The manifesto pledges are in red, my comments in black:
Saying no to the like-for-like replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system, which could cost £100 billion.
Investing up to £400 million in refurbishing shipyards in the North of England and Scotland so that they can manufacture offshore wind turbines and other marine renewable energy equipment.
Launching an ‘Eco Cash-Back’ scheme, for one year only, which will give you £400 if you install double glazing, replace an old boiler, or install micro-generation
Why just for one year? This seems to be an extension of the current boiler scrappage scheme.
Setting aside extra money for schools who want to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. They will pay back the loan over time from energy savings, creating a rolling fund to help insulate every public building.
Investing £140 million in a bus scrappage scheme
Hmm, I can't say I've noticed a huge problem with old buses, but I do live in a city with fantastic public transport.
Encourage community-owned renewable energy schemes where local people benefit from the power produced.
We will cancel plans for a third runway at Heathrow and other airport expansion in the South East, and reduce pollution from vehicle exhausts through tighter regulation. We will aim to fully meet European air quality targets by 2012.
Surely the third runway is dead in the water by now? 2 of the big 3 parties have promised to cancel the project.
Begin a national programme to insulate many more homes paid for by the savings from lower energy bills.
There's that damnable 'paying for stuff through savings' again. Why not grants instead???
We’ll ensure that effective energy effi ciency measures are introduced to keep bills low
Cut rail fares, changing the rules in contracts with Train Operating Companies so that regulated fares fall behind inflation by 1 per cent each year, meaning a real-terms cut.
Make Network Rail refund a third of your ticket price if you have to take a rail replacement bus service.
End testing of household products on animals.
Begin a ten-year programme of home insulation, offering a home energy improvement package of up to £10,000 per home, paid for by the savings from lower energy bills, and make sure every new home is fully energy-efficient by improving building regulations.
Set a target for 40 per cent of UK electricity to come from clean, non-carbon-emitting sources by 2020, rising to 100 per cent by 2050
Transform the electricity networks into a dynamic electricity grid that can better connect and integrate new, clean energy technologies
Block any new coal-fired power stations – the most polluting form of power generation – unless they are accompanied by the highest level of carbon capture and storage facilities.
At least they managed to resist using the words "clean coal".
Reject a new generation of nuclear power stations; based on the evidence nuclear is a far more expensive way of reducing carbon emissions than promoting energy conservation and renewable energy.
require companies and government departments to report on their energy use and set targets for reducing it.
We will set a 30 per cent energy efficiency improvement target for 2020, and will commit the government to the goals of the 10:10 campaign as a fi rst step.
Liberal Democrats are committed to securing a legally binding global agreement on limiting the increase in global temperatures to below 1.7 degrees Celsius.
1.7° C goes further than anyone else has been prepared to say before.
Promote the transition to a low-carbon economy in Europe, by moving unilaterally and immediately to an EU emissions reduction target of 30 per cent by 2020
Boost investment in clean energy by reforming the EU emissions trading scheme
And god knows it needs reform!
Work for the adoption of ‘quick win’ measures that could be initiated within the next few years such as reducing the use of hydrofl uorocarbons (HFCs).
Work through the EU to make sure that the environment is fully integrated into the objectives of international institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organisation.
We will argue for an international target of zero net deforestation by 2020; support a new system of payments to developing countries to enable them to reduce deforestation; and adopt at EU – or, if necessary, at UK – level a new law making it illegal to import or possess timber produced illegally in foreign countries.
And the LibDems make three - all the parties are committing to ban illegally logged timber reaching the UK regardless of what the EU does.
Work with other countries to develop an international labelling system for the environmental impact of products
bring forward urgent proposals for a financial transaction tax and a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions from aviation and shipping
Switch traffic from road to rail by investing in local rail improvements, such as opening closed rail lines and adding extra tracks, paid for by cutting the major roads budget.
Give councils greater powers to regulate bus services according to community needs so that local people get a real say over routes and fares
Include the promotion of safer cycling and pedestrian routes in all local transport plans
Replace the per-passenger Air Passenger Duty with a per-plane duty (PPD), so capturing freight movements by air for the first time.
Introduce an additional, higher rate of PPD on domestic flights for which alternative and less polluting travel is readily available.
Work through the EU for a zero emissions target for all new cars by 2040
Undertake preparations for the introduction of a system of road pricing
Set targets for ‘zero waste’, aiming to end the use of landfill.
halt the loss of habitats and species and as far as possible restore biodiversity by 2020.
Create a new designation – similar to Site of Special Scientific Interest status – to protect green areas of particular importance or value to the community
This intrigues me, but there are no further details. Would it have stopped Trump building his golf course at Menie?
Having now gone through the whole manifesto, the LibDem's idea of spreading their "green" proposals throughout the different chapters allowed them to announce the same thing multiple times, making it look like they had more pledges than they actually had. Still, I can't find much wrong with what they have announced.
1 comments:
Most travellers who don’t use their airline ticket do not realise that they are entitled to a FULL APD Refund of Government taxes and surcharges. The tax on your ticket is ONLY paid to the Government when you actually board the plane and fly. But airlines are making millions by NOT refunding these taxes to you if you don’t take your flight for whatever reason.
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