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Climate change threat to Germans’ need for speed on Autobahn

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 4:38 pm
by Curt Dansby
From The Guardian 1/18

Draft environmental measures include proposal to impose motorway speed limit

The days of unlimited speeding on Germany’s famously fast Autobahn network could be over if the government adopts draft proposals on climate protection put forward by its committee on the future of transport.

Charged with devising recommendations on reducing the environmental harm caused by transport, the committee also proposed fuel tax hikes and electric vehicle quotas to help Germany finally meet European Union emissions targets.

The proposals, outlined in a draft paper seen by Reuters, could prove controversial in car-mad Germany, whose decades-old motorway network is famous for no-limit sections where drivers can put even the fastest cars through their paces.

Germany could be hit with heavy EU fines if it fails to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and poisonous nitrogen oxides. Transport emissions, which have not fallen since 1990, are a particular target for reductions.

The government is torn between the need to protect Germany’s crucial car industry, buffeted by a series of costly emissions cheating scandals in recent years, and the need to act to protect a rapidly deteriorating climate.

The paper says measures including a motorway speed limit of 130km/h (80mph) and fuel tax rises from 2023, the abolition of tax breaks for diesel cars, and quotas for electric and hybrid car sales could deliver half the greenhouse gas emissions cuts that are needed.

The committee has yet to finalise the recommendations. It is due to report its findings at the end of March, which will then be incorporated into a climate change law the government wants to enact this year.

But the committee is well aware that many of its suggestions could be controversial.

“Not every instrument and every measure will be accepted,” reads the draft. “It will take political deftness, diplomatic skill and a willingness to compromise to achieve the climate change goals.”

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Bummer

Curt

Re: Climate change threat to Germans’ need for speed on Auto

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 5:52 pm
by Dan Epperly
Do they have to carry yellow vests in cars in Germany like in France?

Re: Climate change threat to Germans’ need for speed on Auto

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 6:07 pm
by C J Murray
If you are mentally challenged it is nice to know that Government is there to employ you.

Re: Climate change threat to Germans’ need for speed on Auto

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 7:28 pm
by chris romney
I lived in Germany for 5 years in the early 80's. At that time there were basically no emissions controls on cars. They've always been behind the US in emissions until recently. That's why we had a whole cottage industry in the US federalizing German cars in the 80's when the dollar was so strong against the D Mark. Of course the East Germans had basically no environmental controls on anything, so I'm not sure it would have mattered anyway. After reunification, the environmental clean up bills in what used to be E. Germany were mind boggling. The communists were prolific polluters. Although I'm not sure they'll be able to put a speed limit on the autobahn for symbolic reasons, it's grown so crowded in the last 15-20 years it's very difficult to find any long sections where you can go out and go as fast as you want. Although we may have speed limits, there are many places in the western US where it's easier to go faster.

Re: Climate change threat to Germans’ need for speed on Auto

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2019 2:52 am
by David Lawrence
The "Climate Change" issue is very controversial and in many peoples opinion is political more than scientific.

Readers here may be interested in visiting a German blog with the name NoTricksZone, http://notrickszone.com/, it is a climate and energy news blog from Germany in English - by Pierre L. Gosselin.

Re: Climate change threat to Germans’ need for speed on Auto

Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2019 11:12 pm
by Norm Miller
C J Murray wrote:If you are mentally challenged it is nice to know that Government is there to employ you.
I tried to call my congressman but the message said this number has been disconnected. I called again and got his secretary who said he was on the phone.
I asked if I could leave a message and she said no.
I asked why. She said his phone has been disconnected.

Norm