THE EUROPEAN Commission has denied it will introduce a tax on cows in Ireland to help meet our commitments to cut emissions. The director of its Dublin office Martin Territt said to suggest otherwise was to deliberately mislead the public.
More from The Irish Times.
we should seriously consider having an emissions tax on all food stuffs, both for human and animal consumption.
How much CO2, and maybe a shot of sulphur leading to horrible acid rain, is emmitted from the digestion of a gallon of Guinness?
Do we actually get charged for methane emitted by cattle?
He should take issue with the Dept of Enterprise and Trade which leaked the supposed memo then.Originally Posted by NewsBot
Seems like a monumentally stupid idea, which would do little to address the causes of emissions from agriculture. An idea that clearly would have come neither from the Irish Dept of the Environment nor DG Environment in the Commission (which doesn't have any competence anyway). More likely some poor sod in Dept Agriculture with no clue about the issue.
No.
Under the Kyoto protocol we are supposed to limit the increase in our emissions - to a 13% increase above 1990 levels over the 2008-2012 period (this covers all sectors).
Under the new EU legislation covering the post-2012 period we are being tasked with reducing our emissions 20% based on 2005 levels from economic sectors not covered by the emissions trading scheme (this includes, among others, agriculture). How we do this is entirely up to us. As far as I know, there is no post-2012 strategy yet (as the reduction figures could change in the event of an international climate agreement) but you can find more info at the Dept of Environment.
Last edited by zeleneye; 11th March 2009 at 12:16 PM. Reason: emphasis
They will charge a tax of €10 per cow but udderCAP they will pay the farmer €12 in support grants for taxing him €10 plus spend €100M a year doing it.
Wasn't this "plan" first heard of as being a Green plan from the party conference? When did it become a euromyth?
Never let the best be the enemy of the good.
The EU is committed to the green agenda even though there is no scientific consensus on whether human activity is wholly responsible for global warming. The EU is committed to taxing pollution and WILL tax cows because they emit a lot of co2. Obviously the EU is simply keeping quiet about it now (it has shelved certain other policies until after lisbon 2). But that does not mean it is not in the agenda.
Hmmm. Where to start.
- If the EU is committed to the 'green agenda' (in anything other than rhetoric), why is it that the industry lobby (particularly from energy intensive and producing sectors) effectively drafts the energy and climate legislation? The recent climate and energy package of legislation being a case in point.
- Taxation remains an area of unanimity. The EU has never "committed to taxing pollution", although there are discussions on reducing VAT rates for energy-efficient products. Whatever you think about carbon taxes, it is a national issue and a national debate.
- There is a scientific consensus that manmade greenhouse gases are distorting the natural cycle and accelerating the onset of climate change.
Last edited by zeleneye; 11th March 2009 at 02:52 PM. Reason: clarity
They need to take Cow off the agenda and put in on the plate with a selection of sauces.....mmmmmmmmmmm
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