The new Sick Man of Europe is . . . Europe!
CCNet’s Benny Pieser has an eye-opening rundown of what Kyoto-augmented energy costs have wrought on the continent – which is what the U.S. should expect if Lieberman-Warner ever returns from the grave.
Concerns were growing last night over a summer of coordinated European fuel protests after tens of thousands of Spanish truckers blocked roads and the French border, sparking similar action in Portugal and France, while unions across Europe prepared fresh action over the rising price of petrol and diesel.
– Angelique Chrisafis, The Guardian, 10 June 2008
Hauliers have threatened to escalate their action against soaring fuel prices after staging a protest convoy between Glasgow and Edinburgh. David McCutcheon, a haulage firm chief who organised the event, warned that action would be intensified if the government failed to cut fuel taxes.– The Scotsman, 11 June 2008
There is anger and frustration, and things will start getting out of hand when firms start going out of business. Companies are already reducing their vehicle fleets and having to pay for their fuel every two weeks rather than monthly. Everyone is struggling with cashflow.– Phil Flanders, The Scotsman, 11 June 2008
People are prepared to take militant action. The Spanish are blocking roads and it will come to that here eventually. This country is heading for meltdown and a general strike. This is not just a bunch of truck-drivers looking after their own ends. We’re out to fight the cost of fuel, which is affecting the whole economy.– Jim Macauley, The Scotsman, 11 June 2008
Millions of people are suffering from fuel poverty due to rises in fuel costs, energy charities have warned. An estimated 4.5 million households now fall into the category of being fuel poor, the National Energy Action group (NEA) claimed.–The Press Association, 7 June 2008
Thousands more children and pensioners are living in poverty, according to new official figures. The number of children living below the breadline rose by 100,000 for the second year in a row to a total of 2.9 million, a blow to Gordon Brown, who has pledged to halve the total by 2010.– The Times, 11 June 2008
All this pales into insignificance compared with the real energy crisis roaring down on Britain with the speed of a bullet train as, within six or seven years, we stand to lose 40 per cent of all our existing electricity-generating capacity. Whichever way it is looked at, Britain is threatened by what, thanks to years of dereliction and misjudgement, has become arguably our most serious potential crisis of modern times.– Christopher Booker, Daily Mail, 11 June 2008
If the Kyoto protocol is signed without further negotiations, Turkey will be responsible for directly undertaking the commitment of reducing greenhouse gases as of the year 2012. The financial cost of this will be between $40 and $148 billion according to the calculations made by the State Planning Organization.– Sabah News, 10 June 2008