Air Travel Taxes, Illegal Produce and Hybrid Subsidies

Global warming taxes on airline travel mean fewer visitors to Amsterdam’s airport.

European Union inspectors force a produce seller in the UK to throw out 5,000 kiwi fruit because they were 1 millimeter smaller than regulations allow.

John McCain announces support for further subsidizing hybrid and battery-powered cars.

1. ENVIRONMENT

Global warming taxes on airline travel mean fewer visitors to Amsterdam’s airport.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Marlo Lewis on the kind of impact similar policies would have on the U.S. economy:

“A cap-and-trade program, especially one tough enough to reduce emissions by 60 to 80 percent, would put an additional heavy constraint on petroleum supply, further inflating fuel costs. So it is a real question whether the airline and trucking industries could remain profitable under the kinds of global warming policies [Rep. John] Dingell (D-MI) and others are proposing–and whether the U.S. economy could continue to grow. Although higher fuel costs would hurt consumers and the economy, emissions might still go up.”

 

2. FOOD

European Union inspectors force a produce seller in the UK to throw out 5,000 kiwi fruit because they were 1 millimeter smaller than regulations allow.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Adjunct Fellow Doug Bandow on the U.S. version of this crazy rule:

“I wish I could say that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has never done anything as stupid. But for more than 20 years the Department enforced a ‘marketing order’ – essentially a means to reduce supply and prop up prices – that required the destruction of ugly kiwifruit. If you have seen a kiwifruit before it’s been peeled, you know how ridiculous this rule was.”

 

3. ENERGY

John McCain announces support for further subsidizing hybrid and battery-powered cars.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Adjunct Fellow Steven Milloy on the inefficient nature of McCain’s proposal:

“Later in the week, McCain proposed to green the government by buying more fuel-efficient vehicles. But while fuel-efficient vehicles certainly exist, they tend to cost much more than the fuel savings they produce. Hybrid cars aren’t cost-effective unless gas costs around $10 per gallon or the cars are driven more than 65,000 miles per year. FedEx Corp., owner of the largest fleet of hybrid trucks, has publicly admitted that the trucks aren’t cost-effective. The cost of Santa Clara, Calif.’s fuel cell buses is a staggering $51.66 per mile as compared to $1.61 per mile for a diesel bus.”