French conservatives go green, too!

Sarkozy pushes proposals on energy and the environment

Posted by Joseph Romm (Guest Contributor) at 5:05 PM on 09 Oct 2007

We have already seen that British Conservatives "get" global warming -- both the danger of inaction and the economic opportunity of a "green revolution."

Now the right wing cheese-eating surrender monkeys are also putting their American political counterparts to shame. As Nature reports about the new conservative French president:

Sarkozy made the greening of France a major plank of his election campaign this year. He has since created a superministry for ecology, biodiversity and sustainable development, with responsibility for the powerful sectors of transport, energy and construction -- a first in France, where ecology was previously off the political radar.

Yet it seems inconceivable a U.S. conservative politician could take such action, or agree to the following remarkable proposals now under active consideration in France:

All newly built homes to produce more energy than they consume by 2020. Renovate all existing buildings to save energy. Ban incandescent light bulbs by 2010. Reduce greenhouse-gas emission by 20% by 2020.

Increase renewable energy from 9% to 20-25% of total energy consumption by 2020.

Bring transport emissions back to 1990 levels. Reduce vehicle speed limits by 10 kilometres per hour. Taxes and incentives to favour clean cars. Shift half of haulage by road to rail and water within 15 years. Develop rail and public transport.

Reduce air pollutants quantitatively.

Create a national network of "green" corridors and nature reserves.

Increase organic farming from 2% to 6% of total acreage production by 2010 and to 20% by 2020.

Ecological groups to be stakeholders, like trade unions, in government negotiations.

Create a body to review planting of genetically modified crops on a case-by-case basis.

We must join the climate fight soon, lest some French satricial TV show label us "Freedom-Fry-eating polar-bear killers."

Tip o' the hat to Earl Killian for pointing this story out to me.

This post was created for ClimateProgress.org, a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

For story: French conservatives go green, too!
14 Comments | Post a Comment

H. Clinton Is the Segolene Royale of U.S.

Hopefully she won't treat us to the sight of her pear shaped bod in a Wicked Weasel micro-bikini.

Texeme.Construct(function(x)=Participation(x))

by jabailo at 5:13 PM on 09 Oct 2007

OK, I'm confused

Why would the French want to increase renewables to 20 - 25% of total energy by 2020?

Indeed, how is it 9% today?

Replacing nuclear with wind means replacing nuclear with wind + inefficient natural gas backup, increasing GHG emissions. If the increase comes from biofuels, there will be environmental consequences in that time frame, including possibly increasing GHG emissions -- cutting down tropical forests to produce biofuels may not reduce GHG emissions.

So they will be replacing ??? with hydro? Building new hydro rather than just nuclear?

Please provide more details.

A Musing Environment

Karen Street

by Karen Street at 10:03 PM on 09 Oct 2007

More Renewables

France could increase renewables % if, by moving to heat pumps and plug in hybrid cars, they substitute electricity for natural gas and oil. This may be a reasonable goal since 20% or so seems to be the practical limit for non controllable (wind/solar) electricity sources.

by KenG at 10:13 PM on 09 Oct 2007

In answer to Karen's question

Note the percentage of renewables-based electricity that the Frnch government envisages it topping out at: 20-25%. That means, essentially, maintenance of the current share provided by nuclear power (the highest in the world), and the replacement of most, if not all, fossil-fueled power plants by renewable sources. Most of France's 9% renewable share at the moment is provided by hydro-electricity. In the future, there will undoubtedly be more plants fueled by biogass and biomass, as well as the usual wind and solar-PV plants.

I agree that if the increase comes from liquid biofuels, there will be environmental consequences, including possibly increasing GHG emissions. But the tide of public opinion in France, as well as in the EU in general, is turning against biofuels. Politicians pander much less to the idea that biofuels are the answer to energy independence; and even the European Commission maintains (though nobody believes them) that the EU's biofuel support policies have NOTHING to do with boosting farm incomes. The main justification has been GHG-reduction benefits, and those are now being questioned. As in the USA, there is a momentum behind biofuels that will keep the juggernaut moving forward for another year, but I predict that political support will start slipping away very quickly.

As for the rest of France's policies, there is already considerable support for what the French call "agriculture raisonnable", which is not quite organic, but on the road to it. Meanwhile, long over-due enforcement of speed limits has already saved lives on the road and, I assume (though I haven't seen the figures), improved fuel economy. Then there is the astounding success of the Velib' urban bicycle networks in Paris and Lyon, ...

