More on Emissions [Iain Murray]
Fans of the European approach to greenhouse gas emissions should meanwhile consider what is going on in Germany, France, and Greece. The beloved cap and trade-based Emissions Trading Scheme, touted as "effective" by Al Gore, is proving to be useless. The UK's chief cheerleader for emissions trading, Michael Grubb, had this to say the other day:
"I have been a big supporter of the EU ETS, but hearing the German news I feel more depressed than I ever have done about our ability to tackle climate change...I really believed that Europe would lead the way through the EU ETS but now I wonder whether this will ever happen."
Friends of the Earth is even more upset:
Friends of the Earth Europe said the EU is "shamefully off-course to meet its international Kyoto Protocol obligations". Jan Kowalzig, climate campaigner of the organisation said: "As these new figures embarrassingly show, our European leaders still haven't woken up to the climate crisis. Europe's governments make grand statements about their commitment to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, yet economy and industry Ministers continue to block or water down policy measures to switch to renewable energies, reduce energy waste or introduce fuel consumption standards for cars".
As Tony Blair has conceded, economic growth will always win out over fears about future weather when the two are put up against each other, wherever you are. Those who are worried about global warming have to suggest something other than an economic straitjacket if they want to be listened to. They have consistently failed to do this, becoming shriller and shriller in their rhetoric. Unfortunately for them, reality has a habit of winning out.
