Voters in Switzerland rejected three referendums that would have limited CO2 placed new taxes on motor fuel and airline tickets. This was all part of a plan under the Paris Climate Agreement. Other referenda would have banned the use of pesticides and chemicals in farming setting back one of mankind's great technological advanced. BBC reports:
Switzerland's policy on fighting climate change has been thrown into doubt after voters rejected key measures in a popular vote.
A referendum saw voters narrowly reject the government's plans for a car fuel levy and a tax on air tickets.
The measures were designed to help Switzerland meet targets under the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Many voters appear to have worried about the impact on the economy as the country tries to recover from Covid-19.
The referenda drew particularly strong opposition from young voters who rejected the measures in overwhelming numbers.
One reason the vote failed was lack of agreement among climate activists. Many rejected it because the law did not go far enough. But what is particularly interesting about this referendum is that the strongest opposition came from young people. 60-70% of the 18-34 year old voted No in the three categories.
Perhaps this is a sign that younger voters are starting to reject the heavy-handed, top down approach to climate issues so favored by the ruling classes in the EU and United States.
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