Eric Worrall writes: The European Union has just committed economic suicide, by agreement a landmark deal, to cut CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030.
Given that European emissions, by any rational measure, have been rising steadily, this would at first seem to be an impossible goal.
But anyone who is expecting a rational re-appraisal of European environment policy – don’t underestimate the blind determination of Europe’s green elite, to fulfill their dream of an emission free Europe. They will, in my opinion, happily bomb the European economy back into the stone age to achieve their ridiculous goal.
An an example of the people who run Europe, consider the most recently appointed European Commissioner, Violetta Bulc. According to Roger Helmer, a prominent UKIP Euroskeptic member of the European Parliament, Bulc is on record as claiming to be a practicing fire walker and a shaman. http://rogerhelmermep.wordpress.com/2014/10/22/fire-walking-a-key-skill-for-eu-commissioners/
On her blog, Bulc describes herself as an expert on balanced sustainable development strategies, organic growth and innovation ecosystems. She believes in the power of networks, holistic individual, and positive energy.
A recent post on Bulc’s blog is “The vibration of white lions in the new era”. http://www.violeta.si/2014/09/the-vibration-of-white-lions-in-new-era.html
Yet Bulc is now, or shortly will become, one of the most powerful people in Europe – one of 28 European commissioners, who have sole power to source new legislation, which is usually in my opinion rubber stamped by near powerless European parliament. The European commission is also the sole body responsible for ensuring the legislation they source is executed – the commission combines executive, oversight and legislative powers into a single polity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Commission
Bulc will never have to face a vote – only members of the European parliament have to bother with all that populist democracy nonsense. Commissioners are appointed.
Can anyone imagine someone like Bulc relaxing her iron determination to drive down European emissions, just because a few miserable capitalists claim that they are going bankrupt? After all, its for the sake of the planet. And Bulc is not alone – most of the commission share her zeal for all things green.
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They’ll win and win (pass laws) until they lose (get public pushback).
It’s amazing that Green strategists haven’t asked themselves the question, “And then what?” (after their laws are passed). They seem to imagine that they’ll be in the clear thereafter.
They’d better hope Rossi’s cold fusion E-Cat is real. That’s the only low-emissions power source that would be economically practical.
The only way this move makes sense is as a bandwagon-effect ploy to induce China and India to hop aboard. And/or to shame them into doing so.
But if it is, and if they fall for it, they’ll jump off once it starts pinching their economies.
Shame China?
The government who brought you Tiananmen Square?
The government who is brushing off Hong Kong democracy marches that demand, quaintly, that China abide by their 15 year old agreements when Hong Kong was handed over to them?
“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on ME.”
American version:
“There’s an old saying in Tennessee—I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, ‘Fool me once, shame on…shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.”
George Bush
Clearly the way forward is the molten salt reactor. Many are in a race to bring this back to the future technology form ORNL. http://www.energyfromthorium.com
Some of you are talking as if you actually believe man made CO2 is causing a problem?
Precautionary principle at work.
Its all about superstitious racist fortress Europe returning to the dark ages.
They want to destroy the economy to stop immigration to Europe.
They don’t like black carbon, they don’t like black people.
And it seems they don’t like money either.
phlogiston
October 24, 2014 at 6:19 am
“Its all about superstitious racist fortress Europe returning to the dark ages.
They want to destroy the economy to stop immigration to Europe.
They don’t like black carbon, they don’t like black people.”
phlogiston, you are a complete idiot and you don’t know what you’re talking about;
but let’s take your idiotic drivel serious for a moment: would it then, if we were so racist, not make much more sense to let Frontex NOT help the traffickers by rescuing every migrant boat they find in the Mediterranean and bringing the migrants to Italy?
See how easy it was to sink your idiotic argument. Now go and read about Coudenhouve-Kalergi so that you become less of an idiot.
It’s perhaps not so much the 40% reduction that’s insane – it’s the way they plan to achieve it that is really, really stupid. They will pick renewables to carry the load – producing a complicated and duplicative power system that actually is anything but sustainable , if by sustainable you more realistically mean a power system that can be economically sustained in the face of alternative
technologies
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/wind-power-investments-in-germany-proving-riskier-than-thought-a-946367.html
They are not that stupid. It’s planned to fail. Investigate the politics and forget about the science.
I think you need to expound that “planned to fail” point.
Like cutting down a large tree…. which way is it planned to fall?
Now there’s a question that makes you go, “Hmmmmm….”
You’re right. They need to tell us what “sustainable” means to them.
Then we can start negotiations.
