British Labour MP: Cars should carry climate health warnings

Way back in 1965, the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act required cigarette manufacturers to place those little blurbs warning smokers of the dangers of using their products. Might a similar label be placed on advertisement from the auto industry? Don't laugh – if Colin Challen, chair of the all-party climate change group in the UK, gets his wish, just such a thing might happen. He says:

You maybe have 25 or 35% of the space of any promotional material given over to a health warning. These warnings would be graded depending on the emissions from the vehicle, with the worst gas-guzzlers carrying the most severe warnings. It would have to counter the impression given by some manufacturers that their vehicles are greener.

What might these warnings say? Just like cigarette ads explain the dangers of smoking, car advertisements could explain the dangers that could arise from the effects of global warming. While this action would almost certainly keep the issue in the eye of the public, shouldn't the idea be applied across all industries as well?

[Source: Guardian]