amazingtrade said:
I would make some bold changes including:-
I would introduce congestion charges in all major cities.
I would rise taxes for vehicles which either/and
a) take up a lot of road space
b) Produce high emissions
c) Are noisy
I would rise road vehicle tax for individual people that own more than one vehicle (excluding busineses).
I would also convert all disused railways in viable locations into busways.
My main aim would be to make the system fairer, at the moment there is not enough regulation.
some of what you say makes sense, however:
noise is a big factor, a lot is tyre noise, and makers have had the know how to make quiet tyres for years, but they won't do it.
the emissions thing is total rubbish. not what you say, but the limited info and understanding people have.
(also, get rid of the oil industry and force cars to run on alcohol and vegatable oil it can be done now.)
New cars to make take loads of energy, loads of oil in the plastics.
(((They also design shelf lives in so you have to buy again when it wears out, in japan its 7 years I think, but that's a legal requirement when cars become out of service.))
Black and decker design their motors to last just after the guarantee expires, on the basic equipment.
So more tougher on makers to enforce longevity, which isn't hard now, but its all about business profit.)))
FAR FAR worse by magnitues of 1000s than old cars chucking out fumes.
Also, catalytic converters having platinum and other precious metals again take far more energy, use up loads of precious resouces, oil to get out of the ground, than they will ever make up for, and do far more damage than the products.
There is no commensense regarding those last issues.
We pay more than enough on the roads as it is, 4x4s should be banned or licensed with due reason to own one. That would help a little.
Its not really consumers who are the problem, business wastes so much more in waste, packing again by 1000s of degrees of magnitude.
Similarly, lead in electronic components has been phased out to be replaced with tin and antimony.
Still as toxic, if not more so. whilst there are billions of tons of lead in house roofs
With no due regard to reliablity, longevity and other issues, whilst china and the US don't give a hoot about EU regs, and guess where all our electronics come from?
Old amplifiers from the 50s/60s are still running strong, and they are full of illegal materials now. But what's worse, that stuff, or making brand new every 3-5 years?
Just saying lower emissions is total rubbish, you need to be aware of the full story, about the energy useage by business.
Pick on them before the legal makers come knocking on people who have little choice.
I was in a tescos lately, some of the bacon comes in plastic, with a great big cardboard box, with posh photos, lettering all that.
They are very guilty indeed of this. Double packing. Totally uneccessary, high value product, big profit.
razor blades also are designed to blunt quickly, after all if there was a long life blade, less profit. Again, not my fault, they can do it, they just won't so regulate here. Force businesses to make lasting products.
Not my fault, I would happily have in brown paper. So start regulating big business with regards to
product life, packing, waste, before picking on us who have little alternative.
. I'd also ban bio-fuels that use palm oil as it encourages destruction of some rain forests (or so I read at the weekend) for use as palm plantations. 
I also happen to think its a great solution to the fact that the nation is overweight, has traffic issues and needs greener transport. Get out and give it a go Bob...it might just lighten your mood
