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Carbon trading it too easily gamed

"Mommy, where do carbon offsets come from?"

"Well, you see sweetheart, when a major polluter and a consultant love money very, very much, they express that love in a special way. Nine months later, the consultant produces an extremely large paper packet."

In theory, carbon taxes and carbon trading yield similar results.(Carbon taxes raise the price of fossil fuels by taxing it. Permits raise the price of fossil fuels by requiring people to buy permits for each unit burned) So why do so many people who support carbon taxes oppose carbon trading? Because in practice they differ catastrophically, something we have good reasons to expect.

The real world record of carbon trading includes:

A Grist special series on biofuels

What is ethanol, and how's it different from biodiesel, and where does fry grease come in? Are there cars that can run on biofuels, and who's making them, and where can they fuel up? Who sells it, who makes money off it, and why's it such a political darl

Ski slopes under threat from global warming, and more

To listen to the most recent podcast, go here. Read the articles mentioned at the end of the podcast: There’ll Always Be an England … in Brazil Letting the Cataclysm Out of the Bag More Poles to Worry About Piscean Match Kick It into Underdrive Read the articles mentioned at the end of the podcast: […]

A real live Canadian weighs in

If Capo di tutti Capi Roberts demands answers, who am I to refuse the call?

Below the fold, my thoughts on the choice of Stephane Dion for leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. The short version: modest optimism.

He’s green as green can be

Apparently there was a Liberal Party convention in Canada this weekend, with all the twists, turns, and drama you've come to not expect at all from Canada. The end result was a "stunning upset": underdog and "straight shooter" Stephane Dion, an academic-turned-politician who most recently served as Canada's Minister of the Environment, was elected new head of the Liberal Party and, in all likelihood, the next Prime Minister of Canada.

Dion has made environmental issues the center of his public life and his campaign. He's a big backer of Kyoto (he even named his dog after it!). See here and here for two remarkable speeches on how to make a greener Canada.

Perhaps John, our resident Canadian, can step in and offer us some informed background. Oil Drum Canada has some reflections.

Here an extended excerpt from Dion's acceptance speech:

‘Govern’, that is

Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., said the bill would send a positive signal to voters as Republicans transition into the minority.

"It would be good if we could get a few things done on the way out the door and show people that ... we really can govern," Kingston said.

What is this bill, you ask, that can overturn four years of evidence and convince voters that the Republican Congress can govern?

Why, a bill to open up off-shore drilling, of course.

And you thought they put fealty to corporate contributors over good governance!

(via TP)

It’s a disaster, not a catastrophe

A Guardian story suggests that we may have as much as eight degrees of global warming already locked in, in the form of stored heat in the ocean. But a substantial stored-heat backlog in the ocean has been well-known for some time. That it is greater than expected is bad news -- but (as I've confirmed in correspondence with Gavin Schmidt of Real Climate) this does not mean that all or most of that stored heat is going to "come back" and fry the planet, provided we take action in time.

I know James Lovelock, the brilliant inventor of the Gaia hypothesis, is spreading the "8 degree" misinterpretation, but most climate scientists do not agree with him.

Climate disruption is a serious crisis for the human race, but the reality is bad enough. No need to make solving it harder by exaggerating the threat. RealClimate has posted a number of articles debunking exaggerated panic-mongering:

Dingell and other Democrats plan oversight hearings on environmental issues

“There has been literally no oversight in the last six years,” Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), incoming chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, told Muckraker yesterday. “It’s been nothing more than Kabuki theater.” That’s why Dingell says he’s gearing up to hold oversight hearings investigating the Bush administration’s energy and environmental policies, as are […]

Get ready for a special series

Been hearing a lot about "biofuels"? Having more and more trouble concealing your ignorance about them? Wish someone would pull together a special series of articles, explaining the differences among various biofuels, analyzing who profits from them, listing the various political initiatives around them, interviewing experts, and answering once and for all the vexed questions about energy balance?

Well aren't you in luck! On Monday morning, steer your browsers to grist.org. All your questions will be answered.

Let’s

Variety's special package on the greening of Hollywood is pretty good. Joel Makower has a nice rundown.

Joel says one thing I'd like to follow up on:

... the last thing the environmental movement -- always struggling for relevance as a mainstream force in America and elsewhere -- needs is a closer alliance with the left-leaning Hollywood elite.

He doesn't make too much of this, but it's a common sentiment, so it's worth addressing.