In a bid to establish itself as the new leader in protecting the environment after the U.S. reneged on the Paris Climate Agreement, France has just passed a new blanket ban on fracking and oil extraction that will enter into force in 2040.
The proposal, drafted last September, was approved in Parliament by a show of hands on Dec. 19. After 2040, no new drilling permits will be issued and licenses will not be renewed, putting an end to the fossil fuels’ production in France and its overseas territories.
Emmanuel Macron
Although I think this is a great move, I feel that it would not have the same effect in the U.S. and would put poor people at a disadvantage simply because those of us who have limited resources are stuck with the old gas burning cars because we cannot buy new electric cars, and we would need to also convert to solar and wind and other natural sources of power before we go fully electric. I know I would have to get a new electric system installed on my house if I was to add another watt to our already overloaded circuits. We must do this transition slowly and carefully so as not to put too much of a burden on people with limited resources like us older folks who cannot afford a quick change which would burden us more than we already are by the Trump “inequality society” which he and his cohorts are creating. We should be heading in that direction, I agree, but with caution.
Rev Dean, I agree with you that banning is not the way to go and presents legacy problems by leaving people behind. Nonetheless, I appreciate at least one country sending a message to the corporate puppet masters.
The way forward is to forge ahead with cleaner energy that is abundant, available and inexpensive so that the “dirty” past just becomes an irrelevant relic or obsolescent.