From Benny Peiser's Global Worming Policy Foundation
EU Leaders To Re-Consider Green Policies To Stay Competitive
The European Union’s utopian scheme of transforming itself into a green energy powerhouse is faltering as its fantasy plan is colliding with reality. As the EU’s economic and financial crisis deepens and unemployment continues to rise, what used to be an almost all-embracing green consensus is beginning to disintegrate. The green ideology of limits to growth has turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ecological rejection of traditional industries, the obstruction of new technologies together with an almost all-embracing hostility to every form of conventional (let alone unconventional) energy generation is gradually shifting the centre of economic growth and innovation away from an ageing and depressed Europe. --Benny Peiser, Financial Post, 14 May 2013
The question remains whether European leaders can actually roll back the green belief system and overcome this self-inflicted eco-disaster. In particular the race for shale exploration will decide whether policy makers can win the battle against massive green rejectionism. Without the development of new pragmatic policies and a forceful defence of a cheap energy strategy in face of green opposition, many governments will lack the will to free themselves from the green shackles that are hindering technological progress and economic advance. Even so, much of the green ballast that is holding Europe back will have to be thrown overboard if Europe wants to keep up with rest of the world. Just as socialist central planning failed miserably before it was replaced by free market economies, green central planning will have to be discarded before Europe will be able to see a return to economic growth and technological optimism. --Benny Peiser, Financial Post, 14 May 2013
EU leaders will grapple with controversial issues including shale gas development and climate change mitigation at an energy summit on 22 May, documents obtained by EurActiv show. “High energy prices and costs hamper European competitiveness,” the document says. An analysis of energy-price costs in member states will be requested from the EU executive by the end of 2014, highlighting the EU’s competitiveness with its global counterparts. Competitiveness, in the EU energy policy context, translates into a re-thinking of the Union’s climate policies. --EurActiv, 8 May 2013
European Union leaders will call for a study of energy prices and costs facing households and energy-intensive industries, according to draft conclusions of their May 22 summit. EU leaders will gather in Brussels to discuss energy and tax issues against the backdrop of a weakening economy and record unemployment. The European Commission on May 3 said the 17-nation euro-area economy is set to shrink for a second straight year, with the 27-nation EU also expected to contract. --Rebecca Christie, Bloomberg, 13 May 2013
European leaders will be meeting on 22 May to discuss energy policy, and as usual, the conclusions have been written before the talks have even begun. What's striking is seeing how economic concerns have edged the environment out of the picture. There is just one reference to the climate, but eighteen to prices, costs, and competitiveness. This is more than alarming. --Brook Riley, EurActiv, 14 May 2013
Europe is lurching through an energy crisis that in many respects parallels its seemingly unending economic crisis. Across Europe, consumer groups, governments and manufacturers are asking how their future energy needs can be met affordably and responsibly. –Stanley Reed, The New York Times, 17 April 2013
There will be winners and losers and surprise, surprise the losers are been the loudest voices in denial of the reality and potential of shale gas. But they too will adjust – even relics such as Gazprom who for so long have been determined to try to maintain a price structure which ties gas to oil prices are starting to recognise that there really is gas to gas competition now. The climate change lobby has to adjust too. The shale gas revolution is in the process of lowering the cost of using hydrocarbons just when they wanted the reverse to happen. --Nick Butler, Financial Times, 13 May 2013
The question remains whether European leaders can actually roll back the green belief system and overcome this self-inflicted eco-disaster. In particular the race for shale exploration will decide whether policy makers can win the battle against massive green rejectionism. Without the development of new pragmatic policies and a forceful defence of a cheap energy strategy in face of green opposition, many governments will lack the will to free themselves from the green shackles that are hindering technological progress and economic advance. Even so, much of the green ballast that is holding Europe back will have to be thrown overboard if Europe wants to keep up with rest of the world. Just as socialist central planning failed miserably before it was replaced by free market economies, green central planning will have to be discarded before Europe will be able to see a return to economic growth and technological optimism. --Benny Peiser, Financial Post, 14 May 2013
EU leaders will grapple with controversial issues including shale gas development and climate change mitigation at an energy summit on 22 May, documents obtained by EurActiv show. “High energy prices and costs hamper European competitiveness,” the document says. An analysis of energy-price costs in member states will be requested from the EU executive by the end of 2014, highlighting the EU’s competitiveness with its global counterparts. Competitiveness, in the EU energy policy context, translates into a re-thinking of the Union’s climate policies. --EurActiv, 8 May 2013
European Union leaders will call for a study of energy prices and costs facing households and energy-intensive industries, according to draft conclusions of their May 22 summit. EU leaders will gather in Brussels to discuss energy and tax issues against the backdrop of a weakening economy and record unemployment. The European Commission on May 3 said the 17-nation euro-area economy is set to shrink for a second straight year, with the 27-nation EU also expected to contract. --Rebecca Christie, Bloomberg, 13 May 2013
European leaders will be meeting on 22 May to discuss energy policy, and as usual, the conclusions have been written before the talks have even begun. What's striking is seeing how economic concerns have edged the environment out of the picture. There is just one reference to the climate, but eighteen to prices, costs, and competitiveness. This is more than alarming. --Brook Riley, EurActiv, 14 May 2013
Europe is lurching through an energy crisis that in many respects parallels its seemingly unending economic crisis. Across Europe, consumer groups, governments and manufacturers are asking how their future energy needs can be met affordably and responsibly. –Stanley Reed, The New York Times, 17 April 2013
There will be winners and losers and surprise, surprise the losers are been the loudest voices in denial of the reality and potential of shale gas. But they too will adjust – even relics such as Gazprom who for so long have been determined to try to maintain a price structure which ties gas to oil prices are starting to recognise that there really is gas to gas competition now. The climate change lobby has to adjust too. The shale gas revolution is in the process of lowering the cost of using hydrocarbons just when they wanted the reverse to happen. --Nick Butler, Financial Times, 13 May 2013
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