A judgment in a Dutch court has left the Netherlands government with a legal requirement to perform the politically suicidal task of cutting emissions 25% by the end of 2020.
Netherlands climate change: Court orders bigger cuts in emissions
20 December 2019
The highest court in the Netherlands has upheld a ruling requiring the government to slash greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25% of 1990 levels by the end of next year.
The case was brought six years ago by the Urgenda environment group in a bid to force ministers to go well beyond EU targets.
However, the chances of the government reaching the target look slim.
By the end of 2018, emissions were down only 15% on 1990 levels.
Dutch environment researchers believe that levels could be cut by 23% by the end of 2020 but believe the reduction could be as low as 19%.
- Dutch forced to cut speed limit to lower emissions
- Tractor protest sparks ‘worst Dutch rush hour’
- Last decade ‘on course’ to be warmest
The government in The Hague presented its climate accord at the end of June, with plans for a 49% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and phasing out coal-fired power generation starting in 2020.
…
Last month, under pressure to act over a nitrogen oxide pollution crisis, Dutch ministers announced a cut in the daytime speed limit to 100km/h (62mph). The Council of State forced the government to act in that case, by declaring that rules for granting building and farming permits were in breach of EU law protecting nature.
In its decision on Friday, the Supreme Court said it had based its ruling (in Dutch) on the UN climate convention and the state’s legal obligation to protect the lives and well-being of Dutch citizens.
“There is a great deal of consensus in the scientific and international community over the urgent need for a reduction in greenhouse gases by at least 25% by developed countries,” the court said.
…
The Dutch Government has been badly caught out by their own climate hypocrisy. Enshrining climate action in law may have seemed a good idea at the time, but that law means Dutch politicians can be held accountable for failing to meet their fantasy climate targets.
At the same time, rising discontent with increasingly draconian climate action is threatening to cause major civil unrest. The recent climate action inspired tractor road blockade, which saw furious Dutch farmers defying army roadblocks, is only a taste of what will happen if the Dutch Government seriously attempts to act on this latest carbon emissions court order.
In the background is the undemocratic, authoritarian European Union, which like the UN appears to be increasingly turning to climate action as the source of its political legitimacy. The EU will likely vigorously oppose any attempt by the Dutch Government to defuse their current climate dilemma by backing down on climate action.
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The Dutch farmers will never accept this, but their subservient government gave away their sovereignty to the corrupt UN. Good luck Dutch farmerS you got screwed over by idiots in Dutch government stupidity. Now you have to get rid of them to change the law. Madness!
They did not give away sovereignty to the UN but to the EU. UK has just taken the first necessary steps to rectifying that situation. Up to other EU countries to like Italy and France to reclaim their sovereignty too. Everyone nation can use clause 51.
Brussels it welcome to rule over Belgium, meddling in the internal affairs of other states needs to stop now.
They call this a Dutch Treat e.g. “koekjes van eigen deeg “in the local language.
Looks like the Neither-lands will need to institute mandatory 4-10 work week with no driving allowed on the remaining 3 days. Reductions will come from Neither Working nor Driving Friday thru Sunday.
Corbyn in the UK was already talking about a 4 day week during the election campaign. I guess that was a winning policy for Labour. Pretty much all of the country south of Watford was blue, except for London.
So, how important are the farmers?
Oops! Harming the farmers is really going to hurt the economy. Everyone will start to hurt shortly thereafter.
Nothing will change over the next 12 months, and the repercussions will amount to nothing at all.
Never vote left folks, never vote left.
Definitely one possible outcome. But still fun to wait and see.
It’s often been said in the UK that we take such things as EU edicts far too seriously. Continental governments are far more adept at just ignoring court rulings. They go through all the lengthy appeals processes and then ignore the result some more. By this time the problem might well have gone away, competitors gone bankrupt, or the penalties are still not severe enough to cause change. Or they appeal the penalties. After a decade of so, if it starts to become a real problem they might start raising the matter to just get it changed at some EU meeting. This will be in return for obliging another country who has similar problems in a different area.
