Ask Ed Miliband a Question
Posted by James Plaskitt, MP for Warwick and Leamington, at 14:56, Tue 10 November 2009:
If you could ask Ed Miliband, the Climate Change Secretary, one question ahead of the Copenhagen Summit in December, what would you ask?
World leaders will go to Copenhagen in December to achieve a lasting deal on tackling climate change. The UK is far ahead of other countries in taking action on climate change, but all countries need to go much further.
I've been working closely with Ed Miliband over the last few weeks, passing on some of the comments I have heard from people in Warwick and Leamington. Now Ed has agreed to take your questions, and answer them in a video webcast later this month. Ed will take your concerns with him, when he goes to Copenhagen with the Prime Minister in December.
So if you have a short question you'd like Ed to answer, please go to www.jamesplaskitt.com/goinggreen where you can submit your query.
Comments
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Posted by Barry Bates, 16:16, Tue 10 November 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Is there no other way to discourage us from travelling, other than higher taxes? The better off will not be effected. If we are serious about limiting travel why not ration, which would be the same for everyone.
Posted by Mr Edmund McConnell, 21:19, Mon 30 November 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
I write computer software for a living. I'm freelance. Every company I work for demands that I travel half way across the country to sit at a computer in their office to do a job I could do just as well telecommuting. They do this because there's no penalty and no incentive.
I'm not the only one. There are thousands of people who could telecommute but do not. Every day they clog up motorways and public transport links to go and sit in front of their employer's computer rather than their own because no-one has the imagination to do anything different.
Why does the government not offer an incentive for telecommuting?
I'm all for investing in transport infrastructure but nobody even mentions the possibility of reducing demand. If everybody who uses the tube could telecommute 1 day a week you'd reduce demand by 20% instantly. Demands for office space would reduce - benefiting a company's bottom-line.
Pretend for a minute that politicians care about voters and not just business. It might result in more people seeing more of their family. A positive step toward the fabled work/life balance. A social bonus. I commute 5 hours a day or stay away Mon-Fri. I hate it. I'd vote for the Labour Party on that policy alone.
Posted by James Plaskitt, 13:08, Wed 2 December 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Thanks for the above comments. You raise very interesting issues, although unfortunately I did not have time to raise it in my questions with Ed Miliband. I have written to him about it though. If you would like to know his reply, please could both of you email me your contact details? My address is mp@jamesplaskitt.com. Thanks