Norway May Ban Gas Cars After 2015
Norwegian Finance Minister, Kristin Halvorsen, and her Socialist Left Party have put forth a plan that would disallow the sale of new cars that run solely on gasoline after 2015.
Under the plan new cars such as hybrids, that run partially on gas, would still be allowed to be sold in the country, but any cars that only use gas as their power source would be illegal. Cars already on the road would be unaffected.
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“The financial crisis also means that a lot of those car producers that now have big problems … know that they have to develop their technology because we also have to solve the climate crisis when this financial crisis is over,” Halvorsen was quoted as telling Reuters.
While the intention may be good, the practicality of the proposal is insanely questionable — to say the least.
So don’t worry, even though the issue may be used by some of the more reactive arms of the essentially useless mainstream media as further proof that socialism is bad, the real story is that everybody else in Norway thinks the proposal is as crazy as most of you likely do.
According to reports, the plan has no legs due to heavy opposition by Norway’s other two ruling parties and its Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
Although it may seem *slightly* off kilter for the Finance Minister of an entire country to suggest that gas cars be banned, Halvorsen says that her party’s proposal has been largely misunderstood and that the plan wouldn’t cause undue harm to an already devastated economy.
“We know that the world will be dependent on oil and gas for many decades ahead but we have to introduce new technologies and this is a proposal to support that,” she said. “A lot of people thought that this proposal also would go after the cars we already have. That is not the case, it’s the new cars that are bought after 2015.”
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Source: Reuters
Image Credit: Picture of Norwegian Th!nk City EV from the company
The title of this post is a little deceptive, don’t you think? Especially considering that there’s virtually no chance whatsoever of this proposal being adopted? Perhaps a better title would have been…
“Socialist, left-wing nut of a Norwegian finance minster proposes to further suppress freedom of choice and the free-market all in the name of ‘environmental protection’. Coming soon to a legislature near you!”
Captain,
That’s a little long, don’t you think?
Also, read paragraph 5. Perhaps you like reinforcing stereotypes? Most of us realize this plan is not feasible, but the reasoned interpretation is not that the minister is a freedom-hating environmentalist nutjob as people of your ilk so often like to berate.
Nick, this is awesome.
I’m proud of Norway and most of Europe for taking appropriate measures to restrain the auto. We could learn a lot from them.
Nick and Cap:
You both live in the bubble of the US I’m almost certain. I used to live there and am a US citizen but am so glad to not have to have my vision limited by the constant bombardment of Fox and the “liberal” media peers of Fox that would make this proposal seem so unrealistic. Soon your perspective will be broadened but you will be the last to the table as there are many places where people can see whats coming and they are adapting to it so they can flourish in the green future. It’s coming whether you like it or not because the earth will impose it even if the US doesn’t fully know it yet.
Jeremy,
You misunderstand completely. If you spend any time whatsoever reading through my posts on this site you’ll find that I’m about as gung ho EV as anybody you’ll meet. My comment has nothing to do with the feasibility of alternate propulsion vehicles, and everything to do with having an orderly transition away from gas cars.
Also, your time outside the US may have left you with a skewed vision of this country as everywhere I go and everybody I talk to now is already on board the green train.
Well, as a Norwegian living in the US (currently San Fran), I guess I have a different view of this.
Halvorsens Party, placed way out left on most matters, have a small following in Norway, and are basically known for their somewhat crazy ideas and hits at the ruling parties. Now, however, they are running the game in a minority government of 3 parties, and has had to adopt a lot. And even on most matters they are being overruled by the leading of these three parties, The Workers Party led by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. Norways biggest Party, thought by many to be named ironically the ‘Progress Party’, are way out on the right side, oppose anything Halvorsens Party come up with by principle, expect them to label this as utter nonsense any time soon.
But think of it - The Idea of transition to more Green Friendly transport has to start somewhere, right? Obviously, this is not the way to go, but the debate has started.
As an European, and open to everyone, I see many Americans as pretty self centered and less ‘globally intellectual’ than many other cultures. I hang around about 50/50 Americans and others. However, the others are all people who has left their country, I am sure there are lots of less enlightened people back where they came from too. Most Americans in my experience cannot even place Norway on the map…
I am totally politically unattached and uninterested and has not even voted for our last few elections.
Nick, as another US expat, I couldn’t agree with you more (Norway was on our short list, btw).
Even here in Canada, another oil producer, there is finally a realization that the days of the internal combustion engine are waning. We need to get ahead of the curve. Unfortunately, the distances in our vast country (bigger even than the US) and high energy needs during the winter make this a tougher hill to climb than Norway.
Still, I’m glad to left the purposely narrow-minded and ill-informed US. Maybe Obama can turn things around for them, but I have no plans to return to the land of the fat, loud and ignorant.
Brazil has banned pure gasoline sales for end consumers in 1976. Since 1993, a 20% ethanol content in the mix is required. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel_in_Brazil
2015 is 16 years away! A LOT can happen if there is a will to do it. I dont see where the ‘insanity’ here? Ok if banning gasoline car seems extreme to some of you what about imposing a hefty tax instead?
As a US citizen (still currently living in the states) I applaud this concept even as I suspect it is doomed to failure. It the very least it starts a dialog that is long overdue.
As a US citizen, however, I am also saddened by the generalized attacks on my country - even as I understand where they come from. This is a very large and very diverse country. While we have a deserved reputation of being politically and socially backwards (especially over the past 8 years), at the same time we also have a very complex political and social landscape (with a population of over 300 million). I understand (and share) much of the anger with this country, but I think it has become a cheap fashion statement to propagate blanket stereotypes of the entire citizenry.
This country has had a history of environmental leadership in the past (the banning of lead, and leaded gasoline, the introduction of catalytic converters, the clean air act, the clean water act, the sierra club, the nature conservancy). I am hoping that we will return to that role in the near future. Here in California, we have an even stronger sense of environmental initiatives. In fact, we tried to mandate 10% of all new cars be emissions free by 2003 (or 1.7 Million cars) - a laudable legislative goal that, alas, eventually failed much like Norway’s current experiment is likely to fail. This isn’t to say that we are even close to doing what we should or could, but it does represent actions that are inconsistent with the single seething mass of mindless muscle and testosterone that we are routinely made out to be.
Ok. End of rant…
Go Norway!