Article

2019-08-10 Europe

Germany Mulls ‘Meat Tax' to Combat Climate Change

[LI] German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling Christian Democratic party (CDU) has supported plans to raise meat prices to fight climate change.

The meat tax, initially proposed by the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Green Party, will sharply increase the prices of meat products by raising the tax rate from the current rate of 7 percent to 19 percent.

High prices will reduce carbon emissions by forcing Germans to cut on their meat consumption, top lawmakers believe. The move backed by German Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner is part of a broader green agenda to fight climate change. Last month, the country’s Environment Minister Svenja Schulze proposed a carbon tax on German household to cut emissions.

The meat tax will hit poor German households the hardest. "More expensive meat might, in theory, reduce those numbers as some people cut their consumption to save money," Reuters news agency concluded.

The radical proposal comes at a time when poverty is at its highest since the unification of Germany in 1990. Over 15 million Germans, roughly 20 percent of the population, "aren’t earning enough to pay their bills or adequately heat their homes," a 2018 government study showed.

The German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported:

Posted by Besoeker 2019-08-10 02:14|| || Front Page|| [10 views ] Top

#1 How 'bout a meathead tax?
fleischkopfensteuer?

Posted by Lex 2019-08-10 02:26|| 2019-08-10 02:26|| Front Page Top

#2 See ? What'd I say in that UN climate panic thingy. Kill the native economy and feed the UN wards their meat.

Posted by Dron66046 2019-08-10 02:41|| 2019-08-10 02:41|| Front Page Top

#3 This little climate-hysteric piggy had roastbeef.
This little developing nation had none.
And this little piggy ran al-l-l-l-l-l the way home to his UN sinecure, on his carbon-hogging A380 jetliner...

Posted by Lex 2019-08-10 02:47|| 2019-08-10 02:47|| Front Page Top

#4 Is this thunburger completely meat free?

Posted by M. Murcek 2019-08-10 03:20|| 2019-08-10 03:20|| Front Page Top

#5 How about imposing a BMW tax? How many cows worth of non-renewable greenhouse gasses are emitted to make and run just one car?

Posted by Butch Thating8912 2019-08-10 04:40|| 2019-08-10 04:40|| Front Page Top

#6 The Germans could eat their new "guests" and solve two or three problems with one stone.

Posted by Butch Thating8912 2019-08-10 04:43|| 2019-08-10 04:43|| Front Page Top

#7 Now if we really want to rile the Germans up, instead of a meat tax, tax beer.

Posted by Silentbrick 2019-08-10 04:55|| 2019-08-10 04:55|| Front Page Top

#8 ...Oktoberfest in Munchen hit hardest. I could see Bavrexit happening on that one.

Posted by Procopius2k 2019-08-10 06:58|| 2019-08-10 06:58|| Front Page Top

#9 Meat, its what enables us to think for ourselves.

I can see how an establishment would prefer much people much less able to think or stand up for themselves. After all that's what they imported.

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2019-08-10 07:52|| 2019-08-10 07:52|| Front Page Top

#10 I come from the land of sausage,
I'd rather have them than a massage.
How do you think I got so da*n tall?
It's not from the greens at the mall.
It's from my beer, meat, and potatoes,
reach for them and prepare for great woes.

Posted by Beau 2019-08-10 08:52|| 2019-08-10 08:52|| Front Page Top

#11 Germany mulls 'Hitler Diet" or pay higher taxes!

Posted by ruprecht 2019-08-10 12:04|| 2019-08-10 12:04|| Front Page Top

#12 From George Orwell's 1984:
As short a time ago as February, the Ministry of Plenty had issued a promise (a "categorical pledge" were the official words) that there would be no reduction of the chocolate ration during 1984. Actually, as Winston was aware, the chocolate ration was to be reduced from thirty grammes to twenty at the end of the present week. All that was needed was to substitute for the original promise a warning that it would probably be necessary to reduce the ration at some time in April.

Posted by magpie 2019-08-10 13:16|| 2019-08-10 13:16|| Front Page Top

#13 Won't happen.

Posted by European Conservative 2019-08-10 13:19|| 2019-08-10 13:19|| Front Page Top

#14 Won't happen.

Because it is totally insane? Or for some other social/political reason?

Posted by SteveS 2019-08-10 13:48|| 2019-08-10 13:48|| Front Page Top

#15 These kind of proposals typically come up in summer, only to be forgotten in fall.

It's stupid, too. If meat prices rise, poor people would buy more lower quality meat from mass production.

Posted by European Conservative 2019-08-10 14:00|| 2019-08-10 14:00|| Front Page Top

#16 Now EC, don't get science and economics involved with their schemes, your not supposed to look at the actual effects, only the intentions.

Posted by Silentbrick 2019-08-10 19:41|| 2019-08-10 19:41|| Front Page Top

#17 #6 eat their new "guests"

a la Miranda: Immigrants (We Make the Best Wurst)

Posted by Jash Omager6238 2019-08-10 23:23|| 2019-08-10 23:23|| Front Page Top

22:05 SteveS
21:32 Frank G
21:31 trailing wife
20:24 European Conservative
19:50 trailing wife
19:48 Frank G
19:39 trailing wife
18:40 3dc
18:39 3dc
18:38 3dc
18:36 3dc
18:35 3dc
18:33 3dc
18:23 DooDahMan
18:21 DooDahMan
18:16 3dc
17:57 Huputle+Cherelet4131
17:53 SteveS
17:52 SteveS
17:49 lord garth
17:26 trailing wife
17:21 M. Murcek
17:17 lord garth
17:03 trailing wife