Friday, March 30, 2007
New Phrase: "Fuel Poverty"
In Britain, very likely the country doing more than any other to fight what its government believes is a threat from human caused global warming, the phrase "fuel poverty" is gaining currency (no pun intended).One of the side effects of many government proposals to fight global warming -- for instance, so-called "cap and trade" here in the United States -- is an increase in consumer energy bills.
Says the British ThisIsMoney.co.uk website (excerpted):
The number of households facing a choice between heating and eating has almost doubled in the past two years.Hat tip: Iain Murray at Open Market
Spiralling gas and electricity bills have left nearly 4m having to spend at least 10 percent of their disposable income on heating and lighting - the definition of 'fuel poverty'.
This is an increase of more than 1.7m, according to an independent study. The research was commissioned by the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes - a group of 700 industry bodies concerned with domestic energy efficiency...
...Project director Nicholas Doyle warned: 'For thousands of people, the prospect of a warm and comfortable home is now a luxury that they cannot afford. The stark reality is that many people from low-income backgrounds are now faced with the choice of deciding whether to heat their home or provide for their family...
...Charities have drawn a clear link between rising power bills, fuel poverty and deaths of pensioners. The number of deaths between December 2005 and March 2006 exceeded the non-winter average by 25,700. Age Concern believes a significant number were hastened by cold, with elderly people worried about the cost of using their heating...
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Labels: Climate, Environment, Environmental Justice
Posted by Amy Ridenour at 11:21 AM