Your Daily WTF: Saving the Environment... or Not Edition.

[sechan19]

So, is it me, or does the idea of buying carbon emission credits from another country totally defeat the purpose of having carbon emission caps?

Japan is currently on its third carbon emission credits buying expedition. I guess they have to do something to offset their exceeding of the emission caps set by the Kyoto Protocol. Their solution, a solution participated in by other nations obviously, is to turn carbon emission credits into a commodity. That just sounds so completely backward to me.

I mean, if massive industrial nations use up the emission credits of other nations after they've used their own, those emissions aren't really reduced. And there's no incentive to cut back. And they completely shoot their moral high ground in the foot. And it all just becomes more and more fubar.

[rolls eyes]

Links:
Via Japan Probe
Original Guardian UK Article

EDIT: Check out the comments for a link to an excellent article on the subject, courtesy of lordameth. Thanks, again!

Comments

[docjeed.livejournal.com]

This only works if the other nations agree to the point where it's a zero-sum game, and Kyoto is met.

[reteva.livejournal.com]

Which is, no doubt, why Japan often calls on other nations to reduce their carbon emissions.

[lordameth.livejournal.com]

I think it was Wired who this month had an article with a sub-headline "Cap and Trade Won't Work."

[reteva.livejournal.com]

Wow! Great article. Thanks for the heads-up.