March 31, 2005

WOULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN BETTER JUST TO NOT SIGN IT?:

UK greenhouse emissions still rising (David Crouch, March 31, 2005, The Guardian)

UK carbon dioxide emissions have risen for two consecutive years according to figures released today, despite government pledges on climate change.

Emissions are now at their highest since 1996 and 3% higher than when Labour came to power in 1997. The government will need to implement drastic changes if it is to meet its target to reduce carbon pollution by 2010.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 31, 2005 8:14 AM
Comments

The protocol will be on the ash heap of history before 2010.

Posted by: jim hamlen at March 31, 2005 1:38 PM

Global warming is a political football used to break down national sovereignty via treaties like Kyoto. The result would redistribute wealth to 3rd world countries via pollution credit trading schemes.


Are you environmentalists aware of pollution credit trading schemes? Companies are allowed to pollute x units of some hot house gas. If they pollute less than x units the company can sell the difference to a hothouse gas commodity trader or another industry. In other words the excess clean is not retired.

A power plant in Ontario, Canada polluted less than it was allowed to and sold the difference to a company in the northern US that polluted more than it was allowed. It was cheaper for the US company to buy the Ontario companies credits than to comply. But was the air in the US city improved?

The same is true of credits generated by county airboards that manage vehicle emissions stations. The credits from your passing automobile are given to local companies to reduce their pollution burden.

Another part of this scheme involves sustainable development. Under sustainable development, if your community has polluted all it is permitted and still short of enough jobs ... tough. Or what if companies move out of your region and sell their credits (license to pollute) to another region?

Pollution credit trading on a worldwide stage is potentially worth trillions!

Poverty is the worst polluter. Environmentalism has a cost and environmentalist want the poor to pay it!

Posted by: Ben DoubleCrossed at March 31, 2005 2:11 PM

you have to love it.

Posted by: Robert Schwartz at April 3, 2005 4:52 PM
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