What the Kyoto fans don't understand
Jeffrey Simpson misses the boat AGAIN.
Time to get our head out of the oil sands
The problem of climate change, assuming it is happening and is caused by anthropogenic emissions to the environment, is that it is too big a problem for us to do anything about.
To stop the increasing CO2 content of the atmosphere, we would realistically have to return CO2 emissions to pre-industrial levels. While this could be done via things like carbon capture and sequestration, the cost of doing so would be detrimental to economic growth. And economic growth is what supports our standard of living.
Considering that the computer models are not very reliable (they cannot predict the climate of the 20th century using data from 1900 and known emissions...) we cannot even be sure what impact reducing CO2 emissions will have. Reducing emissions to a lesser level but still higher than pre-industrial levels will not reduce climate change. It may defer the date at which it occurs, but it cannot stop it.
Therefore - we will need to adapt. And why not simple spend our capital adapting. Life and human civilization have adapted to changes in climate before - albeit on smaller regional scales. We can adapt again. And we will without any intervention by the state.
Time to get our head out of the oil sands
The problem of climate change, assuming it is happening and is caused by anthropogenic emissions to the environment, is that it is too big a problem for us to do anything about.
To stop the increasing CO2 content of the atmosphere, we would realistically have to return CO2 emissions to pre-industrial levels. While this could be done via things like carbon capture and sequestration, the cost of doing so would be detrimental to economic growth. And economic growth is what supports our standard of living.
Considering that the computer models are not very reliable (they cannot predict the climate of the 20th century using data from 1900 and known emissions...) we cannot even be sure what impact reducing CO2 emissions will have. Reducing emissions to a lesser level but still higher than pre-industrial levels will not reduce climate change. It may defer the date at which it occurs, but it cannot stop it.
Therefore - we will need to adapt. And why not simple spend our capital adapting. Life and human civilization have adapted to changes in climate before - albeit on smaller regional scales. We can adapt again. And we will without any intervention by the state.
posted by Technical Bard | 09:22
2 Comments:
Kyoto is selective science and poor environmentalism.
How does buying GHG credits help reduce GHG emissions? Please, someone tell me.
CBC tells is how Polar Berars are threatened by pack ice melting earlier and earlier. GHG it says, in usual CBC style blaming Alberta.
I don't supose damming rivers in Quebec and Manitoba, and reducing freshwater flow to Hudson's Bay, and increasing salinity would have anything to do with that? Nah - besides, that wouldn't blame those redneck Albertan for our problems.
I don't suppose Ontarians, British Columbians and Maritimers who drive S-U-V's would have anything to do with that? Nah - besides, that wouldn't blame those redneck Albertans.
There is but one way to reduce GHG emissions and, overall lessen our human footptint on the environment and that we will not do - namely - each and everyone - THAT MEANS YOU TOO - must drive less, lower heat in the house/turn off the air conditioning, don't use so much hot water in the shower, hand wash dishes --- in short use less energy.
You think those champagne Fiberals will do that - or blame those redneck Albertans; while driving more, turning upthe heat/running the air condfitioning.....etc.?
My vote is the latter.
>>>How does buying GHG credits help reduce GHG emissions? Please, someone tell me.<<<
In theory, buying GHG credits lets someone spend money to reduce GHG emissions somewhere else where it is cheaper to accomplish, rather than reducing them as his own site, which might have a high cost to implement.
Since climate change is global, it doesn't matter where the emissions come from or where they are reduced from.
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