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Taming the carbonivores

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From The Economist: FRANCE’S president, Nicolas Sarkozy, does not like to do things by halves. In characteristically grandiose fashion he described his plan to introduce a carbon tax as “the only choice that could guarantee…the future of our planet”. If it goes ahead, France would be the first big country to adopt such a tax, which exists in Scandinavia. But the proposal has already run into fierce hostility, from consumers, opposition parties—and even greens.

Mr Sarkozy plans to bring in his carbon tax in January next year. It will be levied at a rate of €17 ($25) per tonne of carbon dioxide emissions, a bit higher than Denmark’s rate, though a lot less than Sweden’s. This translates into roughly an extra four cents a litre of petrol at the pump. It will apply to the consumption of petrol, gas and coal, but not to electricity, on the ground that France generates 80% of its electricity from almost carbon-free nuclear power.

Full story: http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14460346