Tradeable Carbon Quotas would help prevent fuel poverty and climate change

Maidstone Greens have called for carbon rationing to prevent fuel poverty in the face of rapidly rising oil prices. Capping demand for oil with personal tradeable carbon rations would help stem the rapidly rising fuel prices. Recent figures have shown that the number of elderly and children in poverty has increased in the past 12 months and average debt is almost £10,000 in Maidstone; these people will find it increasingly difficult to cope with the energy costs.

Stuart Jeffery, Green Party prospective parliamentary candidate for Maidstone and the Weald: "With the number of children and pensioners in poverty rising, the incredibly high levels of personal debt in Maidstone and the rapidly rising energy costs, urgent solutions are needed to protect vulnerable people from fuel poverty. Capping demand for oil by issuing tradeable carbon quotas would help stabilise prices, provide low energy users with an income and make sure that energy is shared fairly.

"The world facing the twin crises of climate change and soaring fuel prices and we need a fair and just method of reducing our use of fossil fuels, ensuring enough for all while keeping prices low enough. Simply allowing the price of energy to soar will mean that people on low incomes will suffer.

Capping and reducing the UK's demand for energy will help to stabalise prices, begin to wean us off our oil dependency and reduce our carbon emissions. The only way to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and carbon emissions fairly is through personal tradeable carbon quotas. These will provide security for the poor and ensure equal access to energy for all.

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Average personal debt, exclusing mortgages, is just under £10,000 in Maidstone (Alliance & Leicester Borrowing Monitor) http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jun/10/welfare.economy1?gusrc=rss&feed=society http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jun/10/welfare.economy?gusrc=rss&feed=society