Not long was the answer...

Not long was the answer. An environmental author, more interested in selling his published works than telling it like it is, was on BBC TV. He was talking climate change and using the old tactic of mentioning the car exhaust pipe over and above every other polluter. Never mind truck, van, bus, coach, train, ship and aeroplane emissions! Never mind the damage done to the atmosphere by everything from agricultural to industrial output, from electric lights to inefficient domestic boilers. The so-called experts rarely refer to the fact that some central heating systems, for example, cause more pollution than some cars.

Later in the day, ex-environment minister Michael Meacher was on the same network calling for more efficient vehicles and, to be fair, more action on aircraft. But this was the same Michael Meacher whom I saw occupying TWO business class seats on an international flight. And the same Michael Meacher who got into a huge chauffeur-driven limo when he arrived at Heathrow. And he has the audacity to lecture us on our travelling habits!

More political hypocrisy comes from the Department for Transport, which is the second highest-spending Ministry when it comes to travel costs, according to the latest figures. John Prescott"s personal fiefdom, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, comes third in the table, and I"ll leave you to draw your own conclusions about why that is.

Still on the subject of travel expenses, it"s been revealed the British taxpayer is being forced to shell out thousands in transportation costs for Scotland Yard minders to accompany Cherie Blair as she makes charity speeches from which she profits. Is that right?

The icing on the cake is that this month the BBC gave the oxygen of publicity to the formation of a dubious new anti-roads pressure group which says it"s fighting proposals to build new motorways. What new motorways, exactly? If my memory serves me, much of this action involved using illegal activities such as trespassing and vandalism, not to mention stupid and dangerous acts like protesters chaining themselves to earth-movers.

Should the Beeb be encouraging this sort of behaviour? It"s unlikely the formation of a new pro-car or pro-roads pressure group - particularly one with possible law-breaking intentions - would qualify as important news on the BBC. Panorama should investigate.

Meanwhile, the war on the owners of four-wheel-drive vehicles warrants more space in some sections of the media than the latest goings-on in Iraq. Just pray this hypocrisy and anti-car bullying doesn"t continue for the remaining 11 months of this year.