Comments on: That Scary Washington Post Article http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2008/03/12/zero_emissions/ Blogging the science and policy of global warming Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:13:20 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5.2 hourly 1 By: Sheryl Canter http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2008/03/12/zero_emissions/comment-page-1/#comment-912 Sheryl Canter Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:59:55 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2008/03/12/zero_emissions/#comment-912 Thanks for your comment, Quentin. I couldn't agree more! Did you see Nat Keohane's recent posts about the way economists look at global warming? I think you might find them interesting: http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2008/02/21/cbo_report_tax_vs_cap http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2008/03/04/cbo_followup/ Thanks for your comment, Quentin. I couldn't agree more!

Did you see Nat Keohane's recent posts about the way economists look at global warming? I think you might find them interesting:

http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2008/02/21/cbo_report_tax_vs_cap
http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2008/03/04/cbo_followup/

]]> By: quentinp http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2008/03/12/zero_emissions/comment-page-1/#comment-911 quentinp Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:50:34 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2008/03/12/zero_emissions/#comment-911 Yes, yes, yes and yes! I just got my renewal request from the Sierra Club, and I think I'm going to let it lapse. You guys get it and really make a difference, I'm concerned by people that think that markets are by themselves part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. Someone on an investment discussion board nearly fell off their chair when I said that our emissions target should be zero, they really thought I hadn't understood the question. As soon as you recognize it then the problem and the many paths to action become clear. No more "emissions intensity" BS arguments that reward 'good effort' relative to economic growth. No more self-congratulation for a 10% increase in fuel economy. Total CO2 in the atmosphere has to come down - and for that at some point emissions must reach zero so natural processes can restore order. Fortunate that we understand this already, and it is (we suspect, and dearly hope) not already too late. Nature doesn't care how hard we are trying, or if we are suffering greatly, or if we feel guilty, or if we address the problem individually or collectively, or if we find a really cheap and easy way to fix emissions. Nature simply reads the cards we are dealing ourselves and tells us the outcome. Emissions go up - global warming. Emissions come way down and GHG levels come down - no more global warming. Quentin Yes, yes, yes and yes! I just got my renewal request from the Sierra Club, and I think I'm going to let it lapse. You guys get it and really make a difference, I'm concerned by people that think that markets are by themselves part of the problem, rather than part of the solution.
Someone on an investment discussion board nearly fell off their chair when I said that our emissions target should be zero, they really thought I hadn't understood the question.

As soon as you recognize it then the problem and the many paths to action become clear. No more "emissions intensity" BS arguments that reward 'good effort' relative to economic growth. No more self-congratulation for a 10% increase in fuel economy. Total CO2 in the atmosphere has to come down – and for that at some point emissions must reach zero so natural processes can restore order. Fortunate that we understand this already, and it is (we suspect, and dearly hope) not already too late.

Nature doesn't care how hard we are trying, or if we are suffering greatly, or if we feel guilty, or if we address the problem individually or collectively, or if we find a really cheap and easy way to fix emissions. Nature simply reads the cards we are dealing ourselves and tells us the outcome. Emissions go up – global warming. Emissions come way down and GHG levels come down – no more global warming.

Quentin

]]>