If the French do not comply with overall budget deficit agreements of the EU, then lesser agreements are even more fake.
Emissions to be cut by 40%! A chicken in every pot! Now re-elect me.
You know what Europe really needs? They need ANOTHER layer of bureaucracy on top of it all. I suggest a league of nations, if you will…united in their goals. I know, we can call it the United Nations. It can have final say over the sovereignty of us all. That is sure to make us uncompetitive. Oh wait….
Quote …. “The vibrations of white lions in the new era”
_____________________________________
We have a shop, just off the main high street, that sells ‘New Age White Lion Vibrators’. Its a bit of a seedy place, and you would not want to be seen dead in there – but they are for sale. I’m sure that Sam Cam, the wife of Dave hug-a-husky Ca-Moron has one – she’s always smiling.
😉
In short, the lunatic fringe has taken over the asylum. A few decades ago, the hippy fringe of society lived in mut-huts outside Glastonbury; ate meal-worms for breakfast and smoked super-thin rollies. Now they are the head of a multi-billion dollar scam, criss-crossing the world in corporate jets and super-speedboats, pretending to save a whale or poly bear.
What pillock allowed this to happen? Ah, yes, that pillock would be us……….
Ralph
Anyone ever read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand? I admire people who saw the writing on the wall nearly 60 years ago and turn out to be spot on in their predictions. I don’t like the fact that she was right, as we will all pay the piper, but I can’t help saluting her. Well, even though it is a massive tome, I recommend it to WUWT-ers as the solution to the global surrender of reason is quite interesting.
As a warm up, I suggest The Fountainhead, with special attention to the character of Ellsworth Toohey. who lives and breaths today in the columns of the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Guardian, BBC, and NPR.
Or, if you don’t want to do all that reading, just follow Mr. Toohey’s excellent advice: Don’t bother to examine a folly – ask yourself only what it accomplishes.
The last time the European economy was in ruins was following World War II. In the U.S. we called it the “Fabulous Fifties”.
Possibly the difference is that there won’t be a Marshall Plan this time.
https://www.change.org/p/gouvernement-fran%C3%A7ais-pour-l-organisation-d-un-r%C3%A9f%C3%A9rendum-sur-l-accord-de-libre-%C3%A9change-ue-canada-ceta-le-trait%C3%A9-transatlantique-tafta-et-l-accord-sur-le-commerce-des-services-tisa?utm_source=emailcampaign11&utm_medium=phpList&utm_content=HTML&utm_campaign=TAFTA+:+L%E2%80%99UPR+lance+une+grande+p%C3%A9tition+pour+demander+%C3%A0+Fran%C3%A7ois+Hollande+l%E2%80%99organisation+d%E2%80%99un+r%C3%A9f%C3%A9rendum
There is more or less to this story than meets the eye.
What about Poland’s threat to veto a 40% reduction proposal? (WUWT/GWPF Oct 19)
Does the alleged agreement still face the Poland Veto?
Or was Poland bought off?
In the end, it really won’t matter.
One cold winter, with scheduled and unscheduled power plant shut downs, a grid were everyone is borrowing power from another [1], will spark a revolt.
Note: [1] – just saw a reference last night documenting how UK, Ireland, France, Belgium all show net power generation deficits that plan on borrowing 1-5 GW of power through the interconnects. Dominos.
Poland got its way and I daresay that others are satisfied, too. The agreement is meaningless and will be revisited next year when Poland will again prevail, with the tacit support of others.
Yes, if it is true that they have inserted the provision that cancels this agreement if the rest of the world does not follow suit at the Paris meeting next year, then it is indeed meaningless.
Finally found the reference to the mutual borrowing of power through interconnects:
Bishop Hill: House of Cards
This is really bad news.
There’s no intention to reach that goal. All they have done is to say empty words to keep greens quiet for a while. In the agreement there are no “or else…” statements that I am aware of. And you can only measure the strength of a compromise by the fines that you agree to have imposed on you if you do not do what you said that you would do.
But even if there were fines, it would not be the first time that the EU finally decides not to impose previously agreed fines on countries that fail to reach some goal. They have zero credibility.
Which electorally is foolish.
Greens are zealots. Nothing is ever good enough for them. This story was reported as “not enough” by the BBC and Grauniad.
There are no votes in Green.
