Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Tax needn't be taxing, unless the Govt. really needs money

Today my kids' rucksacks gave forth a letter from the school head, which in two pages' worth of 'exciting times', 'deserving the best' and a bunch more management speak, basically explained that due to money problems staff were going to be let go and class sizes going up. So as you read, I am busy drafting a 'Cross of Ross' for the nationals under the title 'Education, Eddukation... er.. EdUkayshun'.

Because you do tend to wonder where the money goes. And why what people say they'll do... doesn't.

So it was with slightly more than the twitch of an eyebrow that I read that fuels such as biodiesel are getting taxed.


This surely cannot be right, for all the reasons explained in the article. But it just as surely makes sense, as it has not missed the number-crunchers' minds that the more 'we' do move to less taxed, more environmentally-sound fuels, the less revenue there will be. Our Government is probably the one with the biggest 'can I afford to be green' dilemma of us all.

Speaking personally, I'm still debating an LPG conversion, and the main thing delaying my decision is that the calculations are pretty tight, and if the price gets bumped up much more it simply isn't worth it. And with a poor history of doing what they say they will,, or worse retro-actively clawing back costs,  I simply don't trust what I'm being told any more.

And you can't buy back trust.

Burning Issues

This is certainly one that needs to be in the form of a question. Last night the news was full of the fact (well, as seen in documents) that Waste incineration is 'set to rise' : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/4621710.stm

It's not too surprising that this is a favoured option as all those holes in the ground we used to lose the stuff are full.

As I prepared to leap around with my 'how the heck is burning stuff going to help ease global warming????!', I was placated a tad by the promise that the solution would be making "energy from waste", a process in which incinerators are used to power electricity generation plants.

Beyond all the issues about nasties up the pipe and left behind, I must say I had my doubts. I know most things can be made to burn, but how efficiently.

I do note that Friends of the Earth labelled as "myth" claims refuse can provide green energy.

And that DEFRA refused to comment on the report.

So... what is it, chaps? 

Made ya look!

I was very disappointed, not a little angry, somewhat worried (selfishly, on behalf of Junkk.com) and totally unsurprised at the news that blackmailers had targeted with a web attack the site of a student, albeit now a very rich one.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/technology/4621158.stm 

Alex Tew had created The Million Dollar Homepage, which in four months did exactly what it says on the URL. Best of luck to him.

Now it seems some extortionists have followed through on a denial of service threat since he failed to succumb. Good on him. Bad on 'them'.

Heck of a good way to find yourself back in the news though.