There has been much discussion in the UK in the last few days about proposals to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Brown, the Prime Minister in Waiting, says we should improve domestic insulation while Cameron, the leader of the opposition, thinks we tax flying. I might have an over optimistic view of my countrymen, but I reckon it might just be possible to do both. We would just have to ensure that the people installing domestic insulation were not also employed collecting taxes from the airlines. It would upset the whole programme if the builder you had booked to put insulation in your had to take time off to check through British Airways books.

Brown says taxing fuel won't make people use less: this is based on the fact that he stopped raising fuel taxes several years ago because the transport lobby in the UK claimed they were about to be put out business.