Budgeting for environmental disaster (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Budgeting for environmental disaster

1:38pm Wednesday 29th April 2009 in

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Another 'green' Budget and another disappointment. It seems Labour will never grasp the nettle on a truly environmental future even when President Obama shows the way and makes it a legitimate option.

Even the British scrappage scheme is not restricted to new small cars like in Germany, France and other countries, but open to all those gas-guzzlers - probably because those are the only ones made by UK car manufacturers.

So, as is many areas, it's business as usual and the 4x4s like Warriors and Aventuras and sports cars like Vanquish will continue to be driven by their owners as their names suggest - conquering and trashing the planet.

GREEN OR OBSCENE? The mileage counter

Miles by car: -758

Miles being driven: -122

Miles by train: +827

Miles on foot: +128

Miles by bike: +0

Miles by bus: +31

Miles by ferry: +0

Total: +106 (running total: -2059)

This week's mileage total is pretty average but I'm still in deficit because of last summer's flight to Sardinia and back. On the bright side over the last year - the second for which I have collated the records for this blog - I have cut my total distance travelled by 1,600 miles with car travel down by about 1,400 which is good.

And that means the proportion of miles travelled under my own steam or by public transport has risen from 43% to 51%. That's a fantastic result and I'm chuffed that I've done so well. If it wasn't for the fact that I need a car at odd hours of the day and to get to places without public transport then I would ditch it and do even better.

I still haven't got going on my bike though - maybe this year!

Miles by car: -6001

Miles being driven: -836

Miles by train: +7854

Miles on foot: +1497

Miles by bike: +0

Miles by bus: +73

Miles by ferry: +30

Miles by plane: -2060

Total: 18351 (a surplus of 548 'green' miles)