Climate Wars: Nick Stern Threatens U.S. With Trade Boycott
Ben Webster
The United States will be banned from selling goods to many countries if it continues to shirk its promise to cut greenhouse gas emissions, according to the world’s leading climate change economist.
In an interview with The Times, Lord Stern of Brentford said that nations that were taking strong action on emissions could start imposing restrictions on “dirty” US exports by 2020.
Lord Stern, who advises several G20 leaders and is one of the key players in the international negotiations seeking a deal on emissions, made his comments ten days before the annual United Nations climate change conference opens in Cancun, Mexico. They reflect the feeling in many countries that a lack of action on emissions in the US is delaying progress in the talks.
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Lord Stern said that Europe and the Far East (sic) were forging ahead of the US in controlling emissions and switching to low carbon sources of energy. They would not tolerate having their industries undermined by American competitors that had not paid for their emissions. “If you are charging properly for carbon and other people are not, you will take that into account,” he said. “Many of the more forward-looking people in the US are thinking about this. If they see a danger on the trade front to US exports that could influence public discussion.”
Asked what type of US products could face restrictions, Lord Stern said: “Aircraft, clearly, some cars, machine tools — it’s not simply what’s in the capital good, it’s what kind of processes the capital good is facilitating.”
Lord Stern said that a complete ban on some goods was also possible. He said the American people should overcome their historical antipathy to taxation and accept that emissions needed to be controlled either through a tax or a trading scheme.
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Kate says:
November 19, 2010 at 1:33 pm
“Robinson says: Is Stern an economist?
No, he is not an economist, a scientist, or even an environmentalist. He is actually an investment banker who dreamed up the whole scheme to regulate carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.”
According to this article he’s “the world’s leading climate change economist.”
That more or less explains everything, doesn’t it?
I wonder who the world’s leading unicorn ranching economist is?
Lordy-Gawdy Stern: All your trades are belong to us.
Hmmm, when was the last time an English aristo told the Americans to stuff it?
Al Gored
November 19, 2010 at 3:01 pm
I wonder who the world’s leading unicorn ranching economist is?
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That would be Gregg Gutfeld.
I also have some Stern-like ideas.
The British parliament repeals the North America Act, so America is once again a colony.
Then the Brits send a gunboat to enforce re-colonisation.
Sounds like a Stern proposal to me.
Money, power and prestige.
References:
Al Bore, Mickey Mouse Mann, James Hotsun, Paul delete Jones.
Al Gored,
They did the same thing with my posts, snipping the peer reviewed papers and charts that I provided.
It’s always the same with the alarmist blogs. They never play fair; they censor, snip and delete, and in this case it’s a blog run by an 18-year old indoctrinated know-it-all.
Best to give them no more traffic. If they want a debate they can come here, where we don’t put up with those shenanigans. Everyone gets to say their piece without a meddling teenager interfering.
[snip – over the top]
Here is another ‘Berk’ – a mate of Stern no doubt.
Or is it all part of a ‘cunning plan’ m’lord’ . Remove the sovreignty create vassel states force them to boycott US goods—–. With a bit of luck the whole pack of cards will come tumbling down.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/8146842/IMF-chief-Dominique-Strauss-Kahn-urges-leaders-to-cede-more-sovereignty-to-EU.html
It’s worse than you thought
Also interesting that the UK “excess winter death” figures are still not yet out for last winter. Just an oversight I’m sure.
should be Berk, an abbreviation of the Cockney Rhyming Slang expression ‘Berkshire Hunt’. Very apt Doug, very apt, I agree.
Him being something of a Merchant Banker too.
DesertYote – ‘Brother Jonathan’ was a common 19th-century British nickname for the US, commonly found in the literature and press of the era.
Lord Stern can see into the future and firmly believes in AGW.
Unfortunately as one of the world’s leading economists he did not predict the worldwide financial collapse and recession, and if he was someone we could believe in, I just thought he might have mentioned it.
Credibility?
