A review and commentary on topical matters concerning the science, economics, and governance associated with climate change developments.
By Alan Moran,
2 November, 2016
International political developments
Having reached the necessary ratification levels, the Paris Climate Change Agreement, under which developed countries pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28 per cent, comes into force on 4 November. Many see the provision (Article 28) preventing withdrawal for 4 years as providing insurance against a Republican victory on November 8. Indeed, speaking on behalf of the 48 least developed countries, no less an authority than the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo has played down the risk of Trump reneging!
Noting that the European electricity price is 165 per cent higher than that of the US, and the gas price differential is even higher, a US Chamber of Commerce report has said US renewable energy policies would cost $676 billion a year to the US residential sector and $31 billion to the industrial sector.
Former Obama Interior deputy secretary argues that “25 percent of US global emissions are coming from deforestation and poor agricultural practices” and wants to combat these emissions by sterilising private farmland from productive use. Such planning regulations were used by Australian governments to steal farmland and have impoverished many Australian farmers. After a 17 year campaign we are now seeing some limited reversal of this regulatory sterilisation for 82 Queensland farms.
Canada (which was a leader in the 1992 Kyoto agreement but was the first to renounce it) announced a $10 per tonne carbon tax for 2018, rising to $50 in 2022.
France however is now almost certainly not to proceed with its foreshadowed 33 euro per tonne carbon tax. This comes on top of Nicholas Sarkozy campaigning for the Presidency with elections due next year on an anti climate change platform. Given that the more intensive assessment of nuclear required by the government has lifted electricity prices this is not surprising.
According to the latest piece of alarmist doggerel coming out of the UN, it’s just as well that the world has the numbers to ratify Paris since, it claims, without action on prevention of human induced climate change we could see an additional 165 million human souls placed in poverty as early as 2030!
Enamoured with sensation, the media is awash with stories about the coming desertification of Europe. One expert’s advice is “Cutting food waste and moderating meat consumption in healthy balanced diets will help to avoid dangerous climate change, and will also help to ensure food security for those with fewer economic means. Indeed, climate change is now getting so serious that, in addition to policy advisers confronting their own madness, a University of Exeter study claims it is driving some fish species into the mouths of their predators.
Other warmistas are also turning to absurd mysticism - The Guardian canvasses earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes (but not yet sunspots) as the child of human induced climate change. However even sustainability worry-worts consider climate change to be overhyped as a cause of war.
Promoting the climate hysteria cause
“Do you realize how dumb you have to be to not believe in climate change at this point?" asks a comedian in a Clinton Trump attack ad. You certainly have to be courageous to withstand the attacks from amply funded warmistas. Wikileaks revealed Democratic megadonor Tom Steyer, who has pledged to give away half his $1.8 billion wealth mainly to environmental causes, has provided $40 million to Clinton’s campaign. His NextGen Climate Action campaign pressured Clinton to expedite replacement of fossil fuels by renewables beyond her already committed 50 per cent by 2030.
John Podesta, formerly President Obama’s climate adviser and currently campaign chairman has according to Wikileaks discussed a $42 per ton carbon tax as a means of reaching the Paris commitment. False reassurance of the effects was offered in the following chart included in one of the emails to Podesta:-