Gerry
2004-11-21 23:12:47 UTC
TWO BRILLIANT IDEAS
***CONTRACTION AND CONVERGENCE***
"A brilliant, imaginative and simple means of reaching a just global
agreement on emission reductions has been put forward. Known as contraction
and convergence (C&C), it was first proposed by the Global Commons Institute
(GCI) in 1990. Recognition of its unique qualities as a framework for
combating climate change has grown at an astonishing rate since that date.
C&C is founded on two fundamental principles: first, that global emission of
carbon dioxide must be progressively reduced; and second, that global
governance must be based on justice and fairness. ..." (from "How We Can
Save the Planet" by Mayer Hillman, p 119).
C&C consists of:
* Contraction: Global CO2 emissions are reduced towards an
internationally-agreed target by an internationally agreed year.
* Convergence: Global convergence to equal per capita shares of this
contraction is phased towards the contraction target by the agreed year.
BOOK: Aubrey Meyer's superb short 'briefing' on "Contraction and
Convergence: The Global Solution to Climate Change", published by Green
Books, December 2000 (from www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.com).
LINKS:
"Calling the tune", an interview with Aubrey Meyer in the New Scientist,
July 2001
(www.mng.org.uk/green_house/mechanisms/aubrey_meyer_interview.htm).
Global Commons Institute (www.gci.org.uk/).
***DOMESTIC TRADABLE QUOTAS***
The basic idea is that each person is allowed, each year, to emit CO2
derived from fossil fuels up to a limit which is their personal ration.
Unused rations can be bought and sold. Each person's ration is gradually
reduced from year to year, with plenty of advanced warning of each reduction
so that there is plenty of time to plan and adapt. In a similar way, every
business would have a tradable quota of 'fossil' CO2 emissions.
The concept was originally proposed by Aubrey Meyer (founder and director of
the Global Commons Institute) and Mayer Hillman of the Policy Studies
Institute. It has also been developed by David Fleming (of the Lean Economy
Institute) and is now the subject of detailed research by Kevin Anderson and
Richard Starkey of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.
From a political perspective, a major attraction of DTQs is that they are
likely to create at least as many winners as losers. This is because people
with relatively small incomes are likely to have surplus carbon rations that
they can sell for cash. By contrast, carbon taxes - often promoted as the
way to reduce CO2 emissions - mean that we are all losers, and so protests
and resistance are likely to be strong. Another 'political' attraction of
DTQs is that the cost to the Government and taxpayers is only the cost of
administering the scheme: no expensive grants, tax breaks or subsidies
are required.
DTQs also have the advantage that they automatically cover the entire
spectrum of technologies or ways of living that have any bearing on one's
'personal' emissions of CO2. People are free to reduce their emissions in
whatever way suites them best: insulate the house or wear warmer clothing
indoors; take fewer fly-away holidays (DTQs *must* cover air travel) or go
by train; get rid of the car or switch to bio-fuels.
BOOK: "How We Can Save the Planet" by Mayer Hillman, with Tina Fawcett,
Penguin Books, 2004 (from www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.com). Another
brilliant book and 'must read'.
LINKS:
"Domestic Tradable Quotas" by David Fleming. (www.dtqs.org/).
"That'll be £17 and 10 carbon points" by Richard Starkey and Kevin Anderson
in the Guardian, April 2004.
(www.mng.org.uk/green_house/mechanisms/tradable_quotas.htm).
***CONTRACTION AND CONVERGENCE***
"A brilliant, imaginative and simple means of reaching a just global
agreement on emission reductions has been put forward. Known as contraction
and convergence (C&C), it was first proposed by the Global Commons Institute
(GCI) in 1990. Recognition of its unique qualities as a framework for
combating climate change has grown at an astonishing rate since that date.
C&C is founded on two fundamental principles: first, that global emission of
carbon dioxide must be progressively reduced; and second, that global
governance must be based on justice and fairness. ..." (from "How We Can
Save the Planet" by Mayer Hillman, p 119).
C&C consists of:
* Contraction: Global CO2 emissions are reduced towards an
internationally-agreed target by an internationally agreed year.
* Convergence: Global convergence to equal per capita shares of this
contraction is phased towards the contraction target by the agreed year.
BOOK: Aubrey Meyer's superb short 'briefing' on "Contraction and
Convergence: The Global Solution to Climate Change", published by Green
Books, December 2000 (from www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.com).
LINKS:
"Calling the tune", an interview with Aubrey Meyer in the New Scientist,
July 2001
(www.mng.org.uk/green_house/mechanisms/aubrey_meyer_interview.htm).
Global Commons Institute (www.gci.org.uk/).
***DOMESTIC TRADABLE QUOTAS***
The basic idea is that each person is allowed, each year, to emit CO2
derived from fossil fuels up to a limit which is their personal ration.
Unused rations can be bought and sold. Each person's ration is gradually
reduced from year to year, with plenty of advanced warning of each reduction
so that there is plenty of time to plan and adapt. In a similar way, every
business would have a tradable quota of 'fossil' CO2 emissions.
The concept was originally proposed by Aubrey Meyer (founder and director of
the Global Commons Institute) and Mayer Hillman of the Policy Studies
Institute. It has also been developed by David Fleming (of the Lean Economy
Institute) and is now the subject of detailed research by Kevin Anderson and
Richard Starkey of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.
From a political perspective, a major attraction of DTQs is that they are
likely to create at least as many winners as losers. This is because people
with relatively small incomes are likely to have surplus carbon rations that
they can sell for cash. By contrast, carbon taxes - often promoted as the
way to reduce CO2 emissions - mean that we are all losers, and so protests
and resistance are likely to be strong. Another 'political' attraction of
DTQs is that the cost to the Government and taxpayers is only the cost of
administering the scheme: no expensive grants, tax breaks or subsidies
are required.
DTQs also have the advantage that they automatically cover the entire
spectrum of technologies or ways of living that have any bearing on one's
'personal' emissions of CO2. People are free to reduce their emissions in
whatever way suites them best: insulate the house or wear warmer clothing
indoors; take fewer fly-away holidays (DTQs *must* cover air travel) or go
by train; get rid of the car or switch to bio-fuels.
BOOK: "How We Can Save the Planet" by Mayer Hillman, with Tina Fawcett,
Penguin Books, 2004 (from www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.com). Another
brilliant book and 'must read'.
LINKS:
"Domestic Tradable Quotas" by David Fleming. (www.dtqs.org/).
"That'll be £17 and 10 carbon points" by Richard Starkey and Kevin Anderson
in the Guardian, April 2004.
(www.mng.org.uk/green_house/mechanisms/tradable_quotas.htm).