Re:Climate Target Update Tracker
by RcouF1uZ4gsC on Tuesday January 28, 2020 @01:25PM
(#22172432)
> I firmly believe the only way to convince _all_ countries to stop emissions is to add an import tariff to goods coming from countries that don't act with the same effort as you.
The big issue with that is that it won't work with the US. The US is a huge economy that is not export driven. China has a huge economy, but it is export driven and retaliatory tariffs would be absolutely crippling. The heart of the EU economy is Germany, and they are hugely export driven, so are thus very vulnerable to US retaliatory tariffs.
Finally, the US has the trump card of global military reach. What would the EU do if at the end of an escalating trade war, the US Navy blockaded the EU's various ocean ports? This by the way was the historical strategy of the British with regard to continental European rivals like Napolean or Hitler and it caused them major damage at little comparative cost to the British.
The truth is that when all is said and done, the US can inflict a lot more pain globally, than others can inflict on it.
Re:Climate Target Update Tracker
by baq on Tuesday January 28, 2020 @03:04PM
(#22173504)
As bad as it would be for the world economy, from the perspective of climate it’d be a good thing. The blockades would reduce trade, so they would necessarily reduce global resource consumption, thus also making emissions lower.
The big issue with that is that it won't work with the US. The US is a huge economy that is not export driven. China has a huge economy, but it is export driven and retaliatory tariffs would be absolutely crippling. The heart of the EU economy is Germany, and they are hugely export driven, so are thus very vulnerable to US retaliatory tariffs.
Finally, the US has the trump card of global military reach. What would the EU do if at the end of an escalating trade war, the US Navy blockaded the EU's various ocean ports? This by the way was the historical strategy of the British with regard to continental European rivals like Napolean or Hitler and it caused them major damage at little comparative cost to the British.
The truth is that when all is said and done, the US can inflict a lot more pain globally, than others can inflict on it.