Monday, January 07, 2008

Another Tax from our Friends in Brussels?

Another tax is on its way from Brussels, according to EU Observer. It would impose taxes on imports from countries which were not tough enough in tackling climate change. Astonishing. To his credit, Peter Mandelson is arguing against the idea, saying it would difficult to implement and could lead to trade disputes. No **** sherlock!

UPDATE: As Travis Bickle points out in the comments, perhaps we'd take the EU more seriously on issues of climate change if they abandoned the monthly trip between Brussels and Strasburg.

7 comments:

James Higham said...

Interesting that the [alleged] arch crim Mandelson should come out with this. His motives need to be studied in this.

Mulligan said...

You mean not tough on climate change as in moving one's entire organisation from (say) Brussels to Strasbourg every few months? Quite right. states like that should be wound up and confined to the dustbin of history

Anonymous said...

So what's the point Iain?

Should the EU not do anything about climate change? Should they promote global warming, would that be better for you?

Anonymous said...

Esmeralda - See, there isn't any climate change, other than the normal fluctuations that have been a part of life on Planet Earth for millions of years. That's why there used to be vast tropical swamps and dinosaurs in West Texas where now there are just arid plains. In the arid Middle East, too, which accounts for all that oil.

People change, weather changes. C'est la vie.

It's normal and Al Gore's activities to raise his profile for a possible run at the presidency are as naught.

Esmeralda, I don't know what time of day it is where you are, or whether it is cloudy or not, but chances are, if you look directly upward, you will see a big bright ball in the sky. This, and the activity, like sun spots,on its surface are what determines the weather in our solar system. Not light bulbs on earth.

We are going through a slight warming cycle, as is Mars, which, we know from photographs taken by those clever Americans, doesn't have any coal factories, nuclear power plants, airports, eighteen-wheelers or traffic jams.

BTW, I read last week that the ice caps in Antartica are the thickest in living memory.

Do you get the feeling that perhaps you have come to the wrong blog?

Mulligan said...

esmerelda

neither Al Gore, patron saint of the BBC, the EU or any of these climate scientists can do a thing about the big orange thing in the sky that is the reason the earth's climate has always fluctuated.

And they know it, but it's handy as a way of oppressing the people of the world whilst making a nice bit of wedge on lecture tours to save the world, sorry I mean planet.

Anonymous said...

Travis, and don't forget all the staunch support from the second-rate academics to lend credence to the gospel according to Al.

In academe, it's publish or don't get promoted, and climate change offers ample opportunities for paper after paper after paper. Seminar after seminar. PLUS free trips (courtesy the EU or whatever other quango- the EU's just a giant quango) to go to MEETINGS! "I can't take my class on Wednesday. I'm meeting with Al Gore's people in Rio." And media interviews. EXPOSURE!

The same goes for MPs - free trips to Bali (that was the latest that I read about. Why Bali? Why not Liverpool?) and so on. Free cocktail parties (no need to stay on for the talk,which everyone knows is garbage anyway). But it gives MPs another rod for the voter's back. Outlaw lightbulbs! Hell, outlaw all technology, except for planes and limousines for the Nomenklatura. What's not to love?

And for the media, the same. Lots of story ideas. Lots of free first class trips and a sense of being a messenger of great importance. Lots of airtime. Lots of booze.

They'd have to be crazy to be "climate change deniers".

Except, man-made climate change doesn't exist. Reputable geo-scientists will tell you it's a pile of old codswallop. But it's got enough momentum now to trundle on for years even though it is being exposed as a lie almost every day. It doesn't matter!

Al Gore invented this global platform to give himself another go at the presidency. As the compromise candidate.

The hanging chads didn't get him into the White House, but who knows, perhaps the "global warming" circus will.

janestheone said...

aaagh another first for me, Mandy is absolutely right, the thing is unworkable