Yellow jacket protest: French prove no one’s taking climate change seriously
That the French are revolting we all know, that they’re revolting in the streets against their own government is also an often enough occurrence. But there’s something important underlying these riots at present. Which is the manner in which no one is really taking climate change seriously. An odd thing to say about riots started by higher fuel taxes to beat climate change but true all the same.
France fuel protests: Macron calls urgent security meeting
OK, but what’s the fuel protest about?
The protesters are known as the “gilets jaunes” (yellow vests), because they have taken to the streets wearing the high-visibility clothing that is required to be carried in every vehicle by French law.
Their core complaint is a hike in diesel taxes. President Macron says his motivation for the increase is environmental, but protesters call him out of touch – particularly with non-city dwellers who rely on their cars.
That “environmental” there being about climate change. And that’s the right way to do it too. If you’ve got some pollution being caused by something then raise the price to have less pollution. So, that the French populace are out on the streets protesting about this, demanding that the tax rises be reversed, shows that the French populace doesn’t take climate change seriously.
But what about Macron? He’s imposed the taxes, surely this means he must be taking it seriously? Well, no, because rather larger than cars as a source of pollution is power plants. And one of the types that doesn’t CO2 pollute is nuclear power stations. Thus beating climate change would be to replace gas and coal fired plants with nuclear. But Macron is closing some of the nuclear plants. So, he’s not taking climate change seriously, is he?
As with Merkel in fact. Germany’s spent well over a trillion on trying to beat climate change. At the same time as they closed the nuclear plants and replaced then with highly polluting brown coal ones.
People just aren’t taking climate change seriously or they wouldn’t be doing what they are.
Posted: 2nd, December 2018 | In: Key Posts, News Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
