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With that in mind, it may be a good thing to clarify just what
we are in store for, treaty ( if any ) wise and also what
alternatives are being offered and brought to the
negotiations table...
alternatives are being offered and brought to the
negotiations table...
gather to negotiate and come to some
progressive agreement that will lead the
world out of this environmental crisis we
face and put us all back on track to
350 ppm ( parts per million ) of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,
(at present we are at 389 and that figure
is set to rise dramatically if we do not
start curbing our emissions NOW.)
progressive agreement that will lead the
world out of this environmental crisis we
face and put us all back on track to
350 ppm ( parts per million ) of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,
(at present we are at 389 and that figure
is set to rise dramatically if we do not
start curbing our emissions NOW.)
The proposals set out in the talks in the run
up to COP15 seem geared to reaching this
by means of Carbon Trading...
by means of Carbon Trading...
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Carbon trading is the main way in which wealthy
industrialized countries and companies are avoiding
their emissions reduction targets - by trading carbon
credits amongst themselves, either between countries
(as happens under the Kyoto Protocol) or between
companies (as happens under the EU Emissions
Trading Scheme). Essentially, it's the way that
industry can continue as usual, while encouraging
the poor and disadvantaged to sell their rights to pollute.
industrialized countries and companies are avoiding
their emissions reduction targets - by trading carbon
credits amongst themselves, either between countries
(as happens under the Kyoto Protocol) or between
companies (as happens under the EU Emissions
Trading Scheme). Essentially, it's the way that
industry can continue as usual, while encouraging
the poor and disadvantaged to sell their rights to pollute.
Carbon trading is aimed at the wrong target. It doesn't
address climate change. Solving climate change means
figuring out how to keep remaining fossil fuels in the
ground. It means reorganizing industrial societies' energy,
transport and housing systems - starting today - so that
they don't rely on coal, oil and gas.
address climate change. Solving climate change means
figuring out how to keep remaining fossil fuels in the
ground. It means reorganizing industrial societies' energy,
transport and housing systems - starting today - so that
they don't rely on coal, oil and gas.
Carbon trading isn't directed at that
goal. Instead, it's organized around
keeping the wheels on the fossil fuel
industry
as long as possible. Carbon trading
allocates industries
a generous short-term numerical
emissions
budget and then tries - through
trading - to make
it cheap and easy for them to
continue business
as usual within those budgets,
by buying credits
from less economically developed
countries and companies.
goal. Instead, it's organized around
keeping the wheels on the fossil fuel
industry
as long as possible. Carbon trading
allocates industries
a generous short-term numerical
emissions
budget and then tries - through
trading - to make
it cheap and easy for them to
continue business
as usual within those budgets,
by buying credits
from less economically developed
countries and companies.
Even if you were to accept that it might be a
good idea, carbon trading has been a
massive failure so far and doesn't show
any signs of improving. The price of
carbon has always been so low that it's
always
cheaper for companies to buy permits
than to
start paying for more expensive
infrastructural
changes. The allocations of permits
have been
so generous that a number of Europe's
biggest
polluters have made HUGE profits by selling
on permits that they didn't need, or
by passing
on the cost of the permits to consumers -
despite
the fact that they have been handed out
for free!
E.ON is just one example of a company
that
has made billions in windfall profits so far
from carbon trading.
good idea, carbon trading has been a
massive failure so far and doesn't show
any signs of improving. The price of
carbon has always been so low that it's
always
cheaper for companies to buy permits
than to
start paying for more expensive
infrastructural
changes. The allocations of permits
have been
so generous that a number of Europe's
biggest
polluters have made HUGE profits by selling
on permits that they didn't need, or
by passing
on the cost of the permits to consumers -
despite
the fact that they have been handed out
for free!
E.ON is just one example of a company
that
has made billions in windfall profits so far
from carbon trading.
Markets themselves aren't a bad thing,
but they
are when artificially created and
overly-complex,
based on an ideological commitment
to solving
every problem through the market rather
than
a natural evolution of trading in existing
commodities. Important decisions,
discussions
and demands about climate change are being
swept aside in favour of 'leaving it to the market,'
despite the fact that it's a market whose
parameters
and rules have been largely determined
by some
of the biggest polluters around,
teaming up with
the same financiers responsible for the
'structured investment vehicles' and
'credit derivative swaps' that have brought
economies crashing down.
but they
are when artificially created and
overly-complex,
based on an ideological commitment
to solving
every problem through the market rather
than
a natural evolution of trading in existing
commodities. Important decisions,
discussions
and demands about climate change are being
swept aside in favour of 'leaving it to the market,'
despite the fact that it's a market whose
parameters
and rules have been largely determined
by some
of the biggest polluters around,
teaming up with
the same financiers responsible for the
'structured investment vehicles' and
'credit derivative swaps' that have brought
economies crashing down.
And that leads me to the second approach
which is being highlighted at Copenhagen
during the climate talks,
which is being highlighted at Copenhagen
during the climate talks,
The people's KLIMATFORUM09...
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Where the official UN conference brings together
heads of state, Klimatforum 09 unites
representatives
from global civil society.
heads of state, Klimatforum 09 unites
representatives
from global civil society.
Klimatforum09 is the first truly global, people's
summit on climate change. So far more
than 5.000
peoples from all continents have registered to
participate. More than sixty international
environmental networks and people's
organizations support the initiative. Among
them are Friends of the Earth, Campaign
against
Climate Change, Global Forest Coalition,
Via Campesina and Permaculture
International.
summit on climate change. So far more
than 5.000
peoples from all continents have registered to
participate. More than sixty international
environmental networks and people's
organizations support the initiative. Among
them are Friends of the Earth, Campaign
against
Climate Change, Global Forest Coalition,
Via Campesina and Permaculture
International.
Klimaforum09 aims at constituting a
cohesive
framework for a multitude of conferences,
workshops, exhibitions etc., to
which citizens,
grass roots and organisations
from all over the
world will contribute during the COP15
conference in Copenhagen.
cohesive
framework for a multitude of conferences,
workshops, exhibitions etc., to
which citizens,
grass roots and organisations
from all over the
world will contribute during the COP15
conference in Copenhagen.
The basis for Klimaforum09 is the
realization
that there is no technological »fix« to the
mounting climate crisis. No technology
per se -
such as i.e. nuclear power, biofuels,
genetically
modified organisms, carbon capture
and storage -
can lead us out of the climate crisis.
Such
solutions will typically lead to far larger
problems than they solve. In contrast,
sustainable
societies require a diversity of locally based
solutions - which again require significant
mobilization of civil society.
realization
that there is no technological »fix« to the
mounting climate crisis. No technology
per se -
such as i.e. nuclear power, biofuels,
genetically
modified organisms, carbon capture
and storage -
can lead us out of the climate crisis.
Such
solutions will typically lead to far larger
problems than they solve. In contrast,
sustainable
societies require a diversity of locally based
solutions - which again require significant
mobilization of civil society.
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Klimaforum09 believes that what is
needed is
building a finely balanced relation to
nature,
thus reducing consumption and
production,
rather than uncritically exploiting
nature
and believing in economic growth
as is the
case in global society today. To
attain
such change we need new ways of
thinking,
new cultural values, and new means
of
organizing society.
needed is
building a finely balanced relation to
nature,
thus reducing consumption and
production,
rather than uncritically exploiting
nature
and believing in economic growth
as is the
case in global society today. To
attain
such change we need new ways of
thinking,
new cultural values, and new means
of
organizing society.
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www.350.org
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