French prime minister proposes an import tax on Kyoto-averse countries

No More McDonald's For Them

We'd like to preface this story on French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin with an amuse bouche: his name always makes us think of that Singing Nun tune from the '60s, which led us to a lyrics site today, which featured the offer, "Send the Singing Nun ringtones to your cell phone." What a world we live in. OK, on to the news: the French PM has proposed a European tax on imports from countries that don't play along with the Kyoto Protocol. Some see the idea -- which would require E.U. support -- as a protectionist trade measure, but de Villepin maintains that it's crucial for battling big polluters like the U.S. and China. "Europe has to use all its weight to stand up to this sort of environmental dumping," he said, promising a concrete tax proposal by March. France is also aiming for a new coal tax and increased taxes on polluters. "The environment is a global issue," de Villepin said. "Our efforts will be worthless if we are the only ones fighting for the future of the planet."

straight to the source: Reuters, 14 Nov 2006

straight to the source: Financial Times, Delphine Strauss, 13 Nov 2006

ADVERTISING POLICY

Comments: (6 comments)

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

that nun can sing all she wants ...

We must remember, though, that that cute song of hers celebrates the crushing of the Albigensian heretics, in the Langue d'Oc region of southern France (Albi, Toulouse, Carcassonne, etc.) in the 13th century. Not that they are my favorite heretics, but still!

Being generally a Francophile, I do not like when the French fall down on their self-anointed job, e.g. keeping the peace in Africa. Still, I do hope that this idea of M. de Villepin goes places.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 10:47 AM on 14 Nov 2006

No More McDonald's For Them

I wonder why the French Prime Minister would think that a European tax on imports from the United States would not result in a tax on European imports into the United States. Citizens here would demand it. Someone over there should do a little research on the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act (1930) and its impact on world trade and the Great Depression.

If the European's want to waste their resources and damage their economies trying to implement Kyoto, I guess that would be their own business. Even if fully implemented, Kyoto's effect on predicted future global warming would be negligible. Why should the United States engage in very expensive symbolism just because the Europeans do?

C. B. Richardson Jr. Houston, Texas

by cbrtxus at 10:53 AM on 14 Nov 2006

Citizens would demand it?

Since when have our citizens demanded anything? and how often have you known Joe/Jane Citizen to demand higher taxes? I think you are vastly over-estimating the citizenry. They might have a grasp on Freedom Fries, but global economic policy? Not so much.

by kmp at 12:27 PM on 14 Nov 2006

Wooohooo!

Higher standards for appliances!

France ups their food standards again, and sticks it to the man!

Sadly...global warming is hurting most those who have the least to do with it - farmers in impoverished countries. More desertification, lower yields, longer and more frequent droughts. If these things happened on a person-to-person level, we'd be charged with abuse or neglect, or worse. That our country hides behind the spin and the politics is shameful, and we'll get ours someday.

by swozniak at 9:49 PM on 14 Nov 2006

Citizens would demand it?

kmp, you might be right about our citizens. I hope that you aren't.

If another country erects trade barriers against our exports, we should retaliate immediately and do so without equivocation. To do otherwise would encourage other countries to erect their own trade barriers. Every country would probably prefer to protect its own manufacturing from foreign competition. What keeps them from doing it is the prospect of foreign competitors doing the same.

The United States represents a huge market for foreign exporters. I doubt if they would want to disturb that. Hopefully, no country would be willing to start a trade war over something as inane as the Kyoto Protocol.

C. B. Richardson Jr. Houston, Texas

by cbrtxus at 9:01 AM on 17 Nov 2006
[ Parent ]

Wooohooo!

Swozniak, I suspect that the current warming trend that ended the Little Ice Age around the 1850's increased yields. Has global farm productivity gone down since 1850? Is it trending down now?

Longer growing seasons and less frost would tend to increase production and allow certain crops to be grown further to the North. And higher levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide would tend to benefit crop yields. I doubt that anyone involved with agriculture would long for the climate that we had during the Little Ice Age.

Local climate fluctuations can adversely impact certain areas while being a boon to other areas. Our own "Dust Bowl" in the 1930's would be a good example. Droughts have always been with us. There is no evidence that I am aware of that we are having longer and more frequent droughts when compared to a longer span of time. The desertification in some areas started long before anthropogenic global warming could have been a cause.

I do agree with you about the spin and the politics. It exists on all sides of the anthropogenic global warming debate. I have Google send me links to new articles that contain "Global Warming." It seems like everything including obesity and athletes feet have now been linked to global warming. I am suffering from "hysteria overload." :)

C. B. Richardson Jr. Houston, Texas

by cbrtxus at 9:52 AM on 17 Nov 2006
[ Parent ]

The comments of Grist users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?