(ConservativeSense.com) – French President Emmanuel Macron is proposing a global tax to fight climate change. He made the request at a conference in Paris entitled the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. France already has some of the world’s most stringent climate change restrictions and places high taxes on passengers taking commercial flights.
Macron said, “I’m in favor of international taxation to finance efforts that we have to make to fight poverty and in terms of climate change.” It doesn’t work when you do it alone; the financial flows go elsewhere.”
The message from the French government will alarm Europeans already concerned about restrictions and dramatic changes to their society in the name of climate change. The Netherlands, one of the world’s most important food producers, is at the front line of the battles between people and governments on the issue.
Months of protests took place in the Netherlands in the first half of 2023 as farmers were told to reduce their livestock by 30% to decrease nitrogen output into the atmosphere. The Dutch government said it planned to buy around 3,000 farms, and some experts estimate that more than 11,000 farms will be lost altogether.
In Ireland, the government has ordered farmers to cull 200,000 cows, costing approximately 600 million euros (around $650 million). The Irish proposal is to “remove” 65,000 cows from the country’s total every year and reduce the overall number by 10%. Tim Cullinan, president of the Irish Farmers’ Association, said, “Reports like this only serve to further fuel the view that the government is working behind the scenes to undermine our dairy and livestock sectors.”
Green Party chair and Irish Senator Pauline O’Reilly said the government was merely responding to the demands of Irish farmers. She insists it’s what the industry needs. However, Pat McCormack, head of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, said the nation’s farmers are already under financial strain, and these moves will force many into bankruptcy.
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