Things we should and shouldn’t do…
for the environment.
Things we should do:
- Tax pollution - that is CO2 emissions and emissions of other greenhouse gases in terms of climate change.
- Support new technology - perhaps Google can be persuaded to offer a prize for carbon capture technology (artificial plants anyone?) or cheap, efficient solar cells
- Increase globalisation through greater free trade and abolishing subsidies
- Pay people for recycling if it indeed more efficient
- Introduce more water metering
- Make more use of landfill - it generates electricity, is safe and we have plenty of room
- Look at nuclear power - its safer, cheaper and more efficient than ever
- Tax flights not passengers
- Pay attention to the IPCC reports not just the hysteric headlines
- Make sure all research used is scientific
- Research all aspects of climate change, not just anthropogenic ones
- Accept that some change is inevitable - just try to ensure its a good change
- STOP PANICKING
Things we shouldn’t do:
- Subsidise any form of power generation - beyond taxing pollution where they pollute
- Listen to Al Gore’s hysteria uncritically
- Fall prey to hype - be it biofuels, anti-nuclear, pro-nuclear, global warming hysteria, food miles…
- Tax based upon pollution potential - this is nonsense and usually disguises taxes to target particular groups rather than environmental damage
- Look into ways to adapt and whether that’s more economic
- Ignore all other environmental concerns
- Ignore human suffering caused by potential solutions
- Use authoritarian measures to achieve your ends
- Adopt managerialism
- Place your faith in state action and politicians
- Slip into environmental conservatism
- Panic
I’m sure there’s others… basically, keep your head, accept change but don’t slip into nihilistic hopelessness…
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September 20th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
Things we shouldn’t do:
- Rely on “the market” to sort out all our problems. Never expect the private sector and plc’s to care one bit for people who are not spending money with them.
September 21st, 2007 at 3:46 pm
That why you tax CO2 emmisions. They will care deeply about paying less tax. They will try to find the most efficent way to cut tax via cutting emmisions. As opposed to bans and tax hikes for whatever the public happens to dislike at the moment.
However, Tristan, refrence to “good” climate change is desperate. How can it be good for people living near the equator, or the hundreds of millions in areas like Bangladesh or the Maldives? We can’t make a “good” climate change, the change will happen and it will be disasterous for many. I agree with many(most, probably) of your proposals, but some of your comments on the science and on accepting it as a possible good just seem to be ducking the issue. The only acceptable response is to minimise change, not to pretend it won’t be a big deal becuase we are in a temperate, industrialised nation.
October 9th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Get rid of the ‘anti-dumping’ duties on Chinese imports that pollute less.