this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2023
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362
New EU climate chief: 'The sooner fossil fuels become history, the better' (www.rechargenews.com)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
15 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

New EU climate chief: 'The sooner fossil fuels become history, the better'::Former Shell man Wopke Hoekstra stressed the importance of phasing out fossil fuels and its subsidies

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[–] [email protected] 59 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Removing subsidies is a start.. they've never made any sense. If a company can't make money selling fuel then they must be the most incompetent company on earth.

This is just posturing for COP28 though.. makes good headlines but won't happen.. lots of countries talk tough before COP so they can claim it wasn't their fault when nothing is decided, again.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I think corporations will just pass on the cost to the consumers if they don’t get subsidies lol.

Given our reliance on it it’s a lot more than just basic supply and demand

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I think corporations will just pass on the cost to the consumers if they don’t get subsidies lol.

yes, kind of the point.

While it would definitely, absolutely suck to be on the receiving end of the price hike, it would cause more and more people to finally switch to alternatives or use less of it, where possible.

Quick edit: Basically, move the subsidiaries from fossil fuels to renewables. Make that market cheaper for the people who need it

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

Remove the subsidies and institute an actual carbon price mechanism, and we'll see how quickly people begin to switch over.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's a little late in the game to painlessly transition away from fossil fuels. I'd support programs to improve mass transit or provide gas cards to those that can barely keep gas in their vehicle as-is. Continuing the business-as-usual of running our nation on fossil fuels because it'll hurt someone's budget is a poor excuse.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

It's a little late in the game to painlessly transition away from fossil fuels

Again, that’s the point. It doesn’t have to be painless. It has to get done.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

The reliance thing is part of demand.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

*Candidate climate chief, he isn't elected yet. I'm really hoping Wopke doesn't get the position, because his nomination is nothing else than a ploy to weaken climate ambitions in the EU

Edit: Welp, he did it, he made it through the commision

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

There's still the European Parliament. But yeah I guess he gets the job...

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago

So, yeah, they picked the wrong person for the job. He is really good at chest thumping. He is an opportunist who adapts his beliefs to what works best to supports his career. In the Netherlands, he is known for trying to postpone measures to protect nature to keep the farmers voting for him, amongst others.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ok so do it then. There's no need to do a lot of chest thumping, we will do all of the noticing and appreciating after you do it.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

The guy is a fucking joke.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Technically id say fossil fuels are history, history that has decayed and formed a hydrocarbon.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I am starting to think there is a reason Dinos were removed from the world.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Empty words...

Any bureaucrat or politicians who was driven to do what needed to be done would have to risk their career and life at this point. The amount of fundamental systematic changes needed to be done would make too enemies. Also you can't just say fuck it and collapse society, by going cold turkey in a few years. It needs plans and long term thinking something that is impossible when for politicians is like six years max time in office and of which the latter half needs to be in practice lived elections in mind.