, of whatever political persuasion, decided to bite the bullet and apply taxes to air travel.

The idea has been trailed for a few years so why the surprise?

It has been suggested in some quarters that we may have a carbon allowance that would cover us for our annual holiday. Should be interesting to see if staying at home would allow you to sell them on.

Some years ago the Balearics began charging a daily tax to tourists. The reason given was to help pay for environmental improvements. Not popular but people did pay it.

fwh

What was very interesting was a programme last week on channel 4 about climate change. In short it rubbished a lot of the claims currently being made and was certainly food for thought. One of the contributors was the original founder of Greenpeace who says it has now been hi jacked by eco loonies and he has left the organisation he founded!!

There was a lot of good evidence to suggest that the present climate change is due to natural phenomena rather than `trains and boats and planes` etc

But hey, dont you just love the sleazy Politicos...as soon as they see a tax raising opportunity they are in there like greased lightening...A plague on all their houses methinks

Wont stop me travelling.....

The UK is a very small country, compared to places like USA, China etc, but what are these huge countries, with populations of hundreds of millions and their large 'dirty' industries doing to clean up their act?
And what on earth does the government think us paying extra tax will do to help the planet? How do we know what the government are going to spend this extra money on?
I saw the documentary the other night, about alternative global warming theories, and it was interesting. Personally I believe that climate change is a natural phenomena, but it's possible we are accelerating the process now, slightly more than we ever would have done in the past.
There should be more incentives to 'do the green thing', then people may be happier to do their bit, but we also need to see other countries doing their bit too. Our local council offers lots of opportunities for recycling, every household has four different bins in our gardens round here - one for paper, one for glass/plastic/cans, one for garden waste and a big one for everything else. I also have a composter, which I use for organic kitchen waste to enrich my garden, and I have replaced nearly all my lightbulbs with those big daft energy bulbs which stick out of the top of the lampshades and look stupid - but hey, I'm doing my bit... But most of the time I just feel like 'my bit' is nothing really. It's unfair to tax the average person for doing the occasional nice family activity such as taking a holiday abroad, when large industries are still allowed to do as they please because it's helping the economy.

How is Cameron going to collect the tax from Aircraft that overfly the Uk??
Is he going to charge every passenger who transits the UK,is he going to tell them they are only allowed 1 transit a year???NO.
Its just another bandwaggon to jump on.And another way to rip you off.

I too saw the programme on Channel 4 the other night and was glad to hear on Radio 4 this morning that I wasn't alone in thinking that much of the 'science' included in it was very very suspect indeed. And that not all of the 'experts' were expert scientists. One of them who was heavily featured for example is a journalist whose sole scientific credentials were that nearly 3 decades ago he edited 'The New Scientist' - a populist non-refereed magazine - for a couple of years. This is a bit like regarding an ex- of Cosmopolitan as an expert in dermatology because her magazine published articles on the latest in skin creams in the 70s!

The real issue is that global warming is happening, regardless of whether it's man-made or part of a natural cycle and something needs to be done about it. When the great grandkids ask you in the future, once great swathes of the earth have been reduced to desert, once the Fens have disappeared below the waves, once the oil starts to run out, 'Grandad/Grandma what did you do to try and save the planet for me to enjoy?' what are you going to say? 'I did my bit and I'm sorry that it wasn't enough and that not enough people joined me'? Or 'I didn't believe that it was happening and so carried on doing what I wanted and I'm sorry that you can't do what I used to do but, hey, I had a really good time destroying the planet - would you like to see the photos/videos of what you're missing out on'?

