Pretending to care for the environment

A House of Commons Committee has criticised British Airways for the pathetic way it has marketed and promoted a carbon offset scheme on the same day as an all party group of MP's has claimed that Britain's own carbon reduction targets are not adequate and do not meet the criteria needed to ensure Britain is playing any significant part in helping the environment.

In the same way as British Airways have told the press that they are the first airline to introduce a carbon offset scheme, and no doubt they include this in marketing material, letters to shareholders and in environmental brochures, the British government too likes to tell foreign countries, particularly those countries like India and China who make all the items that we consume, how much we are doing for the environment. But in reality, the British Government and British Airways commitment are as half hearted as each other.

British Airways, is has been revealed, have only offset enough CO2 to cover four transatlantic flights. The British Government, various reports show, has not even met its own limited targets on CO2.

So what is the difference ? Are British Airways and the Government just pretending to care about the environment ? When will the UK government look at some of the bold ideas other parties have, in particular the Lib Dems Green tax switch proposals. Only when such schemes are taken on will this government actually be able to take any credit from claiming that it has environmental credentials.