THE EUROPEAN UNION IS FOLLOWING CALIFORNIA’S LEAD, AND BANNING THE SALE OF NEW COMBUSTION-ENGINE CARS. THE BAN GOES INTO EFFECT IN 2035.

EU LAWMAKERS REACHED THE DEAL THURSDAY NIGHT. IT WAS THE FIRST AGREEMENT THE BLOC’S REACHED AS PART OF THE “FIT FOR 55” PACKAGE, WHICH AIMS TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 55% THIS DECADE.

TRANSPORTATION IS THE ONLY SECTOR IN THE EU WHERE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INCREASED OVER THE LAST THREE DECADES. PASSENGER CARS ACCOUNT FOR A MAJORITY OF THAT INCREASE.

THE EU PARLIAMANT SAID FUNDING SHOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARD SMALLER BUSINESSES THAT WILL BE HIT HARDER BY A SWITCH TO ALL-ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

EU LAWMAKERS TOUT THE DEAL AS HISTORIC, BUT CRITICS SAY WAITING UNTIL 2035 TO BAN GAS-POWERED CARS WILL BE TOO LATE TO SAVE THE PLANET.

NO ONE IS ARGUING, HOWEVER, ABOUT THE EU’S NEED TO END ITS DEPENDENCY ON RUSSIAN OIL AND NATURAL GAS.

VLADIMIR PUTIN’S INVASION OF UKRAINE AND SUSPECTED SABOTAGE OF THE NORDSTREAM PIPELINE IS CREATING AN ENERGY CRISIS THROUGHOUT EUROPE.

ENERGY SUPPLIES COULD BECOME SO SCARCE THIS WINTER, IN THE UK, LEADERS THERE RELEASED A PLAN DETAILING NATION-WIDE ROLLING BLACKOUTS.

THE POSSIBLE PLAN, WHICH SEEMS MORE LIKELY BY THE DAY, CALLS FOR LEVELS OF BLACKOUTS.

ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE, ENERGY OFFICIALS SAID UK HOMES COULD GO WITHOUT POWER FOR THREE HOURS A DAY. ON THE DRASTIC SIDE, ESTIMATES SAY UK HOMES COULD GO A FULL DAY WITHOUT POWER.