Climate threat joins post office threat

[jemima]

From http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/content/ev ... 3A44%3A760

Climate threat joins post office threat

"CLOSING a post office near Ipswich would create as much carbon a year as there is in three million plastic carrier bags former environment secretary John Gummer claimed today.

The Suffolk Coastal MP was speaking after visiting Nacton Post Office in the village's Orwell Stores.

The post office is under threat of closure, with bosses at Post Office Counters Ltd claiming that villagers can either go to Trimley or Ipswich for their postal services.

Mr Gummer said closure made no sense because it was one of the few post offices that continued to sort the village mail so it could be delivered by foot or bicycle.

He said: “If this post office closes it means the mail will have to be delivered by a postal worker in a van - and that will put a lot more carbon into the atmosphere.

“We have calculated that the amount of carbon would be the same as three million plastic bags . . . or four flights to Australia.

“I shall be raising the problem here in the House of Commons as it is no good for the government to be claiming it is concerned about the environment and then to allow this kind of closure to go ahead.â€