And so it continues.
It’s a game UK politicians never really became good at.
Openly attacking Farming
Will only end up harming
Their fragile Economy
To such a dichotomy
I find it all rather Alarming
The best way to reduce CO2 is by getting rid of all government.
And all people too!
When it comes to CO2 emissions, bureaucrats have all sorts of ideas to force upon farmers, but none of them will say “Hey let’s outlaw all air travel miles programs” which would cut emissions from the air travel industry by about half.
Especially important as air travel accounts for a mere 0.5 ppm of co2.
What!? Frequent flyer miles add that much CO2? Where do I sign up?
Do you fly a lot? Because I did up until a couple years ago and let me tell you, you have to fly a lot of miles to earn one free round trip or buy a new TV with your miles instead. It is not pay for one round trip ticket and get a second round trip ticket for free as you imply.
shut down the airports and ship ports, that should get the reduction they seek
Right!
And it will stop movement of bulk cargoes – coal, grain, iron ore, bauxite, etc.
And containerised cargo – all those oh-so-necessary consumer goods, frozen foods, and the rest of international trade.
This may raise attention – though there may be unemployment, slump, and deaths . . .
Ah – a feature, not a bug.
Of course.
Auto
Unelected Dutch leftist court is the new government.
Pass the dutchie on the left-hand side.
It is said that this song was really about poverty. Which would make it all the more relevant in this case.
I thought that was something to do with rules when socially smoking a splif. Not sure what dutchie has to do with poverty, though they are probably about to find out.
After Australia volunteering to the be the worlds renewable energy crash-test dummies, it looks like the Dutch have just volunteered to be the worlds low carbon economic crash test dummies. .
A Dutch oven is a cooking pot, rather than smoking pot, colloquially shortened to ‘dutchie.
Thus, a cooking pot with not much in it is a reference to poverty. No doubt it was understood at the time that other meanings could be gleaned from the lyrics, including even driving on a different side of the road in the Netherlands (to the UK).
Sure, it might be hard to believe a reggae song is not about dope, but that is what was reportedly said about it.
It was originally “Pass the Kouchie”, a cannabis pipe.
According to the history I knew, anyway. And Wikipedia agrees.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pass_the_Dutchie
I think you will garner a great deal of consensus from the pot smoking community.
Well, a Dutchie, being a Dutch oven, is a cooking POT
Wrong.
A “Dutchie” is an unevenly rolled marijuana cigarette.
Your song is about dope.
Over decades of camping and hanging around re-enactors, all who actively use “dutch ovens”, I’ve never heard anyone refer to them as “dutchie”. That is a dope smoker’s term.
“Dutch ovens” are not associated with poverty.
While there are ‘cheap’ dutch ovens, a good dutch oven is not cheap.
Instead, back in older times before mass manufacturing, dutch ovens were expensive.
However, dutch ovens are essential cooking implements for anyone cooking over a fire. Where most pots and pans are designed for cooking by heat applied to the bottom, a dutch oven’s entire mass heats up and allows baking by even radiant cooking heat from the top.
Correct. A Dutch oven lid has a reverse dome, or flat top with a ledge, so that coals can be placed on top in addition to bottom and sides. Also, proper Dutch ovens are made of cast iron, so they are not amenable to backpacking unless you have a pack mule or horse or raft or car.
Could a “dutchie” also be a pregnancy “preventer”?
Or this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFtLONl4cNc
Dutch oven also describes a situation when you trap a persons head under a blanket when you have just cut the cheese.
Too true about Australia , except it was not Australians who volunteered , it was a bunch of activists and some weak minded self centred politicians . Our safety bag was Tony Abbott which got deflated by Turnbull and cronies . Scomo is not really trying to blow that bag up . The federal and state govt differing objectives are stopping all progress in sensible energy management or policy .
Talk about missing the point. I said “it was said” and “reportedly”, both of which appear to be true, believe it or not. I understand fully the dope connotation and it may well be that the original cooking pot reference was a joke in the first place. I was certainly repeating it partly in jest. And it’s not as if I give a tinker’s cuss about the song itself.
