YOUR VIEWS: Are green taxes being hidden – and opening of Victorian Market's new food hall
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Another range of ideas and opinions from readers.
Help prevent animal deaths on roads
World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day is held each year on October 10.
This will be the third year we hold this event, and would really appreciate your support and help in raising awareness with us to help stop animals being driven to their graves.
A total of 630 cats are hit by cars every single day in the UK.
Twenty-five per cent of these incidents will be fatal. We challenge UK law, or lack of to be more precise, and also aim to change mind-sets and spread awareness to enlighten people on the best ways to help if they hit or find a cat on the road.
Although our campaign centres around cats, we appreciate this is an issue affecting all animals.
In Britain, annual road casualties are estimated to account for 100,000 fox deaths, 50,000 badgers, 50,000 deer, 30 million birds and hedgehogs once topped the death table with 29 per cent of them being killed by cars – that was until they entered on the critically endangered list.
Based on statistical analysis of those potentially unrecorded, the realistic death rate is estimated to be around 70 million animals.
We can’t stop roads being built, or animals wandering on to them, but we can make people acknowledge what has happened and encourage they help the animal, if not help prevent most collisions happening in the first case just by highlighting the issue and bringing it to the forefront of drivers’ minds.
No animal deserves to be hit by a car and left in the road alone, scared, in pain, or worse!
All we are asking is that, on or around October 10, you consider acknowledging World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day though your platform. It would be hugely appreciated.
There is a wealth of advice to either share directly, or pluck sections from it that fits most appropriately for you, on our blog.
Anyway, we hope to have your support on/around October 10 and thank you in advance for support you may wish to give.
Cats Matter
Are green taxes being hidden from us?
The present energy crisis resulting in huge increases in our gas and electricity has revealed that very few people realised that their bills included green taxes.
Some time ago my supplier SSE showed a pie chart showing “The costs that make up energy bills”.
Part of the chart showed “Government environmental and social schemes 12 per cent”.
However, that was removed about a year ago.
As from October 1, 2022 the average energy bill for a three-bedroom house will be £2500, so green taxes would be £300 and then VAT of five per cent is added.
The question must be asked whether the government ordered the energy companies to remove this pie chart and, please forgive the pun, keep us in the dark.
Clark Cross
Springfield Road
Linlithgow
How to pay for carbon reduction?
The limiting factor on our voyage of carbon reduction will be our inability to borrow even more money to finance that voyage.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies points out that at an interest rate of three per cent we are now paying £100 billion a year on our debts, and interest rates are rising.
That present rate translates to a capital debt today of some £3.3 trillion.
The problem is that green levies and restrictions are destroying the businesses that make the money to pay the interest, and lenders will surely see the folly of providing money to continue that downward situation, and will say “no more.”
Even more alarmingly, existing lenders might panic and want their money back, which simply can’t be done.
For Britain to carry on without plentiful and reliable energy from fossil fuel is therefore simply not financially possible.
Malcolm Parkin
Kinnesswood
Kinross
New foodhall opens in city market
The Victorian Market Food Hall has opened its doors to the public, offering locals and visitors brand new options to eat from morning until night. The £1.6 million project forms a centrepiece of Highland Council’s Inverness Strategy aimed at improving the city centre.
“Good luck for the future success!” – Jennie MacKenzie
“For how long till outlets are forced to close because of spiralling energy costs????” – Brian George
“Brian George, nothing like a bit of positivity on day one of a business opening.” – Simon Campbell
“Good luck.” – Willie Morrison
“Inverness has more than enough eating establishments It is decent shops we need.” – Moira Gordon
“This is a great initiative but I hope it does not adopt the usual council 9am to 5pm opening times five day week!!!” – Richard Smith, Inverness
Bus services disrupted by driver shortage
There were more bus service cancellations by Stagecoach this week, due to driver shortages.
“Nationwide problem. Appalling pay and conditions, no wonder it’s a struggle to recruit.” – Andrew Gleneski
“Considering the way Inverness is growing, this is ridiculous. Do people just not want to work nowadays?” – Jan Donaldson
“We live 20 miles outside of Inverness and we have to start waiting for the bus at least 3 hours before our appointment at Raigmore to guarantee that we will be able to get there on time.” – Gillian Paton
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