WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE ABOUT WINDFALL TAX?

IT SEEMS that, at last, Boris Johnson is coming round to the idea that a windfall tax might be a good thing.

After all what is there to dislike about such a tax?

The oil companies are making vast profits and surely would not miss a few millions going to the goodwill cause of helping the poorer members of society to eat and find enough cash to heat their homes?

The great worry for all governments at the moment should be the actions necessary to avert the catastrophic rise in temperature within the lifetimes of our children and grandchildren to such an extent that human life will face extinction.

Locally, we have had good news this week in that a proposed hydrogen fuel plant to be constructed at the Trafford Power Station site at Carrington appears to be in line with government policy and at present awaits local authority approval.

The need for urgent action depends on the words of experts who have been studying climate changes globally who anticipate an unstoppable acceleration in temperatures making human life impossible.

But can we believe them? Their calculations may be wrong, they may merely be witnessing a cyclical change rather than a developing trend. But can we afford not to believe them?

There appears to have been lack of positive action as talked about at the recent Cop26 conference.

So, let’s try something different, let’s get ‘Big Oil’ on our side, let’s get their expertise moving in a different and positive direction.

It should be made clear to these companies that fossil fuels are a thing of the past and should be left in the ground.

The urgency of the moment is to find alternative fuels and safe ways of producing metals and the other necessary materials of modern life and at the same time preserving what is left of the rain forests.

These changes need not be damaging to the Big Oil businesses, an opportunity to expand their teams of engineers, scientists and climate experts and in the process increasing their profits and viability as commercial entities.

What is there to lose for them, and who knows, they might even find improved social consciences?

Rod Slater