A big topic for a Friday I know, but with the release of the latest report imminent, I thought I’d add my two cents to the pot.

I don’t get it.

Ignoring whether global warning is actually happening or not, what I don’t get is why we, the humble home consumer, is being pressured to change our lives so dramatically. We’re taxed to the eye-balls for driving, yet only 1.5% of the worlds pollution is caused by automobiles. The vast, vast majority of pollution is caused by business. But we don’t even charge airlines fuel tax. Businesses are left along – god help them have to do something and maybe make slightly less than their usual $2 billion profit for their shareholders. No, recycling a few tin cans at home is the solution. Interestingly China and India are adding more pollution faster than the rest of the world can reduce it.

I go to the supermarket and find a turnip wrapped in cling film – a product that already comes with its very own natural wrapping. Apparently, the overuse of packing is all our fault, not the supermarkets. Or the original manufacturer. Nope, it’s us because we buy it and therefore create demand. Except, no, I buy it because I need a turnip. If it had no wrapping I’d still buy it. Instead the supermarket have wrapped it because they think we’ll think it’s fresher and better. Which may be true (that we think that, not that it actually is fresher and better) but doesn’t mean you do it.

So, politicians get together and discuss the problems. They get very concerned. And tax consumers a bit more. I know, let’s charge emptying wheelie bins by weight – that’s the answer.

No it’s not – getting businesses off their lardy behinds and getting THEM to do something is the real solution.