The important point is that this insistence by the Dutch is a lead into poverty.
The other point that may be gleaned from this discussion above is that there’s a long way to go before sceptics will win over the public on AGW if we over-react like this.
I certainly wouldn’t recommend resorting to using Wikipedia references on these pages when that online encyclopedia has entries like “Global warming is the long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s climate system. It is a major aspect of climate change, and has been DEMONSTRATED* by direct temperature measurements and by measurements of various effects of the warming.”
* My bold. Obviously.
Well obviously,the only solution is to cull the citizens until compliance is reached.
I know that it’s sarcasm but, there are people who adhere to that belief. Don’t encourage them.
Another solution is to cut the electricity to the courts. If that doesn’t get them to a 25% reduction, keep cutting the electricity to any government branches which supports this madness. That would do the trick.
I’m not so sure if it is anymore, I’ve noticed that psychopathic liberals have the ability to outstrip my wildest speculative reasoning. Whatever screaming nightmare I propose, they will soon enact.
That’s because they peruse WUWT for ideas
So let us give them some “good Ideas”.
Hug A Polar Bear ,become One with Nature.
Personal CO2 capture Mask.
Carbon removal surgery.
Carbon Free living reservations.
Fossil Fuel Freedom.
As long as we retain the marketing rights to the video footage,I am good with any of those.
Gulling the Gullible has to become a national sport.
“Carbon Free living reservations.” Yup, a cemetery, the final solution.
“Whatever screaming nightmare I propose, they [“psychopathic liberals”] will soon enact.”
Screaming Meme-ies.
This court ruling is actually a very good thing. It will highlight the totally irresponsible actions of legislators passing virtue signaling nonsense without any grounding in reality.
If the court had ruled the Green Virtue Signallers could wiggle out of their own nonsense laws, the nonsense would just continue. So now let the real consequences collapse around them simply as a precautionary tale to the what the future holds if they continue with unicorn farts and fairy dust wishful thinking climate policy nonsense while everyone watching form the sidelines as the Dutch economy goes into a tailspin or the politicians have a meltdown… or both.
If only the Dutch people would learn that the corruptly broken science that their expensive green sacrifice is predicated on is so wrong, it’s an embarrassment to legitimate science.
Could not agree more – totally accurate analysis IMO.
Well said!!!
What “climate convention” is that ? Chile conference in Madrid
Paris 2015 and the Netherland’s INDCs. Paris 2015 INDCs start in 2020.
The Dutch Law said they’d meet their INDCs. Now let them try.
Climate Change (CC) itself is not to be feared at all. Humans and nature have been quite adeptly and successfully dealing with CC for the last 3 million years.
But this newcomer CC policy is the real threat to both humanity and environment
It is clearly Climate Change Policy that will be the scythe that will cut down the OECD economies and hasten environmental destruction … if the Marxist-Greens and the UN Marxists are allowed to get their way. And if 7 billion people find themselves cut off from fossil fuel energy…. where will they turn?
And what will happen to their wastes and decline of civilization on the way to a pan genocide famine?
Sadly, isn’t everything in that convention non-enforceable?
Not wishing ill on any Dutch people, but it would be instructive to watch them try. People really do need to see where all this silliness eventually leads.
It is not enforceable by the UNFCCC, the European Council adopted their emissions goals for their member countries.
EU Council made legally binding reductions on its members:
https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/ndcstaging/PublishedDocuments/European%20Union%20First/LV-03-06-EU%20INDC.pdf
Introduction, Paragraph 3.
Between a rock and a hard place. It seems that the citizens have been sold a lemon, and the politicians wrote the contract in law. There is no easy out from this one, except another Brexit.
Nexit?
NedExit
they are going to get serious pushback, not just from farmers but from the general population. Folks are starting to have enough of this extremist BS, right across Europe.
Bwhaahh,ha,ha,ha,ha, snortle. Are they making pi = 3 too?
