Europe's shocking failure to act on climate

Deutsche Welle ^ | 12.22.2017 | Gero Rueter, Ruby Russell

[Olog-hai]

The European Union has agreed a host of climate and energy targets this week: It’s set energy efficiency standards for new buildings, and agreed to climate targets for 2030.

Europe has a history of progressive environmental legislation, and it political leaders often position themselves as climate heroes. Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron appears to have moved in on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s traditional territory as international climate champion, with public displays of support for climate science and attacks on US President Donald Trump’s regressive climate policies.

But behind the bravado, is Europe doing enough to cut emissions? The short answer, environmentalists say, is no. “Europe is so divided on climate issues, it doesn’t play that leadership role any more,” Wendel Trio, director of Climate Action Network Europe, told DW.

On Thursday, the European Commission and European Parliament agreed to cut emissions from sectors not covered by the bloc’s emissions trading scheme by 30 percent compared to 2005. That impacts transport, buildings, waste and non-CO₂ emissions from agriculture.

European ministers met on Monday to agree a package of climate and energy targets that are to form the basis of EU legislation next year. This week, rather that increasing its ambition, European Commission rules would keep them as they are. But experts say they fall well short of the ambition needed to meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to maximum 2°C (3.6°F). …

[Williams]

What total bs.

[Teacher317]

The Paris Agreement allows China (by far the world's worst polluter) to ADD (by 2030) as much C02 emissions as the entire EU emits today, combined... while the EU has to cut down a few percentage points before 2030...

And the suicidal Left insists that it is the EU that isn't doing enough. Amazing.

[Maceman]

Everything you need to know about the climate change agenda was stated quite clearly by the UN's top climate official in 2015:

"This is probably the most difficult task we have ever given ourselves, which is to intentionally transform the economic development model, for the first time in human history.

"This is the first time in the history of mankind that we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally, within a defined period of time to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years, since the industrial revolution. That will not happen overnight and it will not happen at a single conference on climate change, be it COP 15, 21, 40 - you choose the number. It just does not occur like that. It is a process, because of the depth of the transformation."
--Christiane Figueres, Executive Secretary of UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)

[Leaning Right]

I'm shocked... shocked to find that Europe has failed to act on climate change.

[GraceG]

The millions of Arab and African migrants want it to be warmer anyways, are those Europeans being racist against them by wanting to keep Europe chilly????

[SubMareener]

We are entering a very low Solar Minimum. They are going to need to increase CO2 to compensate.

[Olog-hai]

That’ll take a few more volcanoes having some effusive eruptions, then.

[SubMareener]

Volcanic eruptions cool the planet. We just had a 50,000 foot plume from a Volcano in Kamchatka.

[Olog-hai]

Yes, explosive ones that put solid material into the upper atmosphere. Effusive ones put out a lot of CO₂ and other gases though.

[SubMareener]

Right! Once again showing what an ineffective greenhouse gas CO2 is.

[aquila48]

“And the suicidal Left insists that it is the EU that isn’t doing enough. Amazing. “

I’m confused... is there a difference between the suicidal left and the EU?

[mhx]

My favorite quote:

"If you look at the action in the ground, emissions have more or less stalled in Europe over the last two years," Trio said, adding that countries like China, Japan and even the United States are all seeing emissions fall faster than in Europe.

[Olog-hai]

They never can keep their lies straight. They always fall right into the hole they dug for others.

[BenLurkin]

Stop global warming — castrate the refugees.

[Rembrandt]

When every goal ends with the phrase “and will be funded by $7,050 million from the USA”, progress is pretty dicey since the US is no longer slopping money into the hog trough.

[BradyLS]

Oooohhhh…Now I get it!

Europe hosted all the swanky climate parties to get everyone on bboard!

And then United States was supposed to foot the bill!!!

“C’mon, Sam. Don’t be a nerd. Just pay the bill for us and be one of the cool kids.”

Was that supposed to be the plan???

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

Soon, but not in our lifetimes, it is going to be much, much colder. By then perhaps AlGorical and his minions will appear as YouTube videos on the Cartoon Channel

[Wuli]

Do as we say, not as we do.

While the U.S. without Europe’s CO2 targets has lowered its CO2 output more than the EU.

[eyeamok]

But experts say they fall well short of the ambition needed to meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to maximum 2°C (3.6°F). …

I think we should help France and Europe out on this, Ban ALL Exports of Fossil Fuel Products to Europe and France, if they don’t have gas, they can’t burn it.