We received an e-mail showing how little costs to buy gasoline (in German called Benzin) and diesel fuel if you live in a so called developing oil-exporting country or in the USA

Date: July 4, 2008

1 Liter = 0.264174 gal (US Liq)
US$ 1 = Euro 1.5682 as of 7/4/2008

The Austrian e-mail evokes the following list. We went then and looked up other countries and found that Austria is actually a bargain when compared to other developed economies.

The Austrian 1.32 Euro/liter is 2.16 times what the complaining American sissies are paying, but only 78.7% of what Norwegians are paying or 80.7% of what the Dutch are paying.

On the other hand Japan at 0.99 Euro/liter is another chaeap-shot so is Canada at 0.88 Euro/liter.

And you know already what we think? Those that pay more for their gasoline have also decreased their dependence on oil by efficiency methods and conservation - they also developed alternatives to oil and have started building the economy of the future. So, it is actually the US that is falling behind while it transfers its funds to the Gulf States hoping that the increased National Debt will devalue the US$ to the point that it remains valueless paper in their hand.The problem is that they do not sit on the money anymore. They actually buy assets with that money - among that buying spree they also buy up chunks of America. So what then? Will they agree to American taxation without representation - or the US will eventually find out that Bush made a Faustian Deal with the US oil companies and with his Arab friends.

Our advice to our Austrian readers is thus - DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE TAX ON FUEL - BUT MAKE SURE THE MONEY IS USED SO THAT EVENTUALLY YOU WILL HAVE TO BUY LESS OF IT.

The following is what we got in the mail - then look at what we added for the sake of analysis. if our other readers want to get the actual numbers in US dollars, please use the above conversion factors.

BENZINPREISE INTERNATIONAL

Benzin that is Gasoline - but much of the posting is about Diesel - this because in Europe the motor-fuel of choice is high quality Diesel.

Afghanistan Normalbenzin € 0,43

Algerien Diesel € 0,11

Aserbaidschan Diesel € 0,31

Ägypten Diesel € 0,14

Ãthiopien Super € 0,24

Bahamas Diesel € 0,25

Bolivien Super € 0,25

Brasilien Diesel € 0,54

China Normal € 0,45

Ecuador Normal € 0,24

Ghana Normal € 0,09 !!!!!!!

Grönland Super € 0,50

Guyana Normal € 0,67

Hong Kong Diesel € 0,84

Indien Diesel € 0,62

Indonesien Diesel € 0,32

Irak Super € 0,60

Kasachstan Diesel € 0,44

Katar Super € 0,15

Kuwait Super € 0,18

Kuba Normal € 0,62

Libyen Diesel € 0,08 !!!!!!!

Malaysia Super € 0,55

Mexico Diesel € 0,41

Moldau Normal € 0,25

Oman Super plus € 0,20

Peru Diesel € 0,22

Philippinen Diesel € 0,69

Russland Super € 0,64

Saudi Arabien Diesel € 0,07 !!!!!!

Südafrika Diesel € 0,66

Swasiland Super € 0,10 !!!!!!

Syrien Diesel € 0,10 !!!!!

Trinidad Super € 0,33

Thailand Super € 0,65

Tunesien Diesel € 0,49

USA Diesel € 0,61

Venezuela Diesel € 0,07 !!!!!

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate Diesel € 0,18

Vietnam Diesel € 0,55

Weißrussland Diesel € 0,51

EU und dem Finanzminister sei dank ist der Österreicher bzw. Europäer dumm
genug sich abzocken zu lassen (Mineralölsteuer und Mehrwertsteuer auf
Benzin).

Bitte dieses E-Mail weiter zu schicken damit wenigstens einige Leute
erkennen wie stark Österreich geneppt wird.

Benzinpreise auf der eigenen Webseite

And looking at international prices for July 4, 2008 at - http://benzinpreis.de/international.phtm…

Land Normalbenzin in € Superbenzin in € SuperPlus in € Diesel in €

Österreich 1,26 1,29 * 1,28 1,32 *

UK 1,40 1,46 1,50 1,58

Finnland 1,47 1,50 1,50 1,36

Frankreich 1,39 1,34 * 1,44 1,37 *

Irland 1,26 1,26 1,15 1,43

Island 1,35 1,40 1,47 1,50

Israel - 1,05 - -

Italien 1,36 1,46 1,34 1,45

Japan 0,99 1,08 - 0,79

Kanada 0,88 0.87 0.82  0.90

Neuseeland 1,03 0,97 - 1,46

Niederlande 1,56 1,61 1,69 1,31 **

Norwegen 1,60 1,61 1,46 1,56

Schweden 1,37 1,39 1,36 1,47

Schweiz 1,24 1,21 * 1,23 1,37 *

Ungarn 1,29 1,26 1,20 1,31

 From:    a at alexanderochs.com
Subject: New Contributions to FACET - Forum for Atlantic Climate and Energy Talks
Date: June 28, 2008