Well then there’s CMIP Climate model math where stuff like:
π = 3.0 (±0.2) can exist.
They may argue they aren’t wrong, but they sure as hell will never get anything correct.
Oh Yeah, they’re not “not wrong”, they’re “Not Even Wrong”
So can the dutch parliament not just change the law?
In most countries the legal system simply enforces the governments law.
I guess unless they were stupid enough to sign an international treaty which forces them to do something.
Many EU govts are coalitions, in which “greens” wield enormous power, and often the non-greens are really just a slightly paler shade of green. Expect much toy throwing and blaming of Russian and fossil fuel money. Popcorn time.
No. EU law and bureaucratic regulation are supreme over national law. Everyone who fails to understand the driving force behind Brexit needs to learn this point.
I have long believed that Europe is populated by The People Who Stayed Behind, whereas the US is populated by The People Who Chose to Leave. There is a “serf-ness” to the average European. “Please rule me, look after me, tell me my place, and I will work hard and be happy.” Americans are from the people who said, “To hell with this! I’m getting out. I’ll take the chances of crossing the sea with nothing but my brain and hardworking hands. I will find something better.” Places like Australia, too.
That’s pretty harsh. Plenty of people stayed in Europe because they had a good life there. It may have been just as rational for them to stay as for our ancestors to leave. Some of my puritan ancestors left England for what now seem pretty irrational reasons and they (or at least their community) ended up hanging witches in Salem.
Witches were burnt ,hung , in eruope before and after the puritans escaped, funny all this happening in the depths of the little ice age, fast forward 21st cent any one who dares question the religion of climate change is hung drawn and quartered, in a professional sense their doomed just like the poor witches of the LIA, notice the parallel as we descend into the next GSM.
The Puritans didn’t escape, they were, eventually, forced to find somewhere else to practice their intolerance.
” The People Who Chose to Leave ”
Gen. George Patton included language such as you write in his speech prior to taking troops with many having Italian and German ancestors into Italy (I think it was.)
Where’s my popcorn! We’re in for a show!
I wish I could laugh like Henry:
https://youtu.be/LGcaNY5eBWw
🤣
Does anyone know what the consequences will be if the “law” passed to reduce CO2 is not met.
Who exactly, will be prosecuted and what will be the sentence?
This smacks of complete lunacy.
The EU, has brought about a complete disconnect, between the legislators and the reality of life. I say the EU, because they are the ones that have suggested setting legally binding limits on everything. That mindset has clearly been infectious, with individual nations now going beyond even the impossible targets being set by the EU commissariat in Brussels.
The UK is leaving the dystopian EU, on the 31st of Jan 2020. It has taken us over three and a half years to break free from the control freak EU construct. Our departure will be the starting gun, for a number of other proud nations, to do the same. The EU is the test rabbit for the UN’s one world government policy. WE must stop these madmen and madwomen, from implementing their totalitarian nightmare on humanity.
Well said. UK is leaving just in time, add in the Moslem-African open borders invasion and the EU will implode. They can print money for a while, but even that scam will end badly.
EU or the 4th Reich is full on Green Fascism and open Borders colonisation.
Who will be ‘charged’ and ‘incarcerated’ for not meeting fantasy-rainbow ‘carbon’ (not a toxin, not a pollutant) targets?
EU Green Fascism, is technocratic-‘science fiction’, disregards people, jobs, the economy, wealth, food, or heating. It is a death cult.
In the Reich’s heartland of Germany BMW and VW have plans to close plants due to taxes, regulations, emission targets and green fascist policies. BMW Prez surmised that by 2030 the firm may not exist.
When the German car firms start closing down, the entire Reich economy will begin to collapse.
It begins in Holland with the farmers – but that is just the start.
“Ferd III December 21, 2019 at 1:21 am
…VW have plans to close plants due to taxes, regulations, emission targets and green fascist policies.”
