UK offers “green deal” — no takers
What if they gave a government program and nobody came?
Poland blocks EU environment council on climate
Poland, which is about to assume the EU Presidency, is so fed up with EU climate policy that on June 22 it blocked the conclusions of the EU environmental ministers council. Polish good sense blocked the ministers from recommending the EU reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 which would devastate European economies. This would hit Poland and similar economies which have not yet recovered from their forced experiment with 20th century socialism particularly hard. EU climate policy has recently been shown to be rife with waste, fraud and abuse and the Poles have had enough. There is a saying [...]
Ban all cars from EU cities? End affordable flights?
The Telegraph reports on an EU plan to ban all gas and diesel vehicles from EU cities and end discount air travel all in the name of global warming. Siim Kallas, the EU transport commission, insisted that Brussels directives and new taxation of fuel would be used to force people out of their cars and onto "alternative" means of transport. "That means no more conventionally fuelled cars in our city centres," he said. "Action will follow, legislation, real action to change behaviour." READ MORE AT DAILY TELEGRAPH
Energy Commissioner: “process of de-industrialization in full swing”
German electricity prices a barrier to business EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger has told the German government that its taxes and fees on electricity have doubled since 1998, now stand at 41 percent and will continue to increase due to subsidies for alternative energy. Oettinger warned that this has moved the gradual process of de-industrialization into full swing and is forcing business and industry to flee the country. German electricity costs were described as at the upper edge of what is socially reasonable. How much more will German ratepayers tolerate before they reach their breaking point? MORE (Auf Deustsch) AT HANDELSBLATT
President Klaus: Warming action not justified
"I am not impressed by heavily biased British scientific institutions." Czech President Vaclav Klaus finds no evidence that government spending on global warming would be worth the cost. "I don't see empirical evidence of human-caused global warming. I see so many mistakes in the methodology of science and modelling." President Klaus, who recently served as President of the European Union, has long been a vocal critic of global warming science and policy. Last year he addressed the International Conference on Climate Change which was co-sponsored by CFACT. READ MORE FROM REUTERS
Another Domino Falls: UK’s Leading Scientific Body Retreats on Climate Change Agenda
By Patrick Henningsen 21st Century Wire Sept 30, 2010 The UK’s leading scientific body has decided to rewrite its own definitive guide on climate change, now admitting that it is “not known” how much warmer the planet will become. The Royal Society has released a new guide which outlines its retreat from its former vanguard stance on the threat of climate change and man-made global warming. The decision to update their scientific guide came after 43 of its members complained that the previous versions failed to take into account the opinion of climate change sceptics. The new guide, entitled ‘Climate change: [...]
Mother Earth sells carbon indulgences in Chicago
ROGER HELMER, MEP Rather to my surprise, I bumped into Mother Earth at the Heartland Climate Conference in Chicago (May 17th). There she was, large as life, in her green gown with a wreath of ivy in her hair (when I first saw the green gown I feared she might be a Warmist saboteur who had slipped past Security, but my worries were unfounded). And she was selling (or strictly speaking, giving out) Carbon Indulgences (that’s the white rectangle in the photograph). Fascinated, I read the text: “This indulgence serves as a remittance of all carbon sins. You are forgiven for [...]
CFACT Responds to Connie Hedegaard
Anyone who tells you that restricting prosperity and redistributing wealth will alter the climate is selling something. CRAIG RUCKER EU Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard today posed the question, "can the U.S. afford not to have ambitious legislation that paves the way for a more energy-efficient future?" CFACT Executive Director Craig Rucker responded that if the US Congress fails, America wins. Commissioner Hedegaard's Denmark may have surrounded itself with wind turbines, but could not afford such feel good luxuries if it were not for the vast income and energy it derives from Danish North Sea oil and gas. READ MORE
Vaclav Klaus to the UN: We Should Not Make Big Mistakes
Politicians know that they have to act when it is necessary. They know that their duty is to instigate public-policy responses to issues that could pose a threat to the people of their countries. And they have to form partnerships with colleagues from other countries when a problem cannot be “confined” within national boundaries. To help doing it is one of the main reasons for the existence of institutions such as the United Nations. […]
EU-Commissioners Verheugen & Potocnik address EU Liberal Youth Congress
LYMEC calls on Europe to rise to the challenge of globalization Around 150 representatives of various European liberal youth organizations gathered in Berlin this past weekend at the annual congress of LYMEC, their European umbrella organization. Top speakers included EU-Commissioners Verheugen (Enterprise and Industry) and Potocnik (science and research). […]
Rothbard and Rucker on Environment, Development and Africa in “European View”
In their article, David Rothbard and Craig Rucker urge EU policy makers to ensure that their new policies towards Africa will be beneficial in particular to African nations that were once European colonies. "The answer to Africa’s needs, however, is not more handouts or even aid forgiveness, as was recommended at the June 2005 G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland. Rather, it is in creating a new class of entrepreneurs from among the poorest Africans and in affirming the value of market principles, relying on sound science and re-committing to a balanced Judeo-Christian understanding of environmental stewardship." Other [...]
Bienvenu! Velkommen! Benvenuto! Tervetuola! Καλώς ορίσατε! Witamy! Willkomen! Bem-Vindo! Isten hozott! Bun Venit! Bienvenido! Dobro došli Vitejte! Добре дошли! Welcome! This is the site of the European Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT Europe). We are part of the international CFACT network. We are a non-governmental and non-partisan organization dedicated to the improvement of our environment, our public services and to efficient strategies to overcome poverty in Europe and beyond. However, on our pages you will NOT find the usual doomsday scenarios of banal environmentalism. Actually, we are tired of these scenarios. Why? Pessimism and extremism are destructive. We believe that [...]