Polly Toynbee's comparison of carbon credits (Comment, August 16) with 1940s rationing is a false one. The wartime situation was about making sure that everyone got a share of essential commodities that were in short supply. It worked reasonably well, but there were ways around any problem. To augment the meat ration, for example, many people kept poultry on their back gardens and allotments; rabbits and game were popular. Today energy is not in short supply - although it is becoming more expensive. Carbon credits will promote redistribution, but that does not fulfil the premier aim, which is to encourage everyone to use less energy from fossil-fuel sources. The rich will find ways of getting around a carbon credit squeeze, and the cost and complications of a massive computer system to run the scheme are surely too much for a...
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