Paris riots show difficulty of fighting warming with taxes

French President Emmanuel Macron says the government will find a way to delay tax increases on fuel during periods when world oil prices are rising. (File/AP)

• The worst riots in Paris in decades were sparked by higher fuel taxes
• People in India, Mexico and Indonesia have protested higher fuel prices in recent years

PARIS: The "yellow vests" in France are worrying greens around the world.
The worst riots in Paris in decades were sparked by higher fuel taxes, and French President Emmanuel Macron responded by scrapping them Wednesday.
But taxes on fossil fuels are just what international climate negotiators say are desperately needed to help wean the world off of fossil fuels and slow climate change.
Macron says he is trying to prevent the end of the world, but protesters say they're just trying to make it to the end of the month.
It's not just France. People in India, Mexico and Indonesia have protested higher fuel prices in recent years.
The anger highlights how difficult it can be to discourage fossil fuel consumption by raising prices.