VM already and has done for many years made cars in other countries that are not bound by EU emissions regulations. The Mk6 Golf and Polo are made in South Africa and the Amarok is made in Argentina. You won’t find many authentic German cares actually made in Germany. VW is not the only maker that does this.
You have missed that the German car companies are moving production away from Germany because they have ever increasing electricity costs. The same applies for their other darling industries such as steelmaking.
But this is good news! Just think how much less CO2 they’ll produce!
I would guess that the courts have the power to take matters into their own hands. Order the shut down of specific coal-burning power plants, with arrest and jail for contempt of court for the plant managers who refuse.
The undemocratic, authoritarian European Union is the direct descendant of the scheme devised by Martin Bormann towards the end of the Second World War when the defeat of the Military Initiative to rule the World was evident. The European Union is the disguise for the ruthless drive to subjugate the population under a Fascist-look-alike system run by an Elite and enslaving the hapless proletariat. ‘Climate Action was the most promising of the devices used to enable the destruction of the democratic system of government in favour of Fascist control.
Can’t they just change how much CO2 was produced in 1990, just like how they change the temperatures of the past?
Only if they decrease the CO2 amount from the past, just like only cooling is done with temps. That would only increase the misery….
Now that, after three years of stalling by parliment blocking the implementation of the wish of the people, clearly expressed in the 2016 referendum, we have a new parliment and Brexit is now under way, full steam ahead.
I imagine we’ll be hearing of Holland’s move towards “Hollexit” before long.
Or maybe Nedexit (Nederland Exit)
Dutch suicide.
This is just the first of many instances when we will find that climate change legislation in European countries entered into recently will need to be changed – sooner, rather than later. Watch Boris Johnson in Britain making a 180 degree about turn with British legislation very soon. Boris changes his opinions with the greatest of ease – as a courageous leader always is able to. This will happen simply because it will prove physically impossible to follow the legislation. This is the beginning of the end of the whole climate change groupthink phenomenon which has ruled the western world for 25 years.
Reality will finally break in. It may be a slow process : “Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one” (Charles Mackay).
Hope you’re right Andy, laws do need to be changed. 25 years and several $trillion wasted to achieve absolutely nothing but heaps of worthless ugly wind and solar junk that will need to be landfilled during the next 25 years…at a cost of a few more $trillion. Wind and solar free by 2045!
I suspect Boris is like Trump; a pragmatist, not an idealogue. If something doesn’t work, becomes too costly, or has unintended consequences creating harm, ending it sooner rather than later is the best course of action.
In France there are a few political parties which advocate Frexit (France exit from EU).
I have never been interested in these parties but if this climate madness intensifies within the EU, we will have to think very seriously about Frexit.
I do not want to become the accomplice of a policy which will inevitably cause the extermination of a large part of the European population.
I think exiting the EU if you use the Euro will be highly problematic
One reason why the UK retained the pound.
Look at the experience of the former Soviet republics. It can be done. Success depends on having a viable economy.
This is one of the reasons I never had interest in Frexit before the climate madness.
That doesn’t seem like such a major issue to me. Several countries use the US dollar while not having any influence over US monetary policy.
https://www.businessinsider.com/usd-countries-use-dollars-as-currency-2018-5
In a similar way, the countries that currently use the euro could continue to do so for a convenient period such as 1-3 years while going through the reverse process of what they did back in 1999-2002. I couldn’t find any reference to what the Dutch did with their gulden notes and coins. Probably all destroyed to maximize the pain of reverting from the Holy Euro.
It won’t be free. Freedom isn’t free they say.
Sone questions remain. NL definitely won’t meet the emission targets, so: 1 what will be the sanction 2 who will pay the fine and 3 who will receive it. This verdict is without punishment.
Nice that Europe is “ahead” of the USA with renewables. Germany has proven that wind and solar are unworkable expensive junk. Now the Dutch are displaying the downside of economically unrealistic virtue signally made into enforceable law. Ouch for them, good for us…if we’re listening.
