Green Options » british government

5 Reasons Why We Don’t Need a Windfall Tax on Energy Firms

Mark Seall — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:13:59 +0000

Campaigners are pressing the British government to impose a “windfall tax” on energy companies following record profit announcements in the past week from Shell (£7.9 / $15.5 billion) and British Gas parent firm Centrica (£2.97 / $5.8 billion).

Energy companies have become flush with cash following high margins from record oil prices and a government sponsored carbon permit give-away used to justify a consumer price hike.

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Despite campaigners and Labour politicians describing recent profits as “grotesque” and “indecent”, and calling for additional taxes on recent gains to subsidize increasing household energy costs, there are several reasons why energy windfall taxes are fundamentally wrong, with the potential to worsen, and not improve the current energy crisis:

Five (very good) Reasons For Home Made Renewable Energy in Britain

Mark Seall — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:16:58 +0000

The case for homemade renewable energy (micro-generation) seems to get stronger and stronger. A new report commissioned by the British Government provides a series of compelling reasons to put a wind-turbine in your garden, solar panels on your roof, and a combined heat and power boiler in your basement.

Lauded as “one of the most professionally conducted and robust pieces of consumer research into the micro-generation market”, the principle reasons for Britain to make a big push for micro-generation outlined by the report are:

Is Europe Losing Its Appetite For Green?

Mark Seall — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:47:16 +0000

But gaining an appetite for saving cash?

"People hate this green stuff" a senior member of the British Shadow Cabinet was recently quoted as saying.

That may come as a surprise - until very recently I’ve been writing enthusiastically of the rapid progress of European governments on green issues. However, as high energy prices begin to bite, and the world teeters on the brink of recession Europe is looking "at this green stuff" like a 10 year old staring at a plate of sprouts.