These are only my personal opinions.

by Ron Steenblik at 11:38 PM on 09 Oct 2007

Time to clean up the comments

John Bailo's comment is juvenile, sexist and stupid. Why he is still allowed to post on Gristmill is beyond me.

Anyone else for voting him off the island?

Bart
Energy Bulletin

by Bart Anderson at 12:35 AM on 10 Oct 2007

RE: Time to clean up the comments

Bart, I agree with your assessment of John's comment below. Though, to be fair, some comments made by some of the regular contributors to Gristmill about politicians (and celebrities) come close to being either excessively rude, or inanely fawning. Moreover, I've enjoyed reading John's first-person tales of the challenges he has faced commuting by bicycle in his home town.

John: more people would pay attention to what you say if you take the high road. If that sounds condescending, I don't mean it to. Consider it a "word to the wise".

These are only my personal opinions.

by Ron Steenblik at 5:04 AM on 10 Oct 2007
[ Parent ]

corridors; islands

Presumably the proposed network of "green" corridors and nature preserves has to do with preserving wildlife. That interests me, because I feel I ought to know more about what lies behind it. Which animals would be benefited? Would a network solely located within the territory of France large enough to do them good? Certainly for the sake of animals in the Pyrenees and the Alps, France would need to cooperate with Spain, Italy and Switzerland.

Then again, there may be some kind of development going on within French borders, which is dangerously restricting wildlife to unviable islands, rather as natural gas development in the US state of Wyoming is adversely affecting some birds and mammals. But I do not know enough about European wildlife to guess what that might be about.

As for the Gristmill island, and Bart's proposal:
I think I would not vote to ostracize our dear Brother John. If juvenility and stupidity are justifications for axing, then I should have been axed long ago; so I am feeling fearfully for my own neck here.

The sexism is indeed nasty, and not to be encouraged. But after all, it is only a couple of steps beyond what the MSM are prepared to subject Hillary to, as indeed they already have done. Nor did poor Segolene Royal escape such comments as, "Her hair always seems dirty."

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 5:32 AM on 10 Oct 2007

Read It In The Newspapers

The comparison is valid.

Segolene Royale was touted for more than a year as the Liberal answer to all Frances problems.

Much mention was made by all parties of how "sexy" she was.

A famous picture of her in a bikini was floated by all major press organs for day after day.

I therefore (humorously) make an analogy between Hillary and Segolene, as Segolene was defeated by a more serious Conservative candidate -- Conservative in the sense of hard nosed.

Texeme.Construct(function(x)=Participation(x))

by jabailo at 9:01 AM on 10 Oct 2007
[ Parent ]

Swift Boat Status

John: more people would pay attention to what you say if you take the high road. If that sounds condescending, I don't mean it to. Consider it a "word to the wise".

I would really watch what you write about me. Your misinterpretation of my words -- meant satirically -- could be grounds for a lawsuit -- and that goes for any Grist counter-poster who labels me or misrepresents my statements.

Texeme.Construct(function(x)=Participation(x))

by jabailo at 9:03 AM on 10 Oct 2007
[ Parent ]

grounds for a lawsuit

Ah, and the satire continues.

The Orion Grassroots Network: 1,200+ grassroots groups working for conservation & more

by Erik Hoffner at 9:47 AM on 10 Oct 2007
[ Parent ]

Grounds

the satire continues

I have video records of the trial right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf2p964uHDs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnBlknT2DA0

Texeme.Construct(function(x)=Participation(x))

by jabailo at 9:56 AM on 10 Oct 2007
[ Parent ]

So sue me

Meant satirically, John? Explain, please. And here I thought I was playing the peacemaker ...

These are only my personal opinions.

by Ron Steenblik at 10:00 AM on 10 Oct 2007
[ Parent ]

Reality

You'd best read up on the relevant laws. And if your postings read like they're written by an early adolescent male who starts repeating neo-con talking points by rote sometimes, guess how people will respond to you?

Steve E. Whidbey Environmental Action Network

by paintbrush at 11:05 AM on 10 Oct 2007

Was that Liberal or Libeler?

"You'd best read up on the relevant laws."

libel
An untruthful statement about a person, published in writing or through broadcast media, that injures the person's reputation or standing in the community. Because libel is a tort (a civil wrong), the injured person can bring a lawsuit against the person who made the false statement. Libel is a form of defamation , as is slander (an untruthful statement that is spoken, but not published in writing or broadcast through the media).

http://www.nolo.com/definition.cfm/term/7613C25C-8E5D-47A ...

Texeme.Construct(function(x)=Participation(x))

by jabailo at 11:36 AM on 10 Oct 2007
[ Parent ]

ADVERTISING POLICY

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