CATEGORY - CARBON CREDITS

They are coming, so best make sure we are on top of making them as enviROI+ as possible:

ARTICLES

BBC - NEW - The great carbon bazaar - Well, well, well...

Sadly, (necessary) stories like this tar possibly worthwhile and potentially useful enviROI+ projects with a very broad, long lasting brush. Frankly it seems waaaay too late to ask or expect any target-centric government or profit-centric trading entity to clean up their acts. The trust has gone. And with each imposition of such flawed systems by their very comfortable rewarded champions, the public looks like getting ever more resentful.

Indy - Concentrate the mind with carbon credits

As acknowledged: 'minus a handling fee, one assumes' '... also require substantial bureaucracy and would almost certainly be open to fraud and manipulation'. The current crop in charge do not inspire much faith that any planetary positive result will be derived whilst many job creation schemes and self-serving tax-grabs will be first in line.

Gaurdian - Carbon-credit schemes fall 30% short of projections, report claims - In a world of energy effciency, not the best % figure to note

Gaurdian - Personal carbon trading is not as simple as swiping an Oyster card - I note one Polly Toynbee, intellect-extraordinaire, is mentioned. Not in a good way.

Indy - UK’s carbon credits registry goes online

Times - NEW - The fool’s gold of carbon trading

When others zig...

It is irrational, unfair an unwise, but when this woman says something I tend to look in the other direction for what makes sense...

Carbon credits tick all the boxes. What's the delay?

What, oh why, did she have put 'tick boxes' in the headline!?

Simplistically (and ignoring a bunch of modern day economic, social, democratic, etc realities) the only thing I can see being effective is a GLOBAL rationing system based on personal allocation and not trade.

One long haul, one short haul, 10,000 miles, so many kW & btus per person per annum.

Not very fair, especially to your aspiring Mumbai IT whizz, Shanghai metal worker or Kalahari bushman, but there you go.

Thing is, if it were made fair in such a way, and trade was introduced, suddenly upping the total emissions allowed by all who share this planet's atmosphere to a Tuscany-accessing thrice yearly level would, I'd hazard, roast us all inside even Mr. Tickell's timeframe.

I'm sure Madonna or Mrs. Pitt could use their future brood's allowance to bring 'em over, but having squillions but little to spend it on as one is stuck at home is going to leave little for the Guardian's style section to report upon.

Or is the suggestion that I don't hit the beaches this weekend and trade that (nifty commissions to all in the City, natch) with Coca Cola (UK), and this will sort things out? I mean in terms of total, global enviROI that serves the future of my kids well, not.... box-ticking targets.

Something stinks

And I think it is this:

Auctioning off the right to emit carbon dioxide is likely to net the UK government nearly €2.5bn (£2bn) over the next four years, under plans to be announced today.

Telegraph - Green light for carbon credit sale

And now I know why: 'The Government, which has said the money raised will go to the Exchequer, remains on a collision course with the EU, which has insisted that any monies raised from carbon permit trading should be used to fund projects designed to combat climate change.'

Telegraph - A windfall tax will not solve our energy crisis - 'The Treasury perennially refuses to ring-fence revenues from "green" taxes - thereby undermining its credibility.'
Just thought it was worth repeating for effect:)

Times - NEW - Gordon Brown plans ‘green tax’ on energy firms to help poor

One for you; three for us

UK Floats Idea Of Carbon Allowance For Individuals

Nice in theory, but by coming from this nation's politicians, rather unlikely to get off the ground (sorry, I should say 'avoid sinking without trace') here for a wee while, especially in light of previous expertise shown in managing such matters in the name of green. Anything that involves box-tickers from government, and especially traders from the City, to oversee and profit from, is a tad tainted, sadly.

Carbcon Diet

This time it's personal

Will carbon allowances for individuals - with credits and penalties - cut carbon emissions? A growing movement thinks so.

Meanwhile this personal movement of one is not so sure, or at least that it will be fair and effective.

However, I perk up when I hear of rewarding those who live a low-carbon lifestyle.

Then I learn of the vision's orginator, in part: David Miliband, the former environment secretary, now foreign secretary. He who ducked out of meeting the Saudi King rather than deal with the problems that might have created. Nice to know who's in charge when things get awkward.

Then I read on. What a load of...

I'm with Paul Monaghan, who seems to have more than 'doubts': "The mechanics would be a nightmare. Think how hard it has been to get a meaningful EU emissions trading scheme." And then some... it's back to my Kalahari bushman and Mekong fishwife.

And I think 'a recent spate of books on low-carbon living' attest less 'to the growing popular understanding of climate change', than a total public confusion, more than amply served by those trying to make a quick buck - There are now carbon coaches and green lifestyle advisers, low-carbon diets and carbon footprint websites - plus me, natch:)

Fair trade takes on a whole new meaning in Manchester

Not a bad piece, actually, though again I don't get how it works effectively other than as a liberal, western, affluent, feelgood game.

Gotta love this lot: Manchester Is My Planet (Mimp) who registered their personal carbon emissions at rsacarbonlimitedcities.com

CarbonLimited will be coming to a city near you to further develop the idea of a personal carbon trading scheme.

To get involved (hey, what's the worse that could happen?), visit rsacarbonlimited.org