Tuesday, October 23, 2007

New Zealand Follows Canada's Lousy Example

The New Zealand Institute is an influential business think-tank located in Auckland (New Zealand). It has just released a report advising the New Zealand government on formulating a carbon emissions strategy. They suggest that NZ take a "fast follower" (nice languagizing, that) rather than leadership role with regards to the issue.

Unfortunately, they invoke Canada's example as a justification for this approach:

As Figure 5 shows, New Zealand is far from alone in being likely to miss its Kyoto commitments. European countries, Canada, Japan and others are all likely to miss their emissions reduction commitments, sometimes by significant amounts. In response, some countries like Canada have announced that they will not be bound by their Kyoto commitments because they do not want to incur the financial cost that is associated with their failure to achieve their target. Not fully complying with an international agreement is clearly not a trivial matter, but precedent suggests that New Zealand will be one of many countries seeking to lengthen the Kyoto period beyond 2012 without paying to purchase offsets.3

The report, which I have only skimmed, and this document from June, are chock-a-block with interesting policy/real politic discussions of AGW. It is not at all the standard denialist tripe.

However, it sucks that Canada should have become, under the Harper government, a shining beacon for those countries looking to back out of their commitments under Kyoto.

21 comments:

900ft Jesus said...

goddammit! Bad enough Steve won,t do a damn thing, he's actually succeeding in helping other countries avoid doing anything, providing them the support (excuse) for their arguments. sad thing is "well Canada is doing it so it must be a good idea" is because of the rep we got before Steve cut programs and sent Canada back - in time. This is appalling. Effing neanderthals.

Borges said...

Yup, just do whatever you want.

Anonymous said...

But the debate is over.

The science is conclusive.

There is no AGW to worry about, it's all a bogeyman created by socialists.

Anonymous said...

"sad thing is "well Canada is doing it so it must be a good idea" is because of the rep we got before Steve cut programs and sent Canada back - in time."

Yes, that's exactly what the rest of the world is thinking. Hate to break it to you but our reputation on Kyoto sucked long before Harper took the helm. Rona Ambrose wasn't the only Canadian environment minister to win a fossil of the year award. Not even a former Liberal PM blames Stephen Harper for us missing Kyoto.

Oldschool said...

Holly . . . its about Kyoto . . . don't let your EMOTIONS get in the way of critical thinking!!!

What do you suppose Canada would look like today if we were meeting our CO2 emissions as presceibed by Kyoto???
Would you have a job (providing of course you work) or would your employer be out of business?
Would you be riding to work on your bicycle?
Would the so-called "settled science" scientists still be collecting billions of govt dollars to research CO2??
Does it not seem strange to most of you Kyoto fans that one by one the countries are having second thoughts?

Would love to have one of you explain how an inert gas CO2 (plant food) that makes up only .05% of the atmosphere is effecting the weather?
Why don't we go after Water Vapour that is thousands of times more common or Methane which is hundreds of times more common?

And don't confuse "Carbon" emissions . . . like diesel engines, coal fires and industry with CO2 . . . they are not the same!!!

900 . . . have you not heard . . . Steve is controlling the world, you'll have to make a video . . . and by the way . . . your "Charlie Sheen" Twin-towers decoder ring is in the mail!!!!

Ti-Guy said...

presceibed by Kyoto??

*snick*

How can someone who writes so much trollage be that illiterate?

Hey, Noschool...lay off the ellipses or there'll be none left for the rest of us.

Anonymous said...

The NZ government has calculated that every man, woman and child in NZ now owes over $NZ 1000 to buy the credits they are obligated to purchase because they got down on their knees to the Kyoto god.

NZ has lined up credits from Russia and other former USSR republics.

$1000 per head that the government has to tax its citizens to be good international boy scouts.

Go PMSH go, save Canada from such fucking stupidity

Anonymous said...

Ministers are planning a U-turn on Britain's pledges to combat climate change that "effectively abolishes" its targets to rapidly expand the use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

Leaked documents seen by the Guardian show that Gordon Brown will be advised today that the target Tony Blair signed up to this year for 20% of all European energy to come from renewable sources by 2020 is expensive and faces "severe practical difficulties".

