‘Lone Ranger’ in Europe Faces Diverse Critics on Gases

By JAMES KANTER June 13, 2012

BRUSSELS — It seems as if the entire world has ganged up on the European Union and its attempt to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from airlines that use its airports.

But there are important differences among the two dozen or so nations that have denounced the Union’s Emissions Trading System, which was introduced Jan. 1 and requires about 1,200 carriers to buy carbon permits to cover emissions that exceed their quotas.

One of the most significant differences is between the major emerging powers, China and India, which have displayed the most aggressive opposition to the plan, and the United States, which has emphasized a need for global compromise.

Last week, Ray LaHood, the U.S. transportation secretary, described the European Union as a “Lone Ranger,” seeking to enforce a law that calculates the carbon cost of a whole flight, rather than the portion of the flight spent in European airspace.

To read the entire article go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/business/energy-environment/lone-ranger-in-europe-faces-diverse-critics-on-gases.html?ref=energy-environment