Given that the yellow vests started rioting over a pretty modest increase in fuel taxes, I don't think popular support for dealing with climate change has nearly the level of popular support our respective circles of friends would have us believe.
My own sense is that the typical world leader would love to save their beachfront properties, but lacks the skills to sell the necessary sacrifices when competing with aspiring democratic leaders. Environmentalism needs a populist of its own. Ms. Thunberg did her best, but this really calls for a Lincoln more than a D'ark.
> Given that the yellow vests started rioting over a pretty modest increase in fuel taxes
This is not the full story. To balance the fuel tax increase, the wealth tax for the rich was eliminated. Who knows what would have happened if it wasn't the case.
That’s why all “social good” “incentive” taxes should be revenue-neutral (paying all taxes collected back to citizens as universal income). I have absolutely zero trust in governments to spend any such tax sensibly otherwise, and I’m probably not alone.
My own sense is that the typical world leader would love to save their beachfront properties, but lacks the skills to sell the necessary sacrifices when competing with aspiring democratic leaders. Environmentalism needs a populist of its own. Ms. Thunberg did her best, but this really calls for a Lincoln more than a D'ark.