FACET - Forum for Atlantic Climate and Energy Talks  www.facet-online.org) has just launched four brand new papers.
Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Massachusetts), the Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, describes the rationale behind the Investing in Climate Action and Protection Act which he introduced earlier this month. The “iCAP” Act would establish a cap, auction, and trade program for reducing U.S. emissions by 85 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. Sensing “an unprecedented opportunity to change the course of the planet,” Mr. Markey’s bill intends to provide legislation that seizes the enormous prospects presented by the necessary transition to a low-carbon economy.
Congressman Edward J. Markey says -  It’s Time for the United States to “Cap-and-Invest.”
FACET Commentary #11, June 2008.

In another commentary, Heleen de Coninck, group manager in international energy and climate issues at the Dutch institute ECN Policy Studies, and an editor for the IPCC Special Report on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), asks who has been, and who will become, the technological and political leader in this important field. She looks at the development stages of different CCS technologies and calls for international cooperation on large-scale projects.
Heleen de Coninck, The International Race for CO2 Capture and Storage: And the Winner Is…? FACET Commentary #12, June 2008.

Disappointed by Warner-Lieberman’s collapse in the U.S. Senate and limited by realistic expectations for a new White House, Dale Medearis, the senior environmental planner for the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, points to the high potential of local cooperation across the Atlantic. He demands a more focused approach in order to assist local and regional authorities in learning from each other and bridging differences in the transatlantic climate relationship.
Dale Medearis, Local Authorities as Leaders in the Transatlantic Climate and Energy Dialogue. FACET Commentary #13, June 2008.

This launch also contains the premier of a new FACET format: FACET Analysis. While FACET Commentaries are rather short opinion pieces dealing with all aspects of climate and energy policy, economics, and technology, a FACET Analysis paper is a research paper originally produced (i.e. written, redesigned, or translated) for FACET, and up to thirty pages in length. We encourage our authors to be clear and straight to the point (and political and provocative, if they wish) in this format as well, but this line is more academic in nature. FACET Analyses give the authors the option of using footnotes and including references to the works of others.

The first FACET Analysis is contributed by Stormy Mildner and Katrin Jordan-Korte, two researchers at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). Current proposals for a U.S. emission trading system combine national mandatory limits for GHG emissions with import restrictions for certain products, so-called border tax adjustments (BTAs). While the authors agree that such measures increase the political feasibility of national climate legislation, they worry that BTAs pose a serious threat to the international trading system and potentially violate international trade law under the WTO. At the same time, they see the linkage of national climate legislation and competitiveness concerns in the current discussion as a way to build momentum for breakthroughs in international climate change talks.
Katrin Jordan-Korte & Stormy Mildner, Climate Protection and Border Tax Adjustment: Economic Rationale and Political Pitfalls of Current U.S. Cap-and-Trade Proposals.
FACET Analysis #1, June 2008.

If anyone would like to contribute to FACET, please let  know Alexander Ochs
Founding Editor, FACET - Forum for Atlantic Climate and Energy Talks
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Posted in Reporting from Washington DC, Global Warming issues, European Union, Germany, Netherlands

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 From:    bakker at ecn.nl
Subject: Recent ECN climate policy reoports.

The Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) has recently published several reports that may interest you:

* REFUEL: European road map for biofuels. In theory, and especially if second-generation biofuels are used, Europe has sufficient potential to reach the EU biofuel targets through domestic production.
An executive summary is on http://www.refuel.eu/fileadmin/refuel/us….

* Acceptance of CO2 capture and storage: crucial issues.
The final report of the ACCSEPT project, including key recommendations on 11 questions around CCS, are now available: http://www.accsept.org/outputs/wp_5_2dec…

* A sustainable energy system in 2050: Promise or possibility?
In this report, ECN outlines its Energy Vision for 2050. It describes a consistent development path that leads to a reduction in CO2 emissions in Europe to 60% below 1990 levels, and to a significantly reduced level of oil and gas imports.
 http://www.ecn.nl/publications/default.a…

* CURB-AIR: CDM and urban air quality. There are significant co-benefits of the CDM for air quality in Asian cities, but several CDM project types face barriers, particularly in the transport sector.
 http://www.curb-air.org/proj_res/

If you are looking for attractive facts, graphs and figures on climate change, take a look at our climate change information toolkit:
 http://www.ecn.nl/en/ps/research-program…

ECN also has a news letter. If you would like to stay updated on ECN’s work please visit http://www.ecn.nl/en/ps/additional/newsl… or subscribe by sending an email to  psnews at ecn.nl with your name and ’subscribe’.

