'Gas guzzlers' face higher parking charges
Lib Dem run Richmond Council in London wants owners of gas-guzzling vehicles to pay more to park outside their homes. Residents with high-emission cars could pay £750 a year, compared with £200 now, but the greenest cars would be exempt. The council hopes other authorities will be encouraged to follow its lead. "Climate change is the single greatest challenge facing the world today," said council leader Serge Lourie. "We can no longer bury our heads in the sand and pretend that it is not happening, or that dealing with it is up to somebody else. For too long, it has been seen as a problem that only central governments or international organisations could address. The truth is that we must all start acting now at local level."