Europe leaves it to others to take the lead on climate change
Australians have heard it again and again: We must set an example for the world by cutting emissions! We must lead! It's a great responsibility but we must do it! If we make big cuts to our carbon emissions others will follow!
Okay, how about those environmentally concerned, trend-setting Europeans, who outnumber us by like 20 to one?
The European Union in the end did not make the leap from a 20 percent cut in emissions to 30 percent, reckoning that the other reduction offers on the table were not sufficiently ambitious.
They're not stupid, leaving the leading to others. China has global ambitions, maybe they should be out front showing how it's done. Nah, ain't gonna happen.
posted by Anonymous at 5:03 PM |
1 Comments:
Hopefully seen as on-topic Mr Beck, and a welcome opener for this one:
According to the regular editorials of noted business analyst Robert Gottliebsen at his email journal - China IS leading the way !
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Copenhagen-climate-change-US-China-carbon-pd20091221-YWS62?OpenDocument
"We should be in the Chinese camp because China, instead of spending time and energy on carbon trading is setting about taking action and it looks like they are going to lead the world in carbon reduction...."
This despite the fact that:
China is commissioning a new-coal fired power station every week ( plus all the nukes, hydro and every other source of energy to electrify the country that they can );
making long term investments in coal mines at home and overseas ( eg Felix Resources, Waratah Coal ); railways and ports and shipping to supply the power stations; which will see China add 1.5 to 2 billion tonnes per annum to their coal production within ten years ( Macquarie Bank analysis )
are indeed seeking to capture the manufacture of windmills and solar panels - if that is the inefficient energy the west is willing to pay for ( including apparently gaming the Kyoto Protocol Clean Development Mechanism to underwrite the investments );
and is promising to do no more than the trajectory of any other industrialising country and generate power more efficiently in future, thereby reducing their energy consumption per unit of GDP, while absolute emissions soar.
So how a mythical Chinese decarbonisation gets spun as environmental leadership by anyone, let alone a supposed business commentator, is beyond me ?
So, let's indeed agree to follow China's REAL lead - which is ignore the hairshirt theatrics and get on with business.
See
http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.com/2009/11/chinas-carbon-intensity-pledge.html
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