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Loading...Why Fossil Fuel Subsidies Need To Be Eliminated
Fossil-fuel consumption subsidies totaled $557 billion in 2008, up from $342 billion in 2007, according to the summary of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) analysis of 37 countries. The analysis estimated that those countries represent over 95 percent of global subsidized fossil-fuel (oil, natural gas and coal) consumption. The analysis is part of a report that will be discussed at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Ontario, Canada on June 25 to 27, 2010.
The IEA analysis says that phasing out fossil fuel subsidies would create an incentive to be more energy efficient and switch to fuels that emit less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The IEA modeling of a phase out between 2011 and 2020 would:
- Reduce primary global energy demand by 5.8 percent by 2020, equivalent to the present energy consumption of Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand
- Reduce global oil demand 6.5 mb/d in 2020, mainly in the transportation sector, about one-third of present U.S. oil demand
- Reduce carbon emissions by 6.9 percent by 2020, equivalent to the present emissions of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK combined
Fatih Birol, chief economist at the IEA in Paris, said, “I see fossil fuel subsidies as the appendicitis of the global energy system which needs to be removed for a healthy, sustainable development future.” He added, “Phasing out oil, natural gas and coal subsidies would increase energy efficiency and push investments in clean energy sources.”
“Governments and energy consumers are paying to encourage investment in renewable energy, but the fossil-fuel alternative is not cheap either,” said Angus McCrone, a senior analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance in London.
President Obama called for an end to billion of dollars in tax breaks for oil last week. “The votes may not be there right now, but I intend to find them in the coming months,” Obama said. “I will continue to make the case for a clean energy future wherever and whenever I can, and I will work with anyone to get this done. And we will get it done.”
Continuing to depend on fossil fuels “will jeopardize our national security, it will smother our planet and will continue to put our economy and our environment at risk,” Obama said. “The time has come, once and for all, for this nation to fully embrace a clean energy future.”
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ELAINE A. right on im with you and wot u sayin. your so right .
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33 comments
+ add your ownI blogged about this very topic- RosezellasWay.com/blog big oil, big problems. We WILL have a different energy source, the only variable is WHEN. LEt's do it before we DESTROY our planet!!!
Lowering fossil fuel subsidies is going to raise the prices of gasoline by a massive margin. In Europe, for example, subsidies are small to non-existent, which makes for high gasoline prices (upwards of $8 a gallon).
We're going to need a cushion, a safety net, if you will, to help us recover from the rising prices. Clean energy alternatives could be one such option to mitigate the high prices of petroleum products.
All government subsidies can do in ANY industry is distort the true cost of the goods or services being produced and cause money to flow where it otherwise would not. This is (or should be) repugnant both to liberals (in the true sense) and conservatives (once again, in the true sense).
How can ANYONE who claims to believe in a free market possibly defend this sort of ongoing subsidy?
That who loves, it is not possible to close between some prisons walls. Because such man is not coming of an empire of things but of the empire their sense, and he has the laugh of the walls.
SAINT-EXUPÉRY
President Obama says very much goods but he needs for it one great group as alone he is not doing that.
By JarKry
Here, here. End the fossil fuel subsidies! Renewable clean energy resources need all the attention and assets we can marshal.
* * * * * HANDS ACROSS THE SAND * * * * *
* * * * Everyone, bring your family and join your friends and neighbors to support global awareness of the need to protect our coastal communities and oceans.
Save the Date: JUNE 26, 2010
HANDS ACROSS THE SAND began in Florida and is now in all but seven states and going global, please join the effort to keep this first and foremost on everyone's mind and in the news to effect legislation, regulation, etc.
There are many great sponsors (Sierra, Audubon, Greenpeace, Oceana, 350.org, Defenders of Wildlife, etc) who are coordinating efforts to notify the masses (that's us, people) in hopes of an even larger turnout than last time:
http://www.handsacrossthesand.com
Oil subsidies should be part of our distant history, rather than being our present reality. Everyday people and our earth are suffering for the avarice of the oil companies and the politicians whom are on their payrolls in the form of donations.
thanks
On this blog you're preachin' to the choir. If you want to have an impact, copy/paste this article and send it to your local representatives. Yes, LOCAL- the people in your town councils and development committees are still mostly playing by 1970 rules.
Government money should not be helping the reckless OIL industry.
planet killers
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