This does not fit in directly with what we are reading, but this is a very interesting article depicting the role of new market exchanges in the implementation of climate change policy. Read it for yourselves, but it details an economist who has made a fortune in 3 short years by establishing an exchange for European companies to trade Carbon permits. Hedge funds, speculators, everyone is getting in on this, but I can't help but wonder if this is a good thing. Is this Cap and Trade system an efficient market if major purchases signal corporate strategy? And would a tax system be less vulnerable to the mistakes made by European governments by allotting too many permits to reduce emissions. It's strange to think one day soon we'll be investing in a ton of carbon as a commodity just like oranges and oil.
emily, 602 - days ago
Hi Crew,
I know we toss around a lot of articles for each other to read and that we all have tight schedules, but take a moment to read a few quick excerpts from an essay in Orion magazine.
Global Warming is Colorblind: Can We Say So Much for Environmentalism?
"The terms environmentalist and minority conjure two distinct images in most people’s minds—a false dichotomy that seriously threatens any chance of pulling the planet out of its current ecological tailspin. Some people think this country is on the precipice of a societal shift that will make environmental stewardship an integral part of our collective moral code. But that is not going to happen as long as we as a nation continue to think and act as if 'green' automatically means 'white.'"
"Minorities make up one-third of the population, and we are growing as an economic and financial force as our numbers increase. We are a key to maintaining the energy that environmentalism has gained as a result of intense mainstream attention. That momentum will peter out without more people to act on the present sense of urgency."
a question pertinent to our class: How do we reach unrepresented constituencies (...particularly when you have no access to the web)???
sbryan3712, 601 - days ago
A suggestion for anyone interested in the energy crisis - the movie "A Crude Awakening" is a good documentary that discusses peak oil. The bottom line they stress is that that we've used up half of the world supply of oil in a little less than 200 years, which is quite scary when you think that in another 200 (5/6 generations from now) there won't be any oil left to use.
CARBON KING
Economist Strikes Gold
In Climate-Change Fight
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120535230851631199.html
This does not fit in directly with what we are reading, but this is a very interesting article depicting the role of new market exchanges in the implementation of climate change policy. Read it for yourselves, but it details an economist who has made a fortune in 3 short years by establishing an exchange for European companies to trade Carbon permits. Hedge funds, speculators, everyone is getting in on this, but I can't help but wonder if this is a good thing. Is this Cap and Trade system an efficient market if major purchases signal corporate strategy? And would a tax system be less vulnerable to the mistakes made by European governments by allotting too many permits to reduce emissions. It's strange to think one day soon we'll be investing in a ton of carbon as a commodity just like oranges and oil.
Hi Crew,
I know we toss around a lot of articles for each other to read and that we all have tight schedules, but take a moment to read a few quick excerpts from an essay in Orion magazine.
Global Warming is Colorblind: Can We Say So Much for Environmentalism?
by Jennifer Oladipo
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/462/
"The terms environmentalist and minority conjure two distinct images in most people’s minds—a false dichotomy that seriously threatens any chance of pulling the planet out of its current ecological tailspin. Some people think this country is on the precipice of a societal shift that will make environmental stewardship an integral part of our collective moral code. But that is not going to happen as long as we as a nation continue to think and act as if 'green' automatically means 'white.'"
"Minorities make up one-third of the population, and we are growing as an economic and financial force as our numbers increase. We are a key to maintaining the energy that environmentalism has gained as a result of intense mainstream attention. That momentum will peter out without more people to act on the present sense of urgency."
a question pertinent to our class: How do we reach unrepresented constituencies (...particularly when you have no access to the web)???
A suggestion for anyone interested in the energy crisis - the movie "A Crude Awakening" is a good documentary that discusses peak oil. The bottom line they stress is that that we've used up half of the world supply of oil in a little less than 200 years, which is quite scary when you think that in another 200 (5/6 generations from now) there won't be any oil left to use.