SM

Hi,
I watched Sunday am the other day, and Kate Adie mentioned the proposed green tax by the Tories, saying the only people this will hit is the ordinary person looking to get away a couple of times a year on holiday, or for short breaks. The business types who use planes like taxis using company bought tickets will hardly be affected, as the tax will not come out of their own pocket. In todays Express one of the Tories proposals quoted is for every person to get one short-haul flight per year at the standard air tax rate, frequent flyers will pay more. I wonder who will set the distance to constitute what a short-haul flight is, and how long it will be before that distance starts to shrink!!
How does Mr Cameron, or indeed this present Government want us to travel short distances, for example Glasgow to London, the roads in the UK are the most congested in Europe, and the re-vitalised railway is almost at full capacity, not to mention expensive.
As qatarman said in the previous post, the Tories are jumping onto the sexy envioronmental bandwagon, with this not so stealthy tax to try and make them look good. We are the most taxed nation in Europe already, so god help middle britain if this is the way things seem to be going.

Hi folks - just in case you haven't seen this - I found this petition on the Number 10 website http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Flight-Green-Tax/

well i have never believed the global warming is man mad theory.. many moons ago when i went to school [ and before anyone starts yes i did ] we were taught that the earth over its history had gone through several phases of heating and cooling and my own opinion is we are going through one at the moment [give or take the odd glitch] as for places like romny and the fens disappearing under water thats where they should be any way along with most of the Netherlands as they have been artificially drained by man over the centuries
any way if the EEC were determined to cut co2 rather than go for the 5-12% [depends who's figures you use] put out by current aircraft,which reduces every time an aircraft is replaces with more fuel efficient one's, go after the 22-38% emissions of vehicles , the technology is already available to do this using BIO fuel which is relatively neutral as it comes from green sources, we have very few bio vehicles on the road at present but most vehicles can be adapted to do so

wizard

Much as I agree with the comments made here and on other sites, there is not a great deal anyone can do about this.

Signing petitions etc may show your displeasure, but it is a fact of life that something has to be done. Not because of the claims made on global warming. There is much debate on that subject.

I personally believe that much of the official government line is flawed. I suspect that the truth in many cases is being adjusted to fit the proposals.

The scientific community cannot even agree amongst themselves, which should be a cause of concern to everyone

The most important thing we need to consider is our dwindling resources. Oil, coal and gas supplies are finite. What do we do when they are gone?

I view the objections very much along the lines expressed in the term NIMBY.

Everyone accepts that steps need to be taken, yet they object where it impinges on them.

What you enjoy today is very likely not to be enjoyed by your children and grandchildren unless action is taken. Yes there is much grandstanding by the politicians. They always take a "holier than thou" attitude. They can afford to do so.

I enjoy my car and holidays in the sun. I do not want to give them up. But I am also realistic enough to understand that I may have no choice. Better to try and find a solution now than suffer the consequences by ignoring it.

My concern is that irrespective of what I do, others will be able to buy themselves immunity.

It has already been suggested that we should be able to sell our carbon allowances. If that is the case, how serious are people about resolving the problem?

If the answer to the problem is that I should give up all my "luxuries" then so should everyone else.

No one should be allowed to be the exception to the rule.

fwh

First of all seems to me a complete waste of time signing the online petition on number tens website.Look what happened to the two million votes against road charging.Ignored.Look at the european constitution do you not think they are already trying to bring it in the back door bit by bit.What about the poor Irish, voted against the euro and the politicians kept having referendum until they got the result they want now Ireland is one of the most expensive place in europe.Exactly the same will happen here as soon as they think they can get away with it.

Top and bottom of it is the scum who rule us treat us with complete contempt and view the working man as a cashpoint they can just keep bleeding with ever more new taxes.It is no point voting for a different party they are all the same.

Until we all just say NO MORE the will keep on doing it.

Whilst we appreciate all discussions on this issue, perhaps we should refrain from using terms such as "scum" or the likes as it will only result in this topic being locked.

MarkJ HT Mod

Top and bottom of it is the **** who rule us treat us with complete contempt and view the working man as a cashpoint they can just keep bleeding with ever more new taxes.It is no point voting for a different party they are all the same.
Until we all just say NO MORE the will keep on doing it.

