After you, Alphonse

Just last month EU member countries were given a set of "concrete measures and policies" for reaching a previously agreed goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 20% below 1990 levels by 2020. Now Fwance and Germany are making funny noises. Reuters:

Brussels risks sacrificing European jobs with its plans to cut industrial greenhouse gas emissions, the euro zone's big two economies France and Germany said on Monday.

Europe should lead by example but must not "change the competitiveness of our economy and our companies" by adopting tougher pollution measures than in other parts of the world," said Herve Novelli, France's junior minister for industry.

"Lead by example." Bwuh--man, I can't even work up a bwahahaha. EUreferendum (via whom), also notes Germany's pending failure to meet ethanol and bio-diesel fuel targets, and opines:

Thus, from the EU's obsession with global warming, we can see all sorts of stresses building up, with resistance from member states to implementation of plans they themselves have agreed in principle. This definitely puts the EU on the line. To maintain any credibility, it will have to trying [sic] to force member states to comply with its plans but, as the economic situation gets tighter, this will prove extremely difficult.

We have always felt that global warming could prove the nemesis of the EU and, if these current problems are any guide, we are starting to see the shape of things to come.

Update: Highlighting the urgency of the greenhouse gas problem, a BBC story Monday noted:

Solo showers in jails boost CO2

Giving prisoners their own showers has forced up the government's carbon dioxide emissions, official statistics have shown.

Carbon emissions within former Home Office bodies, including the prison service, rose from 28,237 tonnes in 2005-06 to 28,925 tonnes in 2006-07.

The rise has been attributed to the increase in the prison population and the provision of in-cell showers.

Elsewhere in the story they're referred to as "en suite" showers. NTTAWWT.

(h/t the inimitable "pounce" at Biased BBC.)

Update II: Abraham Lincoln was not gay!