Big Brother 2006

It has arrived: This electric radicalism marries green politics with social justice

One from you; one for me... and we'll ignore the rest:

'In my experience the only people who end up benefitting from trading are the traders, and it is in their interests to ensure as much trading happens as possible. So even though they don't actually make anything, they'll have to buzz around a lot finding folk to get carbon credits from, and buyers to sell it too, plus commission.

Hence, on this basis we surely will be unlikely to see a reduction in this 'commodity' as the market will equally surely drive it up to make profits.

And as we are a global economy, breathing the same air, and polluting it unequally with our SUVs, EasyJet skiing flights and second homes, I will be interested who gets to decide how we swap credits with a Kalahari bushman inefficiently burning logs to cook, or a Bangkok klong taxi driver running a 50's V8 with no exhaust, let alone a catalytic converter.

So basically we're giving the right to several billion folk to 'trade' what: 1 long haul, 2 short hauls, 10 train trips, 50 bus rides and 5000 miles in a Prius? If all of us get to use that allotment I'd say we're stuffed by next Xmas.

Or are Polly and the pols suggesting those who don't need cars so much (ie: those in Westminster, Fleet Street and Notting Hill) trade only with those of us who do (those not urban-based to live or work), for the right to fly to their ski villas? And we'll, er, forget about the rest of the poor sods around the planet, who we don’t need worry about, because they're too poor to do either.

Not convinced. But something has to be done to reduce the CO2 globally. I just don't see this as the way to do it. Me, I'll stay at home , travel as little as I can unless I have to.

And also try to DO something NOW by sharing ways to reuse and repair (and reduce and recycle) via http://www. junkk.com, that are free (I'll one day, with luck, make a matchmaking living), add no more to the eco-pot and may even save some money, time and a few cc's of CO2 all round. Certainly can't hurt. Merry Christmas.'