Economics

Greener than thou

December 17, 2008
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An Englishman's home may be his castle, but it should still be subject to a yearly MOT, says the government's chief scientific adviser John Beddington. People may think they're being "greener than thou" by recycling and flying less, but good old-fashioned loft insulation will make the biggest difference in the fight against climate change, he says. If we really want to save the planet, we must make the buildings we live and work in more energy efficient; and there should be penalties for those who don't.

Meanwhile, transport minister Andrew Adonis comes out in rare agreement with the Conservatives; arguing that we urgently need to upgrade our rail network. Not only are the environmental benefits obvious (rail passengers account for barely half as much carbon per mile as motorists, and a quarter as much as air passengers) but there will be social payoffs too—better trains will help to overcome the north-south divide and connect up our regions. "Britons still love their trains," Adonis writes. "But we can do better."