Spot on, and the ones making the decisions are earning over £100,000 a year, they couldn't give a flying duck, any future stealth taxes will be a drop in the ocean to them.....whilst a pensioner is on £84 per week...do your maths.
The UK is guilty of creating 2% of the worlds carbon emissions, but if we stopped, China would swallow up that reduction in one week.
If the world was doing their bit, then I would swallow the pill easier, but as usual, we are all supposed to get the "feel good factor" knowing Britain is leading the way.

At the moment domestic buildings account for 25% of UK emissions and aviation represents 5%....So aviation is important, but it's only one fifth as important for this problem as domestic emissions.
We could lead the way for centuries and in the end, it could amount to nothing.....Why do I feel like I'm being taken down the Thames on a biscuit tin ?....again.!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6444145.stm

And what on earth does the government think us paying extra tax will do to help the planet? How do we know what the government are going to spend this extra money on?

The latest estimate for 2006/2007 is 2 billion pounds to keep our soldiers in Iraq....try that
Since 1999, we have been involved in 3 wars, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.....who is paying for that.?
Don't bother to go 50/50 or phone a friend

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Hear, hear, Sanji, you've got it spot on!!!!

No wonder my son in Thailand keeps asking me to sell the house here and move abroad somewhere, anywhere, rather than be in this mess and a costly one at that.
I could EASILY live in warmer climes at a fraction of the price and taxes here.....wish I had the guts to do so!!!!!!!!!!
Pat

THIS is an interesting website and just one of the many you can find if you do an INTERNET search on 'Global Warming Myths'.

The idea of climate change was dreamed up in the early 1970s, but then it was about the coming ice age.

I am convinced that by comparison with Mt St Helens and the coming Yellowstone Park super volcanic eruptions, our puny efforts are not likely to have much effect.

It's all about yet more taxes.

Peter

Has anyone considered the financial implications that the proposals will bring?

Yes I know that HT is a site devoted in the main to our holidays, people are upset that the proposals will interfere with their jaunts abroad. - I doubt that you will have the money available for them.

Consider.

You make your home more energy efficient. Well even with government grants it will cost you.

Fuel is said to be cheap, you want to get people out of cars then you need to make it expensive to drive. The public transport infrastructure will have to be expanded - you will pay for that. Even where it is available as an alternative it is expensive and restrictive. A shopping trip at Christmas with our grandkids cost double what it would have cost by car - and that is taking all costings into account.

Fit low energy light bulbs. Well that is fine - you reduce your consumption by say 50% - but then the generating companies will lose money. Are they going to keep the price low?

The seaside resorts that rely on people visiting will see a decline in numbers - putting the wife and kids in the car is easy - if you all have to use public transport then the hassle involved will make those day trips a lot less attractive. Bad enough the calls from the back seat - are we nearly there yet - imagine trying to get on the bus or train.

And can anyone tell me what we will do about all the other countries in the world who decide not to join in?

fwh

Hi,
Even if you are not a regular reader of the Daily Express, get yourself a copy of today's edition, and read the article by Leo McKinstry on page 10. He hits the nail on the head, in the name of saving the planet, the government are giving themselves even more power to control our lives. They have also announced plans for Home Energy Audits, where government inspectors can snoop about your house to check on your "green efficiency" No doubt if your house fails, some sort of fine will be levied. Yet more of our hard earned cash going into the treasury black hole. If this so called "Green Agenda" facism continues, it really will be time to leave what was once a great country.

Just reading the previous posts now assures me of the reasons I am moving to Tenerife in April - to get away from this god forsaken place they call GREAT Britain - it is far from great in my opinion.

You have definitely got the right idea Jackie. Good luck with that by the way.....

Did anyone else read in the paper that David Cameron, whose idea it is to impose a 2000 mile flying limit on the rest of us flew 36 617 miles last year?
Hypocrite seems to spring to mind.....