Global Warming

French President Nicolas Sarkozy faced an embarrassing setback Wednesday after the high court struck down a planned carbon tax to fight global warming, just days before it was to kick in. The constitutional court ruled that too many exemptions to the tax on carbon dioxide emissions created inequalities and unfairly placed the burden of cutting down wasteful energy use on a minority of consumers. Sarkozy had fiercely defended the measure in the face of strong public opposition, calling it a "revolutionary" approach in the fight against climate change and making it a pillar of his 2010 budget. The court ruling was seen as a ... Read Full Story

PARIS (Reuters) - French ministers scrambled on Wednesday to rescue a carbon tax aimed at cutting energy consumption, which was annulled by the Constitutional Court just 48 hours before it was due to come into force. France's highest court stunned President Nicolas Sarkozy's government late on Tuesday by ruling against the tax, saying there were too many loopholes benefiting major industrial polluters. The new tax was expected to raise 1.5 billion euros ($2.15 billion) next year and the court's decision will put added pressure on the budget deficit, already forecast to come in at a high 8.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2010. ... Read Full Story

PARIS (Reuters) - France's planned carbon tax cannot be applied because it includes too many exemptions, a French government body ensuring laws are constitutional ruled on Tuesday, in an embarrassing setback for the government. The tax on carbon-emitting products, meant to encourage consumers to save energy and use less fossil fuels, is one of President Nicolas Sarkozy's most loudly defended initiatives and was meant to come into effect on January 1, 2010. "The exemptions included in the carbon tax run counter to the aim of fighting climate change and create inequalities with respect to public charges," the Constitutional Council said in a statement. Prime ... Read Full Story

by Carole Landry PARIS (AFP) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy faced an embarrassing setback Wednesday after the high court struck down a planned carbon tax to fight global warming, just days before it was to kick in. The constitutional court ruled that too many exemptions to the tax on carbon dioxide emissions created inequalities and unfairly placed the burden of cutting down wasteful energy use on a minority of consumers. Sarkozy had fiercely defended the measure in the face of strong public opposition, calling it a "revolutionary" approach in the fight against climate change and making it a pillar of his 2010 budget. The ... Read Full Story

Carbon Dioxide Emissions have been the topic of debate and heated discussion for some time now. The data derived from many scientific studies and statistical models clearly show the correlation between CO2 emissions and Global Warming - this is a given and irrefutable. The most recent IPCC report indicates that the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) during the 21st century. According to the journal " Nature ", two studies by a co-operation of German, Swiss and British researchers have shown that if CO2 emissions are halved by 2050 compared to 1990, global ... Read Full Story