Flat screen tellies add to climate woe

THE CULT OF the flat-screen telly could help see off the ice-caps more quickly, the Limp Democrats warn.

Research by the political party suggests the fancy telly burden could add 700,000 tonnes of carbon emissions to Britain's annual output by 2010.

And since UK premier Toby Bliar wants to write off the damage done to the planet's ever more fragile human-supporting resources by bombing the shite out of Iraq and move on to saving the world from global eco-meltdown, we'd best prepare for a green tax to be applied to the pixelicious panels.

Chris Huhne, the Limp Dem environment spokesman, called for better labeling on carbon-pumping consumer goods. If that fails, how about a tax? he suggested.

"The energy used by TVs is already leading to tonnes of carbon being released every year," he said. "The experience with 'white goods' suggests that labelling should work well to change behaviour, but if it does not, then the Government could also examine a charge on the purchaser of equipment that is particularly energy inefficient."

The report has it that big, fat panel TVs will produce 70 per cent more damaging discharge than Britain's 63 million television sets.

The Government's Market Transformation Programme (MTP), disputes that claim and predicts a 6 per cent increase to an estimated 15.7 terra watt hours - with a consequent rise in carbon emissions of 1.7 million tonnes a year.

While newer flat panel screens can be more efficient than older CRT tellies, buyers are urged towards ever bigger screens, pumping up the output.

L'INQ
Enviro Dems