Reversing the burden of spoof
by Jacob Arfwedson
One of the less endearing features of government supporters is their general disdain for democracy when eventually popular vote goes against their designs. The legitimacy of consent suddenly becomes irrelevant and a downright nuisance. In Europe, we experienced this in the constitutional negotiations: first with the Maastricht Treaty, and more recently with the Lisbon Treaty: referenda were held twice in Denmark (1992) and not so long ago in Ireland. Voters finally got it “right”.
The same logic applies to Kyoto and in particular to the upcoming Copenhagen summit and the expected new treaty, i.e. a “deal”. It is then not surprising that advocates seem appalled that the US Constitution requires a vote by Congress to ratify it.
Considering that parts of the environmental lobby aim at gaining control of the energy supply in developed countries (with little or no concern for the developing world), it should not be surprising that people in Africa and Asia expect to have their say. If you are not at the table, you are likely to end up on the menu.
Back to the fact-sheet: China is a far greater emitter of CO2 than most developed countries, yet no substantial demands have been presented in terms of Kyoto. Perhaps because of the logic of the treaty (extremely complex, with very uncertain mechanisms for implementation and enforcement). Supporters are likely to tinker, perhaps by finally granting exceptions to countries like China and India, thus exposing the double standard involved. It is likely that Copenhagen ends, like other jamborees, with a carefully worded communiqué, on progress and goodwill all around.
Maybe germane to Al Gore’s discrepancy in words and deeds: if he’s so concerned about rising sea levels, how come he owns a condo on the San Francisco waterfront? And maybe he’ll agree to the invite by our friends at the CEI to debate the issue: do subscribe today to pay for whatever private jet takes him there.
(Photos: freedigitalphotos)
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Filed Under: CFACT EU • Climate • Development • Economics • Energy Resources • Environmentalism • Issues
About the Author: Jacob Arfwedson first worked on environmental issues with the ICREI (Paris) in the early 1990s (www.icrei.org).
He has published extensively on various free market issues, working with some 20 think tanks in Europe and the US for the past 20 years.
He received his MA from the Catholic University of Paris before studying at the Catholic University of America (Timbro Capitol Fellowship). He is a free-lance consultant and writer based in Paris, Senior Fellow and Director of the Paris office of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (New York) and a Fellow at the European Enterprise Institute (Brussels). He is a former Director of Eurolibnetwork (Paris) and former Director of the CNE Health Forum (Centre for the New Europe, Brussels).
His articles have been published by the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, le Figaro and AGEFI Switzerland. He is currently working on welfare reform including pensions, health care and elderly care in Europe.
