Liberal Democrats launch Green Switch Campaign

Climate chaos is the greatest threat facing our society. Nine of the hottest ten years on record have been since 1990. Just in Britain, we have suffered two floods in 2002 that were meant to occur only every 30 years. We have had the wettest six months since records began in the eighteenth century, and the hottest summer temperatures in 2003. Storm surges, flood damage and droughts are rising. The Thames Barrier has been raised 55 times in the last five years, 12 times in the previous five.

There is no time to lose, as the big Liberal Democrat autumn campaign on the green tax switch stresses. UK carbon emissions are rising because Labour has cut green taxes - on fuel and flights - since 2000. Tory words have yet to be matched by a single proposal that would change behaviour. Only the Liberal Democrats are honest about what is needed.

We need tough decisions at home so that we have the standing abroad to fight climate chaos. We should switch to green taxes to change behaviour, not to raise cash for the state. Green tax revenue should go back in income tax cuts. So the more we change, the more we save. Higher vehicle excise duty on new gas-guzzlers, so that we buy low fossil fuel use cars. Taxing emissions from aircraft flights, instead of taxing passengers, so that airlines fly full and save fuel. Stopping the real fall in fuel duty and the climate change levy.

Please play your part in the campaign for our planet. We have a special website to support the campaign - www.greentaxswitch.com

We are also encouraging people to take part in a "Green Tax Switch Action Week" on 21st-29th October and organise stalls right around the country to promote the campaign and get the public to sign up to our green tax switch petition. You can use the link on the right of the website to see where stalls are already planned. Please think about organising one in your area too. If you then register the stall on the site, we'll send you a free starter kit to help run the stall. You can also check back at the site nearer the time to see if there's a stall near you which you can help with.

Please take a look at the website and take part in the campaign. The time for action is now.