Belgium to impose tax on barbequing to fight global warming

RIA Novosti ^ | April 3rd 2007 | RIA Novosti

[Optimill]

BRUSSELS, April 3 (RIA Novosti) - The government of Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia, which has a population of about 4 million, has approved a tax on barbequing, local media reported.

Experts said that between 50 and 100 grams of CO2, a so-called greenhouse gas, is emitted during barbequing. Beginning June 2007, residents of Wallonia will have to pay 20 euros for a grilling session.

The local authorities plan to monitor compliance with the new tax legislation from helicopters, whose thermal sensors will detect burning grills.

Scientists believe CO2 emissions are a major cause of global warming.

[A message]

local authorities plan to monitor compliance with the new tax legislation from helicopters, whose thermal sensors will detect burning grills.

What will they do when an armed group of BBQ/grilling radicals shoots a helicopter out of the sky.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Is this another “level-headed” response to the global warming and conservation problems?

[conservative in nyc]

Is this another “level-headed” response to the global warming and conservation problems?

Nah. It's probably an April Fools' joke picked up by a Russian website.

[Mr.Atos]

So let’s make sure we get this straight! The Left has imposed a tax on fire?

[steveab]

The dead should be selling CO2 credits

[Thunder90]

This is as bad as that knife ban in Scotland.

[trussell]

Ping

[Thunder90]

Can we use this on Al Gore (and only Al Gore and other ecoweenies)? He would be broke by now if taxed at those rates on his CO2 usage.

[Eric Blair 2084]

If it’s an April Fools Joke than Rush fell for it too. And WABC radio reported it this morning. And it’s no longer April 1.

No, we are in a world where life imitates the Onion. Just like in Catch-22, the only sane people are the insane.

[EGPWS]

Experts said that between 50 and 100 grams of CO2, a so-called greenhouse gas, is emitted during barbequing. Beginning June 2007, residents of Wallonia will have to pay 20 euros for a grilling session.

This opens up a great opportunity for an aggressive entrepreneur in Belgium.

Clean burning nuclear powered grills!

With the governments help they could change the way Belgians BBQ with a CO2 free smile.

[EGPWS]

The Left has imposed a tax on fire?

If it moves, tax it.

If it talks tax it.

If it profits tax it.

If it dies tax it.

If it swims tax it.

If it is broke tax it.

If it hungers tax it.

If it ....

And you're surprised that fire could be taxed?

[conservative in nyc]

If it’s an April Fools Joke than Rush fell for it too. And WABC radio reported it this morning. And it’s no longer April 1.

It was first reported on the news in Belgium on April Fools' Day, and was picked up by a Russian news agency today. I'm skeptical. And just because something is reported on the Internet doesn't make it true.

[Axenolith]

New Grill List:
1) Grill
2) Tongs
3) Meat
4) FIM-92 Stinger
5) 20mm Oerlikon

[HereInTheHeartland]

“The local authorities plan to monitor compliance with the new tax legislation from helicopters, whose thermal sensors will detect burning grills.”

This just has to be a Onion story.

They would fly helicopters to monitor people grilling a hamburger! Now that’s creative writing!
The writer of this spoof thinks that people would’t figure out the absurdity of a helicopter burning fuel to make sure someone wasn’t burning charcoal?

[Master of Orion]

Based on the recent Supreme Court ruling that CO2 is a toxic substance, it’s not a stretch to imagine a CO2 tax on every BBQ tank and bag of charcoal sold in the US.

[Adams]

California’s legislature will take this and run with it................until they realize their helicopters will be nailing mostly illegal aliens in East LA, who love to barbecue.

[bk1000]

“i’d like to see them try and put a tax on barbecuing in alabma”

No such thing. In the South, barbeque is a noun, not a verb. It consists of pork shoulder cooked low and slow. There are no exceptions. Period.

[38special]

Geez, our town charges $10 for a garage sale permit. Is there really any difference?

[conservative in nyc]

This just has to be a Onion story.

Your thought is kind of correct. RTL is a Belgian TV network that, from what I've tried to read on the French-language Internet, does a "Fish of April" fake news story every April Fools' Day. This was probably RTL's "Fish of April" this year. Many folks on French -language forums have pointed this out. So far, as far as I know, the story had only been picked up in the English-language wires by an obscure Russian news agency. You'd think it would have been all over the AFP wire if it were true.

The original RTL video (in French) that aired on April Fools' Day is available here. I don't speak French, so I have no clue whether they pointed out the story was fake. But it looks over-the-top and fake to me.

I would appreciate it if a French-speaking FReeper could tell us what the story said and if RTL mentioned the story was a "poisson d'avril".