Germany has been a leader among the EU nations in advocating stringent measures to combat global warming. Most of these measures coincidentally imposed burdens on other countries, not Germany, typically the heavy industries of the new EU members from eastern europe. Now the EU is tentatively suggesting that Germans themselves bear some pain, by imposing speed limits on the autobahn. Characteristically, the Germans are outraged. No doubt thatey would rather complain about American's SUV use. ******************************** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EU suggests speed limit for German autobahns BERLIN - The EU's environment commissioner has called for a maximum speed limit on German highways to slow down the notoriously swift traffic on the car-loving nation's autobahns, a newspaper reported today. "There are so many areas in which we senselessly waste energy and harm the climate," European Union Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas was quoted as saying in an interview with Bild am Sonntag newspaper. "One simple measure in Germany could be a uniform speed limit on the autobahns. Speed limits are very sensible for many reasons and completely normal in most EU countries and the United States. Only in Germany is it, oddly enough, a source of controversy," he said. Recently German environmentalists said they hoped the country's joint presidencies of the Group of Eight (G8) and EU in 2007 would help lead Germany to impose speed limits on its unrestricted autobahns. However, German Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee has so far rejected the idea. At least one-third of Germany's highways already have a speed limit while the rest carry a recommended speed of 130km/h. In reality, drivers and motorcyclists can, and often do, travel as fast as they like. Home to high performance car makers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, as well as mass market producers Volkswagen and General Motors' Opel division, Germany has resisted speed limits. - REUTERS
Germans challenge the EU on speed limit By Geir Moulson ASSOCIATED PRESS March 12, 2007 Calls for Germany to fight climate change by putting speed limits on its autobahns, such as Autobahn A5 near Frankfurt, have received angry responses from drivers. (AP) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BERLIN -- An EU official called on Germany to impose speed limits on its autobahns to fight global warming, drawing angry responses yesterday in a country that cherishes what it calls "free driving for free citizens." The call came as the German government makes taking action against climate change a priority while it holds the rotating presidencies of the European Union and Group of Eight. But the German environment minister showed little enthusiasm for EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas' suggestion, and a group representing Germany's auto industry said it needed "no coaching on efficient climate protection from Brussels." Many stretches of German autobahn lack speed limits -- traditionally a cherished freedom in a rule-bound country. However, the growing concern over carbon-dioxide emissions is putting that tradition under renewed scrutiny. "There are so many areas in which we waste energy in a completely senseless way and burden the climate," Mr. Dimas told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. "A simple measure in Germany could be a general speed limit on highways," he added, according to the newspaper. "Speed limits make a lot of sense for many reasons and are completely normal in most EU states, as in the U.S.A. -- only in Germany, strangely, is it controversial." The commissioner did not suggest a specific speed limit for Germany, but in most European countries the highway speed limit is either 75 or 80 miles per hour. Britain, Latvia and Sweden have the lowest speed limits at 70 mph, according to an official EU Web site. Mr. Dimas' comments drew a number of negative responses yesterday on the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung's Internet site. One respondent described the debate as a "farce" and questioned the environmental record of Mr. Dimas' native Greece. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has said Europe should take a leading role in combating climate change to set an example for the United States, China and others, last week steered an EU summit to a bold set of measures to fight global warming. Among several initiatives, the EU is planning to push for an increased use of energy-saving light bulbs to slash energy consumption and reduce the effects of greenhouse gases. However, Mrs. Merkel has brushed aside previous suggestions -- most recently last month -- that a general speed limit on the autobahn would help fight climate change. Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said yesterday that he has "nothing against [a limit] for reasons of traffic safety," but argued that the restriction would not encourage manufacturers to produce more environmentally friendly engines. "This is a secondary front and a trivialization of the climate problem," he said at an event in Hamburg. The German Association of the Automotive Industry, which represents an industry that includes such famous names as Volkswagen, BMW, Porsche and DaimlerChrysler, said Germany needed "no coaching" from Brussels on how to protect the climate -- "above all when the proposals are only symbolic." "The German auto industry will act on climate change where there is real potential for savings" of vehicle emissions, the group said in a statement. Transport Ministry spokesman Dirk Inger said a study by a federal agency had found that an overall autobahn limit of 62 mph would reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by only 0.6 percent. The U.S. Department of Energy calculates that for each 5 mph a car drives over 60 mph, fuel economy declines by 10 percent. Mr. Inger also contended that, among European countries, only Germany had succeeded in reducing vehicle emissions. "Symbolic politics doesn't help us move forward on climate protection," Mr. Inger said. "That goes for Mr. Dimas, too."
Maybe Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi and John Edwards could take their private jets over to Germany and help them work out a solution.
Headline of the future: Al Gore was spotted traveling at 150mph on the autobahn in Germany in a rented Benz and when questioned about it said, "I bought carbon offsets."
There is a reason why these socialist types go after the biggest most successful entities (think Walmart) $$$$$$$$$$$ and more $$$$$$$$$$$ Imagine if they manage to slap just few cents a gallon "enviromental"l tax in the U.S. alone. What would we get? Bureaucracy UN style (think officials living in $1M+ apartments on Park Av.). AND NOTHING WOULD CHANGE ENVIROMENTWISE.
It's becoming more and more obvious that the objectives of the global warming movement are more political and economic than environmentalist. They intend a worldwide redistribution of resources, with them deciding who will benefit and who ( read US) will pay the cost.
be ready for a global carbon tax imposed by the uN. i am willing to take any wager with anybody that's gonna happen.