Blair Backtracks, Blocks Proposal To Cut GHGs By Raising Jet Fuel Tax

[hatrack]

Feb. 7 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair ruled out raising taxes on airlines to curb emissions of greenhouse gasses, climbing down from his previous ambition to force the industry into pollution cuts.

``It's unrealistic to think you'll get some sort of restriction on air travel at an international level,'' Blair said. `If you really want to impede air travel, to cut it back significantly, through some sort of taxation system, it would have to be a fairly hefty whack.''

The comments, to a committee of Parliament in London today, highlight Blair's decision to moderate his efforts to combat global warming in order to win support from U.S. President George W. Bush. Blair made the effort to fight global warming, blamed on pollution generated from burning oil and coal, the focus of the Group of Eight nations last year.

In September 2004, Blair said he'd seek to bring the airline industry into a European Union-wide system of emissions trading to prompt pollution cuts. Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown has backed calls by EU nations for a surcharge on airline tickets on a plan to fund poverty relief in Africa.

EDIT

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=a8TA.tHxfpY4&refer=uk

As I've said before, we'll do whatever it takes to protect the environment, provided that it doesn't inconvenience us in any way or cost anyone any money whatsoever.