Sarkozy details green France plan

[CONN]

Source: BBC

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called for taxes to target polluters and said French use of pesticides should be halved.<snip>

"We need to profoundly revise all of our taxes and charges. The aim is to tax pollution - notably fossil fuels - more, and tax work less," Mr Sarkozy said.

He called on the European Union to study in the next six months "the possibility of taxing imports from countries that do not respect the Kyoto Protocol" - the international agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. <snip>

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7062577.stm

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IMO taxing polluters in other countries is fair... For example, company moves manufacturing out of USA to avoid costly pollution controls, but still want to market goods here. Not sure how it would work.

[spag68]

1. America and being green.

The very least that the gov. should do, is to mandate that all new fed construction be built to the best green standards. Also all gov. vehicles should be either nat. gas, or battery powered.

[Bozita]

2. Evidently, Sarkozy doesn't understand "compassionate conservatism"

Look into his eyes, Dubya. What color do you see?

[GeminiProgressive]

3. just goes to show once again

that in France even the "conservatives" are more left-wing than our Democrats...Our Dems would cower at the thought of raising taxes on polluters..

[jordi_fanclub]

4. And suspend the planting of genetically-modified (GM) crops...

In the same article:

"He also said the commercial planting of genetically-modified (GM) crops would be suspended in France.
...
Mr Sarkozy said France would not plant pest-resistant GM crops until further studies were carried out.

The EU has approved cultivation of a GM variety of maize developed by the US biotech firm Monsanto,
but it has restricted other GM seeds and foods, in contrast with the US."

[GeminiProgressive]

5. France is a pretty

revolutionary and socialized country. Even their right-wing is considered left-wing in many other countries. They have nationalized banking, air travel, healthcare, and telecommunications..and many locally owned gov administered utilities and businesses. They have a powerful labor movement..our unions pale in comparison..they have a constiutional RIGHT to housing and a strong welfare safety net. They have also rejected many of the EU's neoliberal treaties. Go France!