Coronavirus and climate change policy
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required vehicle suppliers to increase their 2026 Corporate Average Fuel Economy to 55 miles per gallon. This is being reduced to 40 miles per gallon, which is however still an increase on current levels.
The US EPA is dismantling its requirements that new factories and power plant must have a permit to show their emissions will reflect “best available control technology" or the “lowest achievable emission rate”. Dr. Craig Idso is leading a petition to the EPA to repeal its “Endangerment Finding” for Greenhouse Gases, saying how "the projected risks and adverse consequences of rising greenhouse gases are failing to materialize”.
Czech Premier says EU should ditch its green energy policy in view of coronavirus. Other indications of a return to common sense come from Bavaria’s Minister President Soder who calls for the suspension of the electricity tax and EEG levy. The gung-ho climate alarmists in the Dutch Government have already postponed their “Urgenda” plans for additional action. In North America, Manitoba is to delay implementing its $25 per tonne carbon tax.
One buffoon we finance, the IEA’s Fatih Birol says we should use this as an opportunity to expedite the transition, a view supported by climate zealot and subsidy seeker, Australia’s Ross Garnaut.
Left green groups are horror-struck that Japan's “addiction to coal is watering down the efforts being made by the rest of the world”. Japan disappointed the activists because it plans to maintain its 26 per cent 2030 reduction (based on 2013 emissions). Russia plans to reduce 2030 emissions by one third of its Soviet-style bloated1990 levels but its plans are an increase on current levels.
Former President of the Socialist International, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has faced the reality that climate change action will have to be deferred but, absurdly, sees the Paris Agreement as lighting the recovery road.
The coronavirus is at least killing one wasteful green initiative – the reusable plastic bag that legislation enforced upon us, which is far more germ-prone than the one-trip bag.
Publicity starved Greta Thunberg recovering from Covid-19, says tackling it proves we can fight climate change. She is upstaged by Eco-fascists who claim to represent Extinction Rebellion and have posters proclaiming, “Corona is the cure. Humans are the disease.”
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