Reader's Blog: Clear sky thinking on cutting emissions
This is a proposal to try to reduce the carbon emissions and placate Brussels, before they apply fines, which will fall on citizens via taxes.
Agriculture seems to be the main focus, however, there is another source which could be tackled immediately — air travel. Considering the amount of air travel undertaken by Irish citizens, I propose each citizen be allocated an annualised block of air miles and if they exceed it additional charges be levied.
Where it is the case that an individual decides not to fly within the year, they would be free to trade/sell their allocation. This would allow individuals an additional income, naturally exempt from capital gains tax, to add an additional inducement not to make unnecessary air trips. These trades can only be made within the year under consideration, effectively an annualised ‘use it, or lose it’ system.
The air miles allocated to individuals could be calculated by analysis of typical air travel habits, 20,000km per person would be generous as Dublin to London is approximately 440km. Obviously, a more forensic analysis will be required and these figures are used to demonstrate the principle.
A further aspect would be to increase the number of people who opt to take additional breaks within the state to avoid charges and thus increase business at home. This proposal may seem radical, but is it more radical than the smoking ban or plastic bag tax? Ireland accepted plaudits for those policies. Let us try to take the initiative once again.
Of course, to further reduce emissions, the government should build a nuclear reactor.
Ballynacargy
Co Westmeath
