The death of British Industry?

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Gluestick"]

I agreee: we ought to actually try and do something: even in the singular cause of better air to breathe.

However and unfortunately, what?

[/quote]

Where to start? At home, I think. I'm not going to parade my green credentials for approval - I'll limit myself to saying that we've decided to spend some money (and claim some back from les impôts to be sure) on making our footprints as shallow as possible. Pretty much anyone can do something if they wish, be it some modifications to the home or being prepared to spend a few extra quid and take the train to the UK every once in a while rather than flying every time. It doesn't have to ruin your lifestyle.

The French governement do at least seem prepared to put their money where their mouth is in terms of coughing up where people are prepared to invest themselves and the take-up of the rebates and so forth - from what I can see - is accelerating. They may also bring in legislation to ensure new buildings must have solar roofs, use heat pumps for heating, etc - all of which is entirely possible. I know a few people locally who have gone down that route with newbuilds and are perfectly comfortable at 22°C with plenty of hot water.

France is different from the UK in that she produces precious little hydrocarbon of her own and therefore has a big incentive to cut back the two million or so barrels she imports each day. Plus much of the kit - solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps, trains, rolling stock and even new nuclear reactors - that the French policy approach requires is made in France or on mainland Europe and the manufacturers will be perfectly happy with increased demand for their products.

As for the Asian economies - they will boom for as long as they have markets for their products. There is nothing to stop anyone occasionally buying something European made every now and again, even if it does mean paying a little extra. While alternatives are still available, that is.