Sorry but posts like Dave Springer’s should have no place on a site like this. Not funny, not necessary and deeply hurtful to Brits who lost family in WW2.
REPLY: I’ve been away from moderating all day, and while his comment was directed at Stern, it was a bit over the top since it can be construed broadly, and was 100% rant, so I’ve snipped it – Anthony
This is fine with me as long as they also boycott all forms of U.S. aid , including cash, loans, gifts , subsidies and free goods we provide to many of these countries
40 shades of green comment:
re breeding pairs in Antarctica
No, that that was Prof Sir David King ex-chief government scientist.
What a Nutcase! Watts up with that,every country has them even us here in the UK.
Paul in Sweden says:
November 19, 2010 at 1:56 pm
“The Stern “Boycott USA” rant could piss off various groups in the USA enough to independently boycott UK products. I can imagine various USA radio shock jocks calling for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holiday boycotts of UK beer, etc just to send a message back to Lord Stern.”
I just went and looked at US imports from UK and couldn’t find anything to boycott. I’d have to be a customer first and I ain’t. Just don’t ask me to boycott Asia or Central/South America as I buy so many things from those continents I would hardly know where to start.
I feel embarrassed to be called British when I hear outrageously stupid comments like this from a so called Brit who should know better. Who was responsible for giving this man a peerage? He is undeserving of the title and ought to have it removed.
The likes of Stern have invested so much in the CO2 scare, and encouraged others to waste our money on the nonsense. Now they see the bottom falling out of it and themselves reviled as mountebanks.
No wonder he’s desperate, even so this is laughable.
It’s dead Nick, it’s deceased, it’s an ex-scare.
I agree the USA should stop all trade:
First EXPORT all non-Americans immigrants – ALL. (Canadians and Latinos are Americans)
Second Toss the Federal Reserve Traitors out and confiscate all gold/gold certificates that FDR took from the US citizens so it is about time we took it back. Cancel any and all US citizens obligations to pay for the Federal reserves debt. Also withdraw from the UN and World Bank, Stop ALL Foreign Aid and withdraw ALL US troops world wide.
Third close the borders to ALL food Import/Export:
“…The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s weekly export figures released this morning show a 49 percent increase in corn exports from the previous week and a 35 percent increase from the previous monthly average.
Prime corn customers were Mexico, Japan, South Korea and Egypt. International corn markets have tightened in recent weeks because of drought-related shortages of export corn from Russia and the Ukraine, both of which have embargoed exports because of short crops.
Soybean exports were up 17 percent last week from the previous week on continued strong buying by China.
For the export year, U.S. corn exports are up 24 percent, according to the USDA. Soybean exports are up 5 percent from last year’s record totals.
Strong export demand is a factor in the 60 percent rise in the price of corn and 33 percent rise in soybeans since early June…..” http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/10/15/soybeans-hit-12-overnight/
“The U.S. share of world wheat exports has fluctuated from a high of 50 percent in 1973/74 to 30-40 percent in 1982/83-95/96, and between 20-30 percent thereafter…. Over the last decade, U.S. wheat exports have exceeded 30 million metric tons only twice. They peaked in 2007/08, when they reached 34 million metric tons, comprising 30 percent of world wheat exports…..” http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/wheat/trade.htm
U.S. soybean farmers already have one reason to give thanks this fall — 2008 exports of U.S. soy have set another all-time record. This year over 1.5 billion bushels of soy were exported from the United States….. http://southeastfarmpress.com/markets/us-soybean-exports-set-another-record
“Corn is by far the largest component of global coarse-grain trade, accounting for about three-quarters of total volume in recent years. (Coarse grains make up a common trade category that includes corn, sorghum, barley, oats, and rye.)
…The U.S. share of world corn exports averaged 60 percent during 2003/04-2007/08 (the international trade year is October-September. U.S. corn exports soared in the 1970s from 13 million metric tons at the start of the decade to a record 62 million in 1979/80….The United States experienced record demand and corn production during 2007/08 that pushed U.S corn exports to 61 million metric tons.” http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/corn/trade.htm
Given that, thanks to the idiotic government policies, the UK is a major food importer I think Mr. Stern should go on a two month fast to rethink his statement.
