EU moves goal post, declares Victory

A funny French news agency puts it this way:

"The accord's overarching achievement is to commit the 27-country EU to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 20 percent by 2020, compared to 1990 levels."

Achievement? The EU is doing this because they cannot meet the 2008-12 Kyoto targets. Like the proverbial fanatic redoubling his (or her) efforts, they are substituting a greater goal further away. The new goal is even more impossible but comfortably misty distant, for now. Political physics at work. See, we are gaining ground, see?

We expect the Democrats to propose 2020 goals as well; it is such a cool number. The only better number is 7-11 and that is taken.

This nonsense trend of setting lavish goals in the far distant future started with the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments. We have just hit their impossible 25 year goals, like clean air in Los Angeles, the perpetual inversion by the sea. Dream on.

The Canadian Conservatives just tried this trick but overshot their wad, as 2050 proved laughable. But then the Canadians thrive on laughing at their government, instead of getting angry. Something US folks should try once. Maybe in 2020?