Comments on: ENVIRONMENT: Will nations come together to combat Global Climate problems, or just their own nation? http://hurricanequestions.com/environment-will-nations-come-together-to-combat-global-climate-problems-or-just-their-own-nation.htm Sun, 20 May 2012 18:31:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Bryce_Anderson http://hurricanequestions.com/environment-will-nations-come-together-to-combat-global-climate-problems-or-just-their-own-nation.htm/comment-page-1#comment-8001 Bryce_Anderson Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:07:27 +0000 http://hurricanequestions.com/environment-will-nations-come-together-to-combat-global-climate-problems-or-just-their-own-nation.htm#comment-8001 Climate change is primarily caused by the release of CO2 into the atmosphere, a gas that -- once released -- stays in the atmosphere for centuries, getting so thoroughly mixed that nobody can even guess which molecule came from which country. Because atmospheric CO2 is such a perfect example of the Tragedy of Commons, it is simply impossible for a single country to deal with the problem on their own. What is needed is a scientifically sound, transparent, well regulated cap-and-trade system that all countries and all industries are required to participate in. It would probably need to cover the important greenhouse gases (at minimum, CO2 and methane). For those who don't know what a cap-and-trade system is: each participant figures out how much of a given pollutant they need to emit. Credits, representing the right to emit, say, 10 tons of CO2, are auctioned to the highest bidder. Then -- at least it is hoped -- the magic of the free market takes effect. Given the scarcity of the resource (the ability to pollute, which was previously unrestricted and therefore infinite), some people will find it cheaper to clean up their act than to buy the right to continue polluting. Ideally, this will fall to the people who can clean up their acts the most economically. Such a system requires almost universal cooperation. If you have even one non-participant (say, China), industries will take their factories there to avoid paying the pollution tax. An alternative would be an extraction tax on fossil fuels. The risk is that the tax would be set too low, which wouldn't accomplish anything, or too high, causing unnecessary problems to the economy. The cap-and-trade system at least has a mechanism for signaling its effects. I don't know if countries have the political will to come together and tackle this problem. But if they can't, I fear that we're all screwed. Climate change is primarily caused by the release of CO2 into the atmosphere, a gas that — once released — stays in the atmosphere for centuries, getting so thoroughly mixed that nobody can even guess which molecule came from which country. Because atmospheric CO2 is such a perfect example of the Tragedy of Commons, it is simply impossible for a single country to deal with the problem on their own.

What is needed is a scientifically sound, transparent, well regulated cap-and-trade system that all countries and all industries are required to participate in. It would probably need to cover the important greenhouse gases (at minimum, CO2 and methane).

For those who don’t know what a cap-and-trade system is: each participant figures out how much of a given pollutant they need to emit. Credits, representing the right to emit, say, 10 tons of CO2, are auctioned to the highest bidder. Then — at least it is hoped — the magic of the free market takes effect. Given the scarcity of the resource (the ability to pollute, which was previously unrestricted and therefore infinite), some people will find it cheaper to clean up their act than to buy the right to continue polluting. Ideally, this will fall to the people who can clean up their acts the most economically.

Such a system requires almost universal cooperation. If you have even one non-participant (say, China), industries will take their factories there to avoid paying the pollution tax.

An alternative would be an extraction tax on fossil fuels. The risk is that the tax would be set too low, which wouldn’t accomplish anything, or too high, causing unnecessary problems to the economy. The cap-and-trade system at least has a mechanism for signaling its effects.

I don’t know if countries have the political will to come together and tackle this problem. But if they can’t, I fear that we’re all screwed.

]]> By: dana1981 http://hurricanequestions.com/environment-will-nations-come-together-to-combat-global-climate-problems-or-just-their-own-nation.htm/comment-page-1#comment-7995 dana1981 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:07:27 +0000 http://hurricanequestions.com/environment-will-nations-come-together-to-combat-global-climate-problems-or-just-their-own-nation.htm#comment-7995 Nations are trying to come together to solve this issue. First with the Kyoto Protocol and more recently at the G8 summit. George Bush has undermined both efforts, but hopefully our next president will cooperate with an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Nations are trying to come together to solve this issue. First with the Kyoto Protocol and more recently at the G8 summit. George Bush has undermined both efforts, but hopefully our next president will cooperate with an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

]]> By: tiuliucci http://hurricanequestions.com/environment-will-nations-come-together-to-combat-global-climate-problems-or-just-their-own-nation.htm/comment-page-1#comment-7996 tiuliucci Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:07:27 +0000 http://hurricanequestions.com/environment-will-nations-come-together-to-combat-global-climate-problems-or-just-their-own-nation.htm#comment-7996 Nations have been trying to come together and work on stopping human created Global Warming. George Bush took the US out of the effort. Hopefully our next president will bring us back into the effort. Take care, Troy Nations have been trying to come together and work on stopping human created Global Warming. George Bush took the US out of the effort. Hopefully our next president will bring us back into the effort.

Take care,
Troy

]]> By: = ^_^ = http://hurricanequestions.com/environment-will-nations-come-together-to-combat-global-climate-problems-or-just-their-own-nation.htm/comment-page-1#comment-7997 = ^_^ = Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:07:27 +0000 http://hurricanequestions.com/environment-will-nations-come-together-to-combat-global-climate-problems-or-just-their-own-nation.htm#comment-7997 It would be easier for each nation to take care of their own, with the wealthier nations helping out developing countries as needed. Management of a situation generally works better on a smaller, more localized scale. Look at some of the things our federal government has messed up, such as education, that could have been handled better on a local level. It paints a pretty picture to see the world coming together, but in reality it isn't the best idea. Countries are not the same and each one has to do what is best for its own citizens. It would be easier for each nation to take care of their own, with the wealthier nations helping out developing countries as needed. Management of a situation generally works better on a smaller, more localized scale. Look at some of the things our federal government has messed up, such as education, that could have been handled better on a local level. It paints a pretty picture to see the world coming together, but in reality it isn’t the best idea. Countries are not the same and each one has to do what is best for its own citizens.

]]> By: DDT http://hurricanequestions.com/environment-will-nations-come-together-to-combat-global-climate-problems-or-just-their-own-nation.htm/comment-page-1#comment-7998 DDT Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:07:27 +0000 http://hurricanequestions.com/environment-will-nations-come-together-to-combat-global-climate-problems-or-just-their-own-nation.htm#comment-7998 Guess what there have been deadly floods in Asia before the industrial revolution , Greenland was green and extreme weather forecasts continue to be wrong. The only thing that happens when nations get together at the UN is that your pockets get cleaned out and a group of statist clowns try to tell you what to do. Thank goodness for the USA for standing against this nonsense. Guess what there have been deadly floods in Asia before the industrial revolution , Greenland was green and extreme weather forecasts continue to be wrong. The only thing that happens when nations get together at the UN is that your pockets get cleaned out and a group of statist clowns try to tell you what to do. Thank goodness for the USA for standing against this nonsense.

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