From a UK farming site:
SLEEPWALK TO STARVATION
“With hindsight, it was the late 1990’s and the first decade of the 21st Century when farming went into irreversible decline as it lurched and staggered like a perpetual drunkard from crisis to disaster…” http://warmwell.com/redpollpredict.html
“”I can’t wait to get to Canada,” Theresa said. “It’s wide and open and regulation-free.”You can trade there without all the interference and form-filling that happens here”
…That so many farmers are leaving farming – and even the country – in droves is entirely due to government policies in recent years. It is a tragedy for the country and for the countryside and is based on nothing more than political arrogance, ignorance and a refusal to listen. The spin against farmers in recent months has added to the heartbreak. But the country will be in a dire state when the penny finally drops that cheap food imports do not stay cheap for long once the country can no longer support itself. “
http://www.warmwell.com/warm1jul102.html
Really a shame about Robert Jeremy Grantham. He is a halfway decent person. I have known him professionally for 15 years or so. His problem is that he has no scientific education in the least. A reasonable macro-economist and economic historian, but that is the end of his talent set. Reasonable to listen to on the topics of the economy and the stock market, but beyond that, sorry, RJG, you do not cut the mustard. When I say bar to you, the only thing that would come to mind is something that serves drinks, not 1.013 bars which is sea level pressure in the standard atmosphere.
It’s always a lot easier to be a screaming moron about these topics when you have made your bucks. The performance of his funds are available at http://www.gmo.com for those that are open to folks other than “qualified investors”.
John Peter says: November 19, 2010 at 11:55 am:
USA may be the largest importer, but only No. 3 as exporter after China and Germany.
You are correct John. Thank you for the correction. My information was older than 2009.
Asked what type of US products could face restrictions, Lord Stern said: “Aircraft, clearly, some cars, machine tools — it’s not simply what’s in the capital good, it’s what kind of processes the capital good is facilitating
I give up, does this clown actually think the singular of “goods”, as in commodities, is “good?” There would appear to be a collection of ridiculous words these cranks are duty bound to use.
Lord Stern threatens to kicks the US Trade out of Europe and the G20.
Obama arranges for a missile shield to protect Europe together with the Russians.
Do you need more proof that our “leaders” are crazy or not?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11711042
Curiousgeorge says:
November 19, 2010 at 2:49 pm
tallbloke says:
November 19, 2010 at 2:33 pm
James Sexton says:
November 19, 2010 at 12:50 pm
tallbloke says:
November 19, 2010 at 12:33 pm
What is this? the weekly ten minute hate?
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Well, you know its just vent. Some of us are given to a knee jerk reaction from time to time, but, we’re tied to our cousins across the pond in more ways than just trade. Britannia and her offspring will always be tied to each other.
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Although my direct ancestors came to the New World in 1632 from England, I feel no loyalty to the Crown or any of the so-called “Nobles”. In fact, several of my ancestors put holes in their armies for good reason. There was a little thing called the American Revolution, you know.
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Yes, it isn’t loyalty to Crown or Nobles of which I spoke. Nor do I believe Stern is representative of the people of G.B. But the loyalty which you rightly perceived is the loyalty of a common bond with the common peoples of the various nations, forged by the steel of Bertha guns and Panzers, fired by a Rising Sun. Our dogged tenacity to thwart a Maxist bear, and today, our fight against the insidious totalitarian attempts to control our energy and freedoms.
The mouthing and hand waving of a buffoon shouldn’t be an impetus for anger towards our present band of brothers. The American Revolution and the war of 1812 was, of course, quit necessary and appropriate in order for us to pursue our own destiny and build a society unlike any other. That history should never be forgotten.
Let’s not forget, too, we have our own share of village idiots. Stern doesn’t speak for G.B. anymore than Hansen or Mann speaks for the U.S.
Would one of you fine folks over the other side of the pond show his lordship back to his nursing home.