Why are governments still subsidizing fossil fuels?

It is an hour-long drive from The Hague to my home island. The radio plays soft rock tunes from the seventies until the newsreader takes over. I increase the volume a bit: "New research shows that fossil subsidies in the Netherlands amount to a staggering 37.5 billion euros annually". I hear that the researchers used the same definitions for subsidy in their calculations as the World Trade Organization and the government; it includes tax benefits, price support, and government investments. The researchers found 31 schemes through which the Dutch government provides fiscal incentives to use fossil fuels.

I like to drive this route at sunset. The landscape unfolds before me in a mesmerizing palette of warm evening colors. The Hague, with its rich history and regal charm, is a captivating start to my journey; I have enjoyed living here in different phases of my life for 15 years. Turning right, I leave the city behind me and drive on the road that these days attracts vast crowds of Extinction Rebellion protesters.

They have read the same report and demand that the government treats the climate emergency as an emergency and not just another dossier on their plate to pass on to the next government. They are angry, desperate, and rightly apprehensive about our common future. I wonder why it has taken so long before at least a small segment of climate activists would stage these kinds of protests.

Burn more and pay less tax

The newsreader on my car's radio continues. It turns out that companies that use large amounts of fossil energy are the ones that benefit most from tax exemptions and discounts. Let me repeat that for those who only scan this article: burn more oil and gas, and you are rewarded by paying less energy tax.

For example, the 170 largest gas consumers, who account for 74 percent of gas consumption, only pay 11 percent of the energy tax.

Carol King takes over from the newsreader while I follow the highway that passes Delft. I'm distracted by how she felt the earth move under her feet and thoughts of writing about Vermeer's masterpieces. But the scenery takes a dramatic turn when I approach the port area west of Rotterdam.

The horizon is dominated by the signature skyline of industry, and the sprawling Botlek area replaces agriculture and city views with constructions of human ingenuity. I feel the sky tumbling down just after the sun dips below the horizon.

Fossil fuels

To draw your attention, I captured the photo I used in this article's heading. It is an industrial symphony in the twilight. But there is a dark layer below the first impression of beauty: much of what we see in this photo is related to the fossil fuel industry. You find refineries and storage for oil, gas, and coal here.

It makes me think about the newsreader's words. These favorable tax arrangements for large users are unfair and disruptive to the market. Why should small companies be disadvantaged by paying the full price while the big ones get the discounts? Imagine a sign at the gas station stating: "Millionaires can fill up their tanks tax-free."

As I continue on my route, the transformation is dramatic. The concrete and steel gradually give way to fertile fields, untamed nature, and colossal waterways. It fits that right when there is a sudden change from industry to agriculture, one so remarkable that it can likely only be found in this densely populated country of planners, you pass several massive wind turbines. The transformation from industry to a green landscape is marked by the change from the old energy sources to a new and greener future.

Extinction Rebellion

It was last Friday that I drove this road and took this photo. The next day, Extinction Rebellion started to protest against fossil subsidies exactly on this route, very close to The Hague. The protesters plan to come back every day until the subsidizing of greenhouse gas emissions is ended, and the news shows scenes of the police trying to disperse the crowd by using water canons.

But the times are changing, and in the once chilly summers of the Netherlands, we now experience a heatwave with tropical temperatures in September. And I hear one of the protesters saying how grateful she is for this cooling down practice.

My route now takes me to the first of the islands. This is still in Holland, but it is a prelude to the lush paradise of Zeeland, a verdant haven where vistas of sea and land alternate.

After passing through a series of bridges, tunnels, dams, and islands, I reach the cherished destination of my island home. The journey spans centuries of history, contrasting landscapes, and ever-changing views. I have driven this route hundreds of times, and it never bores me.

There are cold evenings in Canada where I lie awake before sleep finds me. At those moments, I close my eyes and drive this route, enjoying the diverse beauty within just an hour's drive from the city that used to be my home, and I find rest when crossing the last dam that brings me to the island.

Hope and fear

And once on the island, I drive into my village. Park my car and get my bike to go to the supermarket. Tomorrow, I will travel by train. That means I will pay tax for my travel, something I could have avoided by taking a flight. It's all part of that annual amount of 37.5 billion Euros of support for fossil fuels.

The energy transition has started, but the climate is transforming too. I can only hope that we'll transition faster and beat global warming in this race to preserve our beautiful planet.

But hope often partners with fear. And I dread that we will regret being so tardy to respond someday, perhaps sooner than you expect.