Looks like the Dutch have not only made it illegal to “tilt at windmills”, they have gone full anti Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. I hope the farmers feed themselves and their families and the others can fend for themselves, maybe selling some carbon credits to buy granola bars.
What is it about tiny countries/regions that makes them do this, other examples being Scotland and Tasmania? One reason must be that they have umbilical cords (interconnectors) to other countries/regions, which they assume will provide them with electricity during the long renewable famines. A related reason is probably the security they get from being connected to larger entities, so they can forget about the mundane tasks of growing food, and making things, and can focus on real problems, such as difficulties faced by transgender migrants, and those suffering from the legacy of colonialism.
An easy hit would be to close the Maasvlakte coal fired power station that spends almost all of its time supplying the UK via the BritNed interconnector. Similar judicious choices could be made to reduce exports to Belgium and Germany. The Netherlands are already a net importer to the tune of about 10TWh per year.
An excellent plan. That would precipitate power outages in other ‘woke’ countries and force their governments to deal with their nonsensical policies, too.
“The recent climate action inspired tractor road blockade…”
Stop making stuff up to suit your agenda. They were protesting about having to reduce their nitrogen pollution – livestock farming is a leading cause. Nothing to do with climate. But thats what happens if your your MO is to recycle click-bait from Breitbart I suppose, it appears they can’t be bothered checking either.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-netherlands-farmers-protests/angry-farmers-cause-dutch-police-to-close-off-parliament-square-idUSKBN1WV0SZ
So the numbnuts are picking on nitrogen now? Don’t they realise it’s four fifths of the atmosphere and they haven’t even managed to control a trace atmospheric gas yet? These doomsters sure are suckers for punishment.
Hey loydo are you a little bit plump or having breathing problems yes no? Do you know any one with these conditions, there comming for you know.
https://www.rt.com/usa/476526-obesity-study-global-warming/
“They were protesting about having to reduce their nitrogen pollution – livestock farming is a leading cause”
More specifically, nitrous oxide and ammonia, a greenhouse gas and an indirect greenhouse gas, respectively. So the farmers are protesting the requirement to reduce those greenhouse gases because of … climate.
Four provinces backtrack on nitrogen rules after new farmers’ protests
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2019/10/four-provinces-backtrack-on-nitrogen-rules-after-new-farmers-protests/
Unlike Loydo, farmers are able to deal with more than one topic at a time.
Come on, loydo can’t even deal with one topic effectively.
One of the justifications for the new rules is nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas, and a cut in nitrous oxide emissions was required for the Netherlands to meet their climate targets.
“phasing out coal-fired power generation starting in 2020.”
Which means they’ll start converting those coal plants to burn wood pellets. Basic same technology, same plants, more emitted CO2, more expensive, subsidized by the government.
Green energy? Netherlands subsidises shipping wood from US for fuel
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2019/10/green-energy-dutch-government-subsidises-shipping-wood-from-us-to-burn-in-power-plants/
Well if they could convince California to cut down some of their several million dead trees and convert them to fuel pellets, it would be a good thing all around.
That fuel is going to burn one way or another, and it’s just common sense to burn it where it will do some good instead of leaving it in place.
It would involve much lower transportation costs for California to burn the pellets itself.
Roger Knights:
It would involve much lower transportation costs for California to burn the pellets itself.
____________________________________
For California, the transportation costs for burning the pellets would be significantly lower.
Nevertheless – seems California rather would burn money than deviating from sacred environmental goals!
____________________________________
Conceded – burning money is illegal;
“So help them God! They cannot do otherwise, Amen!”
https://www.google.com/search?q=burning+money+is+illegal&oq=burning+money+is&aqs=chrome.
Government response should be:
Step 1: Order all heating and air conditioning to be switched off in Dutch court buildings.
Step 2: Wait.
🙂
I think the courts would judge that unfair. What they could not rule unfair would be for power and water (pumped) to be turned off for a time each day proportional to the time that unrenewable are not working. Proportional and fair, how very judicial!
Or just mandate 6 hour per day rolling blackouts. Give it a week or two then call new elections.