According to the papers, John Hutton, the secretary of state for business, will tell Mr Brown that Britain should work with Poland and other governments sceptical about climate change to "help persuade" German chancellor Angela Merkel and others to set lower renewable targets, before binding commitments are framed in December.

It admits that allowing member states to fall short of their renewable targets will be "very hard to negotiate ... and will be very controversial". "The commission, some member states and the European parliament will not want the target to be diluted, though others may be allies for a change," says a draft copy of Mr Hutton's Energy Policy Presentation to the Prime Minister, marked "restricted - policy".

The revelations came as scientists announced that carbon emissions were accumulating in the atmosphere far more quickly than predicted. The sharp increase found by the Global Carbon Project is attributed mainly to Chinese coal-burning and a weakening of the ability of oceans and forests to soak up carbon dioxide.

The leaked papers admit to "a potentially significant cost in terms of reduced climate change leadership" if Mr Brown is seen to be driving a plan to let European member states fall short of their renewables targets.

They also reveal different priorities across government departments about how to get renewables to 20% of the electricity mix. Although Germany has increased its renewable energy share to 9% in six years, Britain's share is only 2%, with its greenhouse gas emissions rising.

Last night campaigners expressed alarm at the new direction of government policy. "Gordon Brown is now in danger of surrendering any claim to international leadership on climate change and would rather support nuclear power and scupper the European renewable energy target," said John Sauven, director of Greenpeace.

Mr Hutton will tell Mr Brown that there are severe practical difficulties about meeting the 20% target. These include persuading the Ministry of Defence and the shipping industry to accept more offshore wind power, as well as increased research and development costs for marine and tidal power.

One of the main objections of government to meeting the renewables target set by Mr Blair is that it will undermine the role of the European emission trading scheme. This scheme was devised by the Treasury under Mr Brown and allows wealthy governments to pay others to reduce emissions. "[Meeting the 20% renewables target] crucially undermines the scheme's credibility ... and reduces the incentives to invest in other carbon technologies like nuclear power", say the papers.

The government is clearly worried about its ambition to introduce more nuclear power as soon as possible. Mr Hutton will tell Mr Brown that he expects a second legal challenge by Greenpeace. "[It is] most likely to be on the basis of pre-judgement, concerns about waste, a flawed consultation process or inaccuracies."

Analysis by Mr Hutton's department suggests it could cost the UK £4bn a year to achieve a 9% share of renewable energy by 2020.

The shift in stance is due to be discussed at full cabinet next week. Last night a spokesman for the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform said: "We don't comment on ministerial meetings with the PM."

Anonymous said...

Are all those Western Asian countries (who are full of 'believers') not meeting their Kyoto waypoints because they're following Canada's lead, or because they simply can't meet them?

And how are all of YOU lefty believers doing in reducing your carbon footprint (snicker) by 40%? Have you stopped commuting entirely? Lowered your thermostat to 10ÂșC? Come on, tell us what good little Accordians you are.

Ti-Guy said...

Why do all Conservatives sound like the loud-mouth drunk at the end of the bar?

Anonymous said...

You love to shout your ignorance to the world don't you. There is a huge difference between the denial of the existence of something, and the lack of proof that something exists.

You AGW people have not only NOT proven that AGW is reasonably certain or significant, but you simply bury your head in the sand when evidence against it is presented. You call them names, make fun of their appearance, compare them to Nazis, etc. Your so-called defense of AGW is something our of a 9-year old's playbook.

You've not read the scientific evidence against it, nor even for it, mainly because you can't read a scientific document. I can. The fact that you fight for something which you don't understand is frightening. The fact that you would impose actions upon others based on your ignorance is an absolute nightmare. The fact that you are allowed to vote is simply a recipe for disaster.

Anonymous said...

Fool. Go down to California and tell them that it is really getting cooler there, that they don't have fires burning over half the state because of the prolonged heat and dry conditions. Go tell the fire it doesn't exist. Be sure to stand downwind.

Anonymous said...

Dion dropped the ball on Kyoto when he was Minister of the environment. He's a talker, a gavel banger and a letter writer. What the hell were we thinking when we elected this mediocrity to lead the Liberal Party.

With Martin that makes two duds in a row. We cannot make another mistake like this next time or we'll hand over power to the Cons by default.

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