Melaka’s modern history began in 1403 with the arrival of Parameswara, an exiled Hindu Prince from the Kingdom of Sri Vijaya on Sumatra Island.
He embraced Islam under the title Raja Iskandar and started the Sultanate of Melaka that evolved into a vibrant maritime trading center.

The Portuguese, led by Alfonso d’Albuquerque conquered Melaka in 1511 and held it for 130 years until it was taken over by the Dutch in 1641 who ruled
for 154 years until 1824 when it was taken over by the British.  Malaysia’s independence in was 1957. The Japanese ruled during the 1942 - 1945 years.

In addition to the obvious Portuguese, Dutch, and British influences, actually the main influence was that of the Chinese and Indians who ran the economy of Melaka.

Here we will deal with the so called “Straits Chinese” or “Pernakan.”  They are the “Baba-Nyonyas.” There are no Babas and Nyonyas, though a myth is being created
that made outsiders believe that the babas are the males and the nyonyas the females, while others think it the other way. In short - we were surprised to find that even
part of the publicity for the UN Delegates’ Dining Room special two weeks, included this inaccuracy.

The straits of Melaka, between the Malay Peninsula and the long Sumatra Island is one of the busiest sea lanes through which today pass oil tankers, but even now, the straights are infested by pirates.
The Melaka city was thus an important fort in the colonial days, and still an important commercial center run in major part by the Nyonyas of today. Part of the Nyonyas and the Indians left Malaysia at a
time the Mahatir government took highly Malay ethnic nationalistic stand and tried to displace the Chinese and Indians from their positions. A Pernakan community exists now in New York and some
from that community came to eat at the UN. Three ladies sat at a neighboring table.

As the event was basically a really high caliber culinary event, I enjoyed immensely Chef Ismail Muhammad, who is something of a celebrity chef in Kuala Lumpur, run me through the ethnic background
of the food. I am thus happy to report that I ate spicy Malay meet, Portuguese inspired fish and Indian inspired curry-chicken, also a Chinese excellent vegetarian dish. There were terrific noodle dishes
and a desert  table that had sweets and not-so sweet works of art.

Now, what did I celebrate there personally - this is simple. I was in Melaka twice, in two separate visits to Malaysia. The fist time it was in 1987 when I went to investigate the smoke that was supposed
to have been caused by the Indonesian fires on Borneo island. I went then to see by myself the situation in Melaka and was convinced, that though highly polluted from the motor vehicular transportation,
Melaka suffered much less then Kuala Lumpur - this because the winds from the sea were able to dissipate some of the pollution - so I knew that the haze was not of Sumatra origin. In effect, probably,
Sumatra was getting Malaysian pollution and not the other way around.

A year ago, when Africa insisted to elevate Zimbabwe, to the Chairmanship of the UN CSD, the European stood up saying the truth - Zimbabwe was the least deserving country in the world to chair anything that deals with land-use and agriculture. They dismantled their countries agriculture applying the tough hands of their government. In effect there was no such self destruction since what Stalin did in the Ukraine, when he wanted to punish the Ukrainians for their refusal to participate in the collectivization of their farms. The Ukraine stayed hungry - so do the Zimbabwe people under Mugabe. To be fair to Chairman Francis Nhema, actually he personally was a well mannered chairman and the problem was with the country that appointed him.

The Asians nominated Iran, but when the WEOG decided to nominate Israel for Vice-Chairmanship, Mr. Javad Amin-Mansour from Iran resigned, and was replaced by Indonesia. Javad just did not want to sit next to Ambassador Daniel Carmon from Israel - and mind you to boot - Javad is only a First Counsellor at Iran’s Permanent Representation to the UN - this in itself being a slight to the UN. But who cares?

Now, this past Friday, at the closing of CSD 16, the new Bureau was started for the new CSD 17.

Netherlands was nominated by the EU for chairmanship and  the Dutch appointed to the job Madame Gerda Verburg, the Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, and rest assured she will take her job seriously.

