Madam, - Every time suggestions are made for measures that would make a real difference to carbon emissions, the government shies away from making unpopular decisions. Think of how it reneged on the commitment to "green cement" in government projects, how it refuses to impose a meaningful tax on excessively large vehicles, how it promotes commercial developments that create an ever more car-dependent population.
Politicians argue that the economic implications of doing the right thing would be too drastic - we cannot afford to take such measures. My question is: can we afford not to? - Yours, etc,
SALLY SWEENEY,
Carrigavantry,
Co Waterford.
Madam, - Car manufacturers place great value on the prominence of the badges they feature on the back of each car they make. Would not a simple EU directive, requiring an equally prominent CO2 rating for each car, give purchasers a real incentive to buy with carbon emissions in mind? A requirement to have such a badge of a certain size to pass the NCT (and equivalent tests in other EU member-states) should come into force. Thereby, each of us would get to know the rating of the car, bus, motorbike or truck in front us in traffic.
"The car in front is a cleaner car" could thereby become a most valuable EU-wide marketing slogan. - Yours, etc,
CONN CLISSMANN,
Heather Road,
Dublin 18.