Gordon Brown has this week gone on record to suggest an additional 400,000 jobs will be created in the UK over the next eight years as the country moves towards a "low carbon economy". At a time when the vast majority of the UK population are worried about paying for their energy bills, paying off their credit cards and the possible threat of unemployment it seems that the government is trying to hoodwink people into thinking that the "low carbon economy" ideal is the answer.
The reality is that for every green tax or green job which is introduced there is a massive cost to the UK taxpayer as funds are churned through the UK economy and directed towards the green and low carbon emissions philosophy. This is perfectly illustrated by the demand from the Renewable Energy Association for a £625 million "green stimulus package" to be made available immediately. Surely the authorities should be focusing on the short-term and then move towards the medium term and long term when the situation improves?
There is no doubt that green issues and green taxes will become more and more common in the future but at this moment in time dangling the carrot of 400,000 extra jobs over the next eight years will not register on the radar of many of the UK population.