On the other hand, the only one from the needed four Vice Chairs, whose name was provided on friday, was the same Mr. Amin-Mansour from Iran as the representative for the Asia region. We consider this a disgrace because it is as if he were reappointed. The fact that he did not use his previous appointment is nobody’s fault but his and his Head of State. We doubt even that this re-appointment is according to UN norms. But Who cares?

To show as evidence the level of his representation - we include a statement this first Counsellor  made at the Thursday “high level” discussion.

Is his reappointment the sign of total lack of interest on the part of the Asia region leadership?

EU to tussle with Latin America’s ‘Pink Tide’ at Lima summit.
 http://euobserver.com/9/26147/?rk=1

By Leigh Phillips, EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - May 15, 2008
Tussles over biofuels, trade and even capitalism itself are likely to take centre stage in Lima, Peru on Friday, today, as European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and some 60 heads of state from the EU and Latin America and the Carribean (LAC) descend on the Peruvian capital for the fifth EU-LAC summit.

Under the protection of some 85,000 soldiers and police who have set up the usual array of roadblocks, traffic detours and zones restricted to local citizens, the leaders are to rattle through what is an ambitious agenda.

Although the leaders will focus on two key issues – combating inequality and tackling climate change – poverty, social inclusion, sustainable development, energy and the environment in general are also set for discussion.

At the summit, the commission is to announce Euroclima, a €5 million fund for Latin American projects that tackle climate change.

Additionally, the two camps are hoping to boost trade and increase economic co-operation. The EU would like to see some movement towards an agreement in the Doha round of world trade negotiations.

The Doha round has been stalled since 2001 largely due to the differing trade priorities of poor and wealthy nations.

However, the politicians will also likely end up discussing a range of off-agenda topics that have forced themselves onto the front pages in the last few weeks, such as food shortages and the miniature cold war between Colombia and Ecuador that has simmered away since the former bombed alleged encampments of Colombia’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) within Ecuador without Quito’s permission in March.

Merkel, Hitler and Chavez: The discussions are expected to be quite fractious, as the largely liberalising perspective of the EU comes up against what can be fairly described as currently the most left-wing continent on the planet.

Ahead of the meeting, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned other Latin American nations against the “left-wing populist” policies of Venezuela’s perennially beret-adorned president, Hugo Chavez, who responded in typical bombastic fashion by comparing Ms Merkel to Adolf Hitler.

On Sunday (11 May), Mr Chavez criticised the objectives of the European Union in their dealings with Latin America and the Caribbean.

The EU “is coming here to help us. Where is their plan to help the poor? Ask the president of Haiti how much promises from Europe and the United States have done,” he said, according to DPA, the German Press Agency.

In recent years, centre-left and socialist governments have been elected in all but a few nations across the region – the so-called Pink Tide.

Nonetheless, Latin American and Caribbean leaders are not all of one mind.

The more centre-left presidents Lula da Silva of Brazil, Michele Bachelet of Chile, and Peru’s own Alan Garcia largely support the free market and the so-called Washington Consensus – policies of fiscal discipline, deregulation, privatisation and trade liberalisation – albeit with more of a social cushion than their centre-right counterparts would prefer.

Meanwhile, to their left, Evo Morales – Bolivia’s first indigenous leader in 500 years, Mr Chavez and Ecuador’s Rafael Correa are committed to building what they call “a socialism of the 21st century,” and have instituted a range of policies that favour the poor of their countries, such as boosting health and literacy programmes and, more controversially, the nationalisation of key industries.

Fernando Lugo, a former Catholic bishop and adherent of liberation theology won Paraguay’s presidency in April, adding to the continent’s collection of progressives. Analysts expect Mr Lugo’s policies, as with those of Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner, to fall somewhere between that of Mr da Silva and Mr Chavez.

‘Biofuels debate will be central’
The sides align themselves slightly differently however when it comes to the question of biofuels.

EU leaders last spring agreed that the EU should increase the use of biofuels in transport fuel to ten percent by 2020, up from a planned 5.75 percent target to be achieved by 2010.

But the European Union has come under repeated pressure from international institutions such as the World Bank and the UN World Food Programme, as well as environmental and development NGOs, to abandon its biofuels targets due to concerns that the controversial fuels contribute to global warming and food price rises.

As a result, the commission has touted as-yet undefined sustainability standards that it says will ensure the biofuels Europe uses are green.

Brazil, the world’s leading producer of ethanol, while publicly supporting these sustainability criteria, is very worried that if standards are too strict, European markets will be closed off to them.

On the other hand, most of the other LAC countries have lined up against both Brazil and the EU’s positions on biofuels, aghast at the site of Haiti’s government falling in April as a result of food riots on the island nation.

