![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Fossil Fuel Subsidies
It's kind of scary to realise just how much fossil fuels are subsidised.
It was the UK budget that really shocked me, with £1.3 billion subsidy for North Sea oil. I can't for the life of me see how the government can reduce subsidies for green energy while spending this much on subsidising more fossil fuels.
But it's not just our government. Everyone is doing it. If you factor in the cost of health problems caused by air pollution and the costs of global warming then the international subsidies both direct and indirect are absolutely staggering. (If fossil fuel companies don't pay for the costs of people with asthma, etc. caused by air pollution, then that is an indirect subsidy as someone else is paying the cost.)
The total international subsidy internationally has been calculated by the IMF at trillions of dollars. Around 6% of Global GDP. You could probably argue about some of the things included in the calculation (I have doubts about some of the figures related to vehicles), but the total figure is still terrifying.
I have no idea what can be done - I don't have the money and resources that the oil, gas and coal industries have - but I feel the need to try.
I'm one of those people who take the time to write individual letters to my local MP, so I guess another letter is due. (Our previous MP was great, she had a track record on green issues - our new guy is someone I don't yet know much about.)
It was the UK budget that really shocked me, with £1.3 billion subsidy for North Sea oil. I can't for the life of me see how the government can reduce subsidies for green energy while spending this much on subsidising more fossil fuels.
But it's not just our government. Everyone is doing it. If you factor in the cost of health problems caused by air pollution and the costs of global warming then the international subsidies both direct and indirect are absolutely staggering. (If fossil fuel companies don't pay for the costs of people with asthma, etc. caused by air pollution, then that is an indirect subsidy as someone else is paying the cost.)
The total international subsidy internationally has been calculated by the IMF at trillions of dollars. Around 6% of Global GDP. You could probably argue about some of the things included in the calculation (I have doubts about some of the figures related to vehicles), but the total figure is still terrifying.
I have no idea what can be done - I don't have the money and resources that the oil, gas and coal industries have - but I feel the need to try.
I'm one of those people who take the time to write individual letters to my local MP, so I guess another letter is due. (Our previous MP was great, she had a track record on green issues - our new guy is someone I don't yet know much about.)
no subject
no subject
I myself use an ecological boiler for both wood and coal. It is really clean and ecologically friendly.
Our government ... no comment.