In Germany, when the going gets tough, the tough go green:
Chancellor Angela Merkel seems to have realized that, contrary to the song lyrics, sometimes it's quite easy being green.
Mrs. Merkel has shied away from the biggest fight at home: the deep economic restructuring she advocated during her campaign two years ago. And on the matter of the suspected terrorist plot in the heart of Germany, she has remained in the background, apparently happy to cede the limelight to her interior minister, Wolfgang Schäuble.
But in the past month Mrs. Merkel could be found inspecting glaciers in Greenland and calling for new measures to combat global warming at a conference in Kyoto, Japan. It was as if Ronald Reagan had turned into Al Gore after being elected. But the voters loved it, awarding her the highest approval ratings any chancellor has enjoyed since World War II. [my emphasis]
The fact that a center-right politician can ride eco-campaigning to popularity could be a lesson for U.S. Republicans. Though Fred Thompson recently ridiculed global warming, polls show doing so might not be the smartest political move. The environment is the one issue on which Republican politicians are most out-of-step with the Republican base. According to a recent Pew study, 65 percent of Republicans want stricter environmental laws (though it's questionable how much of a voting priority it is). Ultimately, however, Merkel's ability to pull off a green hat trick shows the importance of creating bipartisan support for environmental protection.
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Comments
View as Flat
David Roberts Posted 8:02 am
12 Sep 2007
Hm?
Merkel's ability to pull off a green hat trick shows the importance of creating bipartisan support for environmental protection.
I've always found this a slightly odd way of putting it.
Imagine, if you will: an island with Sneetches on it, some with stars on their bellies, some without. The island is slowly sinking. The star-bellied Sneetches are in the life boats, itching to leave the island before it goes under. The non-star Sneetches are lingering on the beaches, quibbling about whether the island is really sinking, talking in ominous tones about the danger of ocean travel.
Finally, a non-star Sneetch trudges out and gets in a boat.
Would you say, "the non-Star Sneetch's willingness to finally get in the boat shows the importance of creating bipartisan support for leaving this island"? I suppose it's technically true, but it's somewhat more to the point to say that it shows the importance of non-star Sneetches getting in the f*cking boat.
Know what I mean?
grist.org
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bw3ttt Posted 4:00 pm
12 Sep 2007
The Good German??
What a horrible time to post an article about anything good coming out of Germany. The Germans have refused to endorse sanctions against Iran because their economy is in terrible shape and they don't want to do anything to make it worse.. So rather than sanction Iran they have recommended that the US bomb Iranian nuclear installations.. Now won't that be great for the environment?? Oh Germans the champions of the eco cause.. Just as long as it doesn't screw up their economy right??
And isn't it about time the Germans stopped building 14 MPG V8 luxury cars designed for export to America?? I'd sure like to see the Germans put their money where their mouth is..
The German leadership is just as sickening as the American leadership, but at least the American politicians are up-front about their disdain for the environment.. Merkel visiting glaciers is just a photo-op.. how disgusting..
Please read the news before you write an article..
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Miscetal Posted 12:14 am
13 Sep 2007
And what about the weaponry
that German companies continue to sell into the most conflict-prone and environmentally fraught regions of the world? and the 4WD Urban Assault Vehicles BMW and Mercedes are promoting in the US? and there's that little problem of Germans buying up every bit of Grundstuck available zum verkauf all over the pacific northwest, and then establishing their Fauz Chateaux that they can't get permission for in Deutschland... Nice that Merkel is noticing the glaciers - maybe she can get Autobahn behavior under control, eh?
Miscetal
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andrewb1 Posted 8:47 am
13 Sep 2007
Angela Merkel - Green ? No way, she stopped ...
Angela Merkel - Green ?
Why did she stop the EU making tough emissions standards on EU cars then, see:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuelwatch/message/2 ...
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuelwatch/message/2 ...
Sign the call for a moratorium on agrofuels at:
http://www.econexus.info/biofuels.html
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bw3ttt Posted 3:14 am
14 Sep 2007
Re: Merkel
She didn't stop it because their economy is in horrible trouble. Americans have no problem buying a cheap Japanese hybrid, but who would buy an overpriced German hybrid??
They'd rather have nuclear war than be poor.. it makes them sick to be overshadowed by the US..
They only care about the environment so long as they don't become poor like the countries they look down on (like Poland).
Funny because it's their fault their Eastern neighbors are poor..
I'm really tired of Americans talking about how great the Europeans are!!! The real green movement started on the west coast of the USA and the best ideas and practices continue to come from there.. The Europeans are a bunch of phonies!!!
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