Even Peru’s moderate Mr Garcia complains that biofuel crop cultivation is pushing up the prices of staples such as corn, rice and wheat, and is planning to ask for a limit to biofuel production.

“I have no doubt that the theme of food will be central to the debates of the summit,” Peru’s foreign minister, Jose Garcia Belaunde, said last week.

As with many such international gatherings, an alternative “People’s Summit,” is currently being held all week in a working class Lima neighbourhood, with attendants from social, labour and indigenous groups.

“The Brussels Consensus is the new Washington Consensus, and has started a new period of neocolonialism,” said Brid Brennan of the Netherlands-based Transnational Institute, one of the organisers of the People’s Summit.

However, unlike similar counter-summits elsewhere, this one will also be attended by a number of heads of state, notably Mr Chavez, Mr Morales, Mr Correa and the new president of Cyprus, Dimitris Christofias.

External relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, trade commissioner Peter Mandelson, and development commissioner Louis Michel will join President Barroso at the EU-LAC summit.

The EU-LAC summit was preceded on Thursday (15 May) by the second EU-LAC Business Forum, bringing together business and political leaders, and will be followed on Saturday by separate summits between the EU and each of Mexico, Chile, the Andean Community and Central America.

From:  gdeville at envirosecurity.org
“The Bali climate talks have failed to deliver the tangible results so many craved. However, even the weariest pessimist would have to acknowledge the significant step that the Bali talks made, demonstrated by the agreement to hold global negotiations over the next two years leading to Copenhagen in 2009.

In this context, Europe can show how change can be achieved. While it is currently not a major player, Europe still has a vital role to play as a torch-bearer, if not yet a consolidated political leader. Such vision is required now more than ever as Europe is hosting two COPs in succession, providing Europe with a special opportunity to demonstrate leadership”.

{Above talks about the Poznan (2008) and Copenhagen (2009) COPs of the UNFCCC.

Above Forgets to note that the US can also make a terrific contribution in the 2008 elections for US Presidency. This if next US President will be ready to participate in the leadership on climate change. The problem is nevertheless that the US does not change Presidents before January 20, 2009 - so - at Poznan the US willl still be outside the leadership circle and foreseably still considered a wall-flower.

We bring this up as it increases the onus on the EU to become central player, have contact with the US President-elect and make sure that his people take into consideration the EU proposed route when forging a new US aproach to climate change policy.}
The findings (of the ideas presented in this posting) are among the key recommendations in the newly issued Report of the Conference ‘From Bali to Poznan – New Issues, New Challenges’ organised in December 2007 by the Institute for Environmental Security in cooperation with Globe Europe, Globe EU and e-Parliament. The Report is now available for download at gdeville at envirosecurity.org

—–
Institute for Environmental Security
The Hague - Brussels - London - California - New York - Washington DC
International Secretariat
Anna Paulownastraat 103
2518 BC The Hague, The Netherlands
Tel: + 31 70 365 2299
Fax: + 31 70 365 1948
Email:  info at envirosecurity.org
Url: www.envirosecurity.org

ADAM - ADaptation And Mitigation.

Climate Policy Workshops 28-29 May, 2008, at Lund University in Sweden.

May 28, Wednesday:
CDM Post-2012: Practices, Possibilities, Politics
Organization: ADAM project, ClimateColl project

May 29, Thursday:
Climate Governance Beyond Rhetoric: Deliberation and Rule Making Along the Public-Private Frontier. Organization: GreenGovern project.

The workshop series includes two independent one-day sessions and one common social event in the evening of May 28. This two-day event will allow participants to attend sessions according to their professional preferences. It also offers good opportunities to network with a broader circle of colleagues.
All costs related to the organization including lunch and the social event on 28th of May will be covered by the organizers. Participants are kindly asked to arrange their own travel and accommodation.
Please find enclosed the descriptions of the events including programs and registration information. Please note that you need to register separately for the events on May 28 and 29.

For further information, please use the contact information below:
CDM Post-2012 workshop, May 28:
Dr. Maria Falaleeva, Institute for Environmental Studies IVM,
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Email:  maria.falaleeva at ivm.vu.nl
Phone: +31 20 5986221
Climate Governance workshop, May 29:
Dr. Joakim Nordqvist, Environmental and Energy Systems Studies,
Lund University
Email:  joakim.nordqvist at miljo.lth.se
Phone: +46 46 2223848

Information is also availiable at:
ADAM project web-site: www.adam-project.eu
Lund University Climate Policy Research Blog: www.fpi.lu.se/climate