terry1956 Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Hi, after spending some time in the euro zone and picking up copies of news papers and the odd motorhome mag, I have read some items that may signel the end of motorhoming as we know it. from 2010 the germanys will need to pay a green tax on their motorhomes depending on weight, this comes in at around 300 euros to over 1100 euros per year, france is bring in road tax but at the moment its on cars pouring out more then 250gs of co2. italy is bring in new finds of cars etc older then 1997 with on the spot fines of 800 euros if your car etc is giving out more co2 then the stated figure in the log book, back to france anyone over 65 and with a motorhome over 3.5 tons will need a medical each year, and their insurrance will be going up in line with this. Here in the UK we have know idea of whats going on, and how new rules will effect motorhomes and drivers in general. Maybe we need to start thinking about horse power of the 4 legged type. terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Dought if the goverment have the foggiest idea let alone us, on the one hand they wish us all to reduce carbon footprint, on the other they are pushing to increase airport runway capacity in S.E., which is also against their policy of moving departments out of S.E. to ease congestion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 There never was or never is a 'carbon footprint'. Its all about cash and employment and paying those employed. British Airports Authority are being divided. This means more people employed to do the same job, who will require wages, their wages will be collected from 'green issue' costs and the likes of you and me paying taxes in excess of 'normal costs'. In other words its a gigantic 'nothing' excercise for all M/H users and others. LB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 I find all this very depressing,most of these new 'Green' Laws-Taxes make very little actual sense, most C02 pumped into the atmosphere comes from Factories producing 'New' vehicles ,so, we should be encouraging people to run their vehicles for longer (10 years at a minimum !!) We Motorhome people already use our vehicles less than average AND keep them longer than most people do their cars. Two Flights Abroad,to the USA for instance, Put more Pollution out than runnning the average motorhome for 150,000 miles. WHO are they trying to Kid ??? So who do slap extra taxes on and penalise with punative laws ?? the Motorhome world !!!! Slap VAT onto Aero Fuel (sorry wide travelling folks !!) Send more freight by Rail (enforce it BY LAW !!) when just these two are done, I might start to listen,and believe that they mean it. :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Rayjsj - 2008-08-20 8:59 PM I find all this very depressing,most of these new 'Green' Laws-Taxes make very little actual sense, most C02 pumped into the atmosphere comes from Factories producing 'New' vehicles ,. :D :D Just a correction here, most CO2 (over 75%) comes from natural causes, human transport produced CO2 is a tiny minority, road traffic being less than 0.5%. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Basil - 2008-08-21 9:10 AM Rayjsj - 2008-08-20 8:59 PM I find all this very depressing,most of these new 'Green' Laws-Taxes make very little actual sense, most C02 pumped into the atmosphere comes from Factories producing 'New' vehicles ,. :D :D Just a correction here, most CO2 (over 75%) comes from natural causes, human transport produced CO2 is a tiny minority, road traffic being less than 0.5%. Bas I hesitate to correct your correction, Bas, but I think you'll find the 75% CO2 you refer to is irrelevant to the topic in hand, as it is CO2 already in the carbon cycle. It is only the new carbon that is added to the carbon cycle, mainly from burning fossil fuels, that is relevant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I believe it was said that the largest amount of unwanted gasses come from Methane, rotting vegetaion etc. I dislike the term 'greenhouse' that's only an identifiable excercise for government departments to use. Forest fires around the world are another source of gasses plus ourselves. I ignore it all, but consider the amount of words that have been generated around it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Brian Kirby - 2008-08-21 7:16 PMBasil - 2008-08-21 9:10 AM Rayjsj - 2008-08-20 8:59 PM I find all this very depressing,most of these new 'Green' Laws-Taxes make very little actual sense, most C02 pumped into the atmosphere comes from Factories producing 'New' vehicles ,. :D :D Just a correction here, most CO2 (over 75%) comes from natural causes, human transport produced CO2 is a tiny minority, road traffic being less than 0.5%. Bas I hesitate to correct your correction, Bas, but I think you'll find the 75% CO2 you refer to is irrelevant to the topic in hand, as it is CO2 already in the carbon cycle. It is only the new carbon that is added to the carbon cycle, mainly from burning fossil fuels, that is relevant.I don't believe so Brian, of the 100% of CO2 issued into the atmosphere most comes from natural sources such as volcanic and geysers, the natural carbon cycle to which you are referring is seperate from the so called 'Greenhouse' gas CO2. Libby is also correct to say that of two that are not usually mentioned as it does not suit the 'Prophets of Doom' and is not of human influence we have Methane and of course the most prolific of 'Greenhouse Gas' H2O, water vapour.Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred grant Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 r u sayin that freds cows are not green then me ansums? u be tellin me to feed em on fumes from the A30 next! farmerfred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowley Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Fred, apparently, if you give your cows garlic it will reduce their methane production. Not sure about the taste of the milk though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Sorry folks for not being 'clear' enough, what i should have said is 'More' C02 not 'Most', I still stand by the rest of the post though. Motorcaravanning and Caravanning is far greener than 'Jetting' around the world for holidays, and 'Jetting' out of season fruit and veg to the supermarket seems pure madness. :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor S Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Unfortunately, we live in times where economic growth at all costs is the government's view. More economic growth = more transactions = more tax = more money for the government to spend (wisely or unwisely) In order to maintain tax income, it seems any and every possible way of raising tax is considered and if the government can get away with a new tax, its introduced. If the government gets found out (fuel duty, 10p tax rate etc, it does a quick about turn) The idea of green taxes has been a godsend for governments around the world. They can tax us up to the hilt and it's all to save the planet. In my view its absolute garbage (sorry, couldn't resist that) If urgent action was really needed, the first thing that could be done would be to increase the cost of air travel, so reducing demand. But that will not happen because it would affect tourism and tax take. Hence we see the govt pushing ahead with more airport terminals. Don't worry, Terry - the end of motorhoming or motoring in general is not nigh. It will be just taxed more, but only to the point where it doesn't dramatically reduce the demand for fuel and reduce the overall tax taken Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 New rules on driver licence renewal were passed by the EU Parliament some time ago and are due to be implemented in the UK - as in all other EU States - within the next couple of years. They do not require annual testing over 65 but do require medical certification at three yearly intervals of anyone, regardless of age, who wishes to retain over 3500KG licencing (i.e., C1, C1E as far as motorhomes are concerned). It is not clear whether UK implementation will exempt those with 'grandfather rights' to C1, etc., but there is no provision to do so in the EU legislation. If you want more details, let me know and I'll dig up the detailed legislation (a tad too busy right now!). Mel E ==== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocko Posted August 28, 2008 Share Posted August 28, 2008 Hello, I just thought I'd depress you all a little bit more. If you think the Low Emission Zone is something that only affects you if you live in London or wish to travel near London, then think again. Low Emission Zones are becoming all the rage in some EU countries and you can bet your bottom dollar that it will only spread, maybe even to a city near you! Log on to www.lowemissionzones.eu and click onto say, Germany and then onto some of the cities and you will see what is already in place. Before very long Dusseldorf will join in so how will you go to the motorhome show there? In addition, the restrictions apply to cars as well as vans and include petrol driven vehicles. Happy motoring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry1956 Posted August 29, 2008 Author Share Posted August 29, 2008 Hi, re heath checks, sorry but in france its going to be each year if you are over 65 and driving over 3.5 ton, There is also talk about a lower weight limit of 3.2 ton ( god knows how they get to that figure) coming into force later,The new laws for heath checks in france come into force in 2010. terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocko Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Just a few extra comments re. my posting about LEZs in Europe: At www.lowemissionzones.eu you won't find Dusseldorf listed but it is listed as a possible future LEZ city on www.germany-tourism.co.uk (first scroll to the bottom of their 'home page' and go from there). On the 'eu' website, Cologne is a good city to click onto as Cologne is up and running and gives a map of the LEZ which illustrates what is in store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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