|
||||
|
The European Court of Justice has ruled that the European decision to include in the European ETS carbon emissions generated by non-European aircraft flying to or from Europe is legal. This type of levy is a border “tax” adjustment of the type I have often discussed on this blog. It isn’t a discriminatory levy at [...] This is important news. China to implement a rather low (10 yuan=$1-55A/tonne) carbon tax. Officials say it will be “increased gradually”. The tax is tiny but that it is being planned is most important (and welcome) news. For the most part China is employing quantitative restrictions and direct interventions to limit its rapidly growing emissions. [...] 13 of last 15 years warmest on record From: AFP November 29, 2011 8:36PM THIRTEEN of the warmest years recorded have occurred within the last decade and a half, the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation said today. The year 2011 caps a decade that ties the record as the hottest ever measured, the WMO said in [...] Climate sensitivity measures the sensitivity of mean global surface temperatures to a doubling of atmospheric CO2. The work of Andreas Schmittner and colleagues uses paleoclimatic data and temperature reconstructions from the Last Glacial Maximum (19-23,000 years ago) with climate model simulations to recompute climate sensitivities. Their preferred estimated climate sensitivity is 2.3 degrees C which [...] The Australian quotes Bjorn Lomborg as saying: “….carbon taxes are hugely inefficient: for every dollar of tax, they reduce climate damage by the equivalent of 2c. …. the best “bang for your buck” is to be had in spending public money on research and development on reducing the cost of renewable energies to the point [...] This excellent EU reports tells us – up to 2010 – where the world is in terms of carbon emission trajectories. Over 2009 to 2010 there was a rapid switch back to trend in global carbon emissions. World emissions fell by 1% in 2009 but rose by more than 5% in 2010, an unprecedented increase [...] I have been following a thread at John Quiggin’s blog where a standard argument used by climate policy sceptics is raised in comments yet once again. Again, again & again this same argument appears. The sceptic claim is this: A country like Australia contributes less than 2% of the world’s emissions so that measures to [...] I attended the meeting “Australia’s Carbon Price: Good Policy or Not?” at the Crawford School, the Australian National University, yesterday. Despite some valuable papers it was a somewhat disappointing meeting for me as I was really interested in assessing the form of the current carbon tax proposal while the discussion seemed to sometimes get sidetracked [...] This paper (here) written with Rob Waschik looks at the impacts of unilateral carbon pricing moves by Australia on Australian industry accounting for the effects of carbon leakages and international competitiveness losses. It was presented at the recent 40th Australian Conference of Economists 10-14 July, 2011 in Canberra. There are strong potential [...] China emits about 5 MT of CO2E for each person per year. Although this is low by developed country standards (less than 1/4 of both Australian and US emissions) it is high by international standards and must be more than halved by 2050 if carbon emissions are to be at the average global level consistent [...] This is a wonderful radio report – fairly long but please take the time to listen to it. The ABC delivers a news and current affairs service in Australia that no other service provider comes close to providing. Climate change scepticism is a mental illness of the current era. Its proponents are liars and/or fools. [...] Paul Kelly is an experienced politically savvy journalist whose views I respect who but writes for the increasingly discredited The Australian. This piece attacks Julia Gillard for abandoning Australia’s low cost fuel advantage in introducing a carbon tax. It’s putting lead in the ‘national saddlebags’ according to Kelly. This is a false picture since the [...] I listened today to historically important speeches by the Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister Greg Combet on the Governments’s carbon tax proposal. Of course I knew the announcement was coming but to find out the details of the proposal – in the link – and to hear such a clear and eloquent defence of [...] Report suggests 80% of world’s energy could be supplied by renewable energy sources by 2050. It is interesting how research is showing that renewables are not just green romanticism. Renewable targets are important means of getting things going – developing expertise, encouraging learning by doing, overcoming information and technology-based market failures that imply under provision [...] I took this from today’s Crikey.com who, in turn, took the substance of the article from The Guardian. The latter link worth reading since it also points out that British industry is backing this policy. [...] I have long supported use of border taxes as ‘penalties’ on exports from countries that do not address the issue of climate change through measures such as taxes. I put the ‘….’ ears around penalties as they are not really penalties as such. They are just measures that mean residents (in this case in Europe) [...] The decision by the State Government in Victoria to reject abandonment of the Hazelwood Power station – probably the dirtiest in Australia from the viewpoint of emissions – is regrettable given that the Baillieu Government supported the closure move while in opposition. It shows that the Liberal Party is paying lip service to dealing with [...] I spent Thursday at an enjoyable ANU Workshop, Australia’s Climate Policy Options at the Crawford School where I presented some theory and empirical results on carbon leakages. There were plenty of distinguished presenters (Ross Garnaut, John Quiggin among many others) and an enthusiastic (and very well-informed) audience of civil servants from the Department of Climate [...] If Jeff Bennett is quoted correctly his actions in seeking to torpedo a move to introduce a carbon tax are grossly irresponsible. That’s putting it mildly. His claims about about impacts on Australian trade are particularly silly given that the structure of the carbon tax base has not yet been agreed to. Almost certainly the export [...] Trade Minister Craig Emerson argues against border tax adjustments (BTAs) to protect import competing products subject to carbon charges in favour of emission quota handouts to local firms. The idea needs to be nuanced – as it stands it will not work effectively – but it is worth considering. The advantage of the free permit [...] |
||||
|
Copyright © 2012 Harry Clarke - All Rights Reserved |
||||
Recent Comments