It is not possible if engineering and economic constraints are taken into account for the EU to reduce their CO2 emissions by 20% using the green scams. They could if they (and the countries that supply the EU with goods) completely changed to nuclear power reduce their total CO2 emissions by roughly 20% to 30%. Green energy is a very, very, expensive scam. ‘Green energy’ can reduce CO2 emissions by roughly a maximum of 5% to 10%, the CO2 input to construct the scam is taken into account, more high voltage lines, and complete back-up inefficient natural gas single cycle power plants as opposed to combined cycle natural gas power plants which are 30% more efficient that single cycle natural gas power plants, however combined cycle natural gas power plants cannot be turned on and off at random times which ‘green’ energy requires.
Roughly 60% of the CO2 emissions are due to agriculture and the CO2 input for goods purchased. Real reductions of CO2 emissions below 20% requires government intervention to force reduction in consumption. Banning of air travel and vacation travelling. Banning of second homes. Banning of private automobile ownership. Forced change to a vegan diet. Forced population control.
Now for America………… guys………..guys……….. aw come on guys it’s cold and lonely out here……
If the European populace would decide to accept the power of their voice and work to take their nationalism back, they would be vastly better off. They would be better off with individual countries that chose to co-operate than a “union of equal serfdoms” combined under a brainless union.
When you adopt a mistaken strategy you will fail, thus the EU will eventual fail. Like an erroneous chess strategy the position may look beautiful through the middle game but the end game collapse is sudden and ugly.
If Poland has a 90% carbon exemption then they have adopted a sound but somewhat cruel stratagem in allowing the EU to self immolate on their green pyre.
The ignorance and arrogance of the unelected idiots in the EU continue.
Do they really think they can make 40% of our fossil fuel consumption go away by diktat, without any technical way of achieving it? The existing renewable energy ‘solutions’ have proven to be nothing more than a slow-motion train wreck.
They might as well have decided that more unicorns should inhabit the forests of Europe (sounds like a plan to you, I’m sure, Ms Bulc?).
Tagerbaek, you may have got your wires a little crossed. They’re not insisting that there is a 40% reduction in fossil fuel consumption. They are, however, insisting on a 40% reduction on the current levels of anthropogenic CO2 emissions by 2030. So, technically, this could mean reductions on any one of the many, many, many different ways that man ‘manufactures’ additional CO2 for his own gain.
Even so, our man-made CO2 contribution to the total CO2 up there in the sky is only around 3.225%. Naturally occurring CO2 is about 96.775%. Worse – is that the total amount of ALL CO2 up there is 0.04% of the whole atmosphere – which is not a lot (but the politicians ignore this fact). This is the main reason why we skeptics have questioned the whole AGW scare. Man-made CO2 is such a microscopic amount of gas when compared to the rest of the atmosphere.
So if they insist we close all large scale bread production plants, ban decaffeinated coffee or make human cremation illegal (all produce man-made CO2), it’s not going to make one iota of difference to the earth’s temperature. And it never will. Ever.
They’ve already changed our light bulbs in order to save us from ‘doom’. . . . so don’t be too surprised what idiotic whim of an idea they come up with next.
Now where did I put my glass off fizzy lemonade?
Actually, the proposed reduction refers to 1990 as starting point, when East Europeans still were still wasting energy with abandon to “overfulfill” their 5-year plans.
They will do it even if they have to adopt the Amish way of life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not much wrong with the Amish way of life ( Grandma was one…) but it does take a certain care and awareness of reality. Up at 4 AM (cows need milking, you know) then a large breakfast about 6 am. There are hogs to feed (and butcher and smoke and…) and chickens to feed (and butcher and pluck and…) then a large lunch (of same…). About 4 or 5 PM you can start thinking about dinner (AFTER you cut some wood for the stove, or for some, pour a bit more kerosene in the stove…). Best to get it started by then, since the kerosene lamps are not ideal for lighting a kitchen… After dinner (and evening tending of the cows) you get an hour or two to read the Bible by kerosene lamp, then off to bed. Best be in bed by 9, as that is only 7 hours sleep…
Don’t forget that in all the hours between start and end of the day, you get to sew your clothes, polish and mend boots, weave straw hats, sharpen knives and farm tools, shoe horses ( Grampa was a blacksmith to the Amish, that’s how he met Grandma…) and wash up everything (after shoveling out the manure and running the spreader…) IFF you are lucky, you will have enough time left to fish a bit in the creek…
Oh, and don’t forget that Sunday is mandatory church time…
It is a marvelously self reliant life style, and that heritage has shaped some of my views on things. ( I have an oil lamp and candles to hand at all times, and I can fix most tools I use, and know how to ‘prepare’ most animals from manger to dinnerplate…)
So don’t worry, it will all be OK. Might be a bit rocky in the transition, but those of us who were taught some of the Old Ways will help teach you how to do it… First off, get a nice Kerosene lamp. Aladdin makes some good ones. http://www.aladdinlamps.com/ then a kerosene stove ( I like this one: http://chiefio.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/butterfly-2487-16-wick-stove/ but not this one: http://chiefio.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/butterfly-2412-kerosene-stove-review/ The first one does a decent job with an oven: http://chiefio.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/butterfly-brand-oven-first-fire/ ). Then, get some wood and wire and build some hutches. Raise a couple of chickens and a few guinea pigs ( hey, even NPR says it’s OK to eat your pets… http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/03/12/174105739/from-pets-to-plates-why-more-people-are-eating-guinea-pigs ) that will get you ready for large animals.
