Demand for 'Kyoto tax' on the US

BBC ^ | 6 December 2003 | Unknown

[DeepDish]

Demand for 'Kyoto tax' on the US

Scientists say the climate is warming Countries refusing to cut their emissions of greenhouse gases should face trade sanctions, according to a British independent think-tank. The United States has not signed the Kyoto agreement on climate change and Russia has indicated it may follow.

The New Economics Foundation wants the EU to tax imports from these countries because they enjoy a competitive disadvantage as energy costs increase.

Signed-up countries are currently meeting in Italy to discuss the treaty.

New Economics Foundation spokesman Andrew Simms told BBC Radio 4's Today programme EU countries would be within their rights to "work out the cost of the free ride America is getting" and raise that amount.

[DeepDish]

Now the true reason the euros love Kyoto. They see it as a club to be used to bash the United States in the trade arena. This could be a real problem for the President in the 2008-2012 timeframe. A problem I would not even wish upon a democrat.

[gipper81]

These idiots always look to the United States, whereas the real emissions problem is in CHINA.

[Az Joe]

"Good ol' Europe. We can always count on them."

-America, circa 1945

[Batrachian]

The way to squash this is to promise massive tarrifs in response. Don't play around. Nip this in the bud now. The Europeans are emboldened by the President's foolish steel tarrif debacle and are going to push for all kinds of things like this.

[Always Right]

The Euro-trash are becoming the most arrogant a$$holes on the face of the earth. Can we just nuke the bastards out of existance, or would that violate one of their unilateral treaties they wish to involk on us?

[Always Right]

The way to squash this is to promise massive tarrifs in response. Don't play around. Nip this in the bud now. The Europeans are emboldened by the President's foolish steel tarrif debacle and are going to push for all kinds of things like this.

Yeap, this is the second time in one day since Bush retreated. The Eurpeans make me sick. Their political leaders are the lowest life forms.

[redbaiter]

When they tax imports from the US they're just raising their own costs, in effect raising their own taxes without realizing any revenue. They still don't get it.

[Bob]

"Good ol' Europe. We can always count on them."

Yep, you can count on the fact that whenever they need us, they'll be there.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

I believe that 13 of the 15 EU signers are not meeting the standards they agreed to. That means that it is as worthless as a treaty as it is in accomplishing anything.

[Broadside Joe]

More euroweenies Green with envy. I don't think they realize the impact a trade war would have on THEM.

[squidly]

I'm always game for a trade war.

[DustyMoment]

Let'em tax away. We have other markets we can trade with . . . and other places to station our military forces.

The question is, how long can Tony Blair continue to walk a tight line between maintaining friendly, cordial relations with America and trying to be an influential member of the PU?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[Monty22]

Wow, now they're actually getting blatant about their agenda. That it's just a mafia style shakeup of the US by these crap countries.

[DeepDish]

Here is a link about the EU's current problems meeting their own ridiculous tartgets.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3253476.stm

This whole Kyoto thing turns out to be a play on the old Soviet Union's command economy. The new twist is that there is going to be no commander. Just a faceless organization whose policy will be decided by how hugging a tree makes them feel. And that is a recipe for economic catastrophe on a global scale.

[demlosers]

The devil was always in the details in the Kyoto agreement. Countries like the U.S. could not possibly meet the treaty demands, and therefore had to 'buy' credits from smaller and less capable countries. In essence, the U.S. was to pay the rest of the world to "pollute".

The BS greenhouse gas pollution was a cover for extortion by the U.N lovers.

Even the Rats in the Senate saw the hand writing on this one, which would have lead to their public lynching if they RATified Kyoto. 95 - 0 against.

[templar]

These idiots always look to the United States, whereas the real emissions problem is in CHINA.

But the Euro's can't compete with China and they know it. They also can't compete with the U.S., but they think they can 'level the playing field' with us even if they can't with China. It really ins't about emissions at all, it's (as always) about money.

[DeepDish]

The concept of a pollution credits market is, I think, the reason the Russkies are wavering on ratification. The economic contraction in Russia after 1990 is huge and in the short term the Russkies stand to reap a fortune. In the long term it chokes off growth. They are in my opinion weighing the long term vs. short advantages. Myself, I do not see why they would want to trade their current government for what amounts to a committee of foreign economic Stalinists.

[Dog Gone]

Taxing our exports would be a violation of the WTO rules. If they want to start playing that game, they'll lose. How would Germany like to see Volkswagens priced at $250,000 apiece here in the US?

French wine starting at $1000 a bottle?

[woofer]

Now the true reason the euros love Kyoto. They see it as a club to be used to bash the United States in the trade arena.

Kyoto has always been about curtailing the economic strength of the US. Nothing less. The Euro-weenies are apparently trying to pry open a loophole to fatten their treasuries at our expense since we refused to buy into their plans to reduce our economy to third world status.

[americanbychoice]

Totally agree. They export more of their goods to this country than they buy from us. "Bring it on"