Christmas Parking

Radio Kent ran a piece yesterday asking whether councils should offer free parking during the run up to Christmas. About half of the councils in Kent are proposing this to boost spending in the season.

I was interviewed by John Warnett as part of the piece and stated my opposition to the schemes on the basis of:

1. Increasing car journeys leads to increased emissions, why CO2 is killing Nature more widely, PM10 (also emitted by traffic) is killing 29,000 people each year in this country. We really should be reducing car use, not encouraging more.
2. Congestion...
3. Personal debt is running at about £1.4tn - yes, £1,400,000,000,000 which is a lot of money. Why on earth would we want to encourage more debt?
4. Consumption is not good for the planet and waste is even worse. We should be encouraging less, not more
5. There are better ways to have a good Christmas, small gifts are fine but spend time with friend and family; celebrate the season, whether that is by going to church or welcoming in the solstice.

John W's put down was that I should apply to be the next Archbish of Canterbury, but unless society gets to grips with these core issues we will continue to kill people and planet in the name of consumerism and consumption.