Then there’s the hard part. You need to find about 40 acres to farm. Sell your condo quick, and get out there on your land early. It will be a lot harder after your car is sold…
That’s about it. Most of the rest you make yourself. There are lots of web pages on how to make old style hand tools ( drills, planes, spinning wheels). I suggest printing them off now. You won’t have a telephone nor the internet once ‘on the farm’… After that, it’s pretty simple. Up each day. Tend animals. Make what you need. Fix what is broken. Tend farm and animals. Make more things you need. Fix more of what is broken. Prepare food for storage. Tend farm and animals. Lunch. Tend farm and animals. Make more of what you need. Fix more of what is broken. Tend farm and animals. Dinner. Tend animals. Fix more of what is broken. Sharpen dull things. Do canning. Wash. Sleep. Wake. Tend animals….
Kerosene? Kerosene? That comes from big-oil, doesn’t it? You cannot have that! Try burning ducklings and puppies, that is much more natural……
R
>>…After dinner (and evening tending of the cows) you get an hour or two to read the Bible by kerosene lamp…<<
The Brussels Bolshevik Bureaucrats won't let you read the bible. They will oblige you to read the european treaties instead. And forget about kerosene. That's unsustainable. Use kindlings!
@ralfellisi
Kerosene? That comes from big-oil, doesn’t it
Historically, Big Oil came from Kerosene.
John Rockefeller built Standard Oil by standardizing the manufacturing of kerosene.
A Chicken-and-Egg sort of thing.
And once a year, Standard Oil would send a freighter loaded with two gallon kerosene tins to the …Persian Gulf (also known as the Arabian Gulf).
It has been put like this:
Farming: unremitting hard labor in order to eat none-too-well.
Before agriculture, there were fewer but better people. Hunter gatherers were generally bigger, healthier, & in most environments didn’t need to work as long or hard as farmers or even herders.
They can’t even hold their budget line for 2 years, let alone make a binding agreement over 16 years… The EU is the political arm of NATO and as such does not have the wellness of Europeans at heart but the utter domination of this part of the world by Washington. All European politicians, from the Right or from the Left are europeanists. In France the only reason Sarkozy is coming back on the political stage despite poor popularity polls is to ensure the Le Pen woman gets less votes. In the UK, only UKIP is truly thinking about Brits’ interests. Now Washington is displeased with Hungary… Is Nuland ready to bring some Yatseniuk lap dog over there and trouble Maidan style? Global Warming has been invented in order to enslave the middle/upper classes of the western world and change the rules on developing countries. Energy suicide coupled with destruction of the nations and the meaning of family… The EU bureaucrats are serving their masters…
+1 The new NATO-boss is well known for doing what he is told.
It’s fairly doable – all we have to do is to nuke Germany and France.
This news is being buried in UK as the “£1.7 bn to EU” news is making all the fuss. I urge everyone here from the UK focusing on this news instead and spreading the word. Sky news has not mentioned this at all as far as I saw while the BBC said it was good and carried on as they do. Like I said – this is being buried by Cameron with the media being completly complicit. More awareness needs to be raised.
These are the same idiots like Chicago who tried to float the carbon credit market and went bankrupt.
The very excellent GWPF has put up an article by Dr Pieser wherein it states that this is not an agreement but a position paper ahead of next years Paris bun fight. If the UN does get a global deal on Climate Change then and only then will this deal be activated. It also contains a final paragraph saying that the whole thing can be renegotiated as and when the boys want to.
It is just a bit of spin and PR by the Eurocrats. Hot bubbling bullsh*t in other words. That didn’t stop the disgraceful BBC trumpeting this thing as if it were the final death knell of all climate nonconformists. With the EU nothing is ever what it seems although blagging the Brits for £1.7 billion is very much in character.