Carbon Trading: the next sub-prime type scandal

ircoha

The sub-prime scandal was caused by excessive greed in the financial markets. Greedy sellers and even greedier buyers.

Now we have the same financial institutions ramping up for the trading of carbon credits which in essence gives big business and Governments the opportunity to use tax revenue as a substitute for in-action due to pressure by lobby groups, trade unions [eg NBU et al ] against carbon taxes, better building standards, better transport systems and the like.

I see on another thread that the focus is on GW/CO2 as opposed to the depletion of fossil fuel resources or is that too a 'aluminum' bug/ (chime in the slime) no event.

How will the dormitory towns from Carlow to Athlone to Drogheda look with no fuel for transport and in the interim, oil at 3 to 500 usd a barrel.

On a related topic read Mike Davis’ Planet of Slums
http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Slums-Mike-Davis/dp/1844670228

for a really good night sleep

probe

ircoha wrote: »

How will the dormitory towns from Carlow to Athlone to Drogheda look with no fuel for transport and in the interim, oil at 3 to 500 usd a barrel.

Electrified rail, with integrated connecting public transport at either end. Just like the more organized countries of Europe have had for more than 50 years. Faster, cheaper to use than a car, work, sleep, have breakfast, read a newspaper, use your PC en route....

Instead of being stuck in a traffic jam like a moron, polluting the place, generating increased accident risk and insurance cost, forcing new roads to be built, contributing towards increased road traffic noise, taking up ever increasing amounts of productive land in the process.

.probe

Húrin

ircoha wrote: »

How will the dormitory towns from Carlow to Athlone to Drogheda look with no fuel for transport and in the interim, oil at 3 to 500 usd a barrel.

Not great. They'll have to become small-time farmers to survive.

maniac101

ircoha wrote: »

The sub-prime scandal was caused by excessive greed in the financial markets. Greedy sellers and even greedier buyers.

The sub-prime crisis was brought about by banks giving credit to people who couldn't afford it. Carbon credits, on the other hand, can be bought by businesses who can afford them. So I don't understand the title of the thread.

I see on another thread that the focus is on GW/CO2 as opposed to the depletion of fossil fuel resources or is that too a 'aluminum' bug/ (chime in the slime) no event.

I agree that the global emphasis is now on climate change rather than on peak oil. However, if you accept the concept of human-induced climate change, then there's still more than enough fossil fuel resources left to cause irreparable damage to the climate. Ultimately both issues require us to use our resources sparingly, and are therefore not in conflict with each other.

How will the dormitory towns from Carlow to Athlone to Drogheda look with no fuel for transport and in the interim, oil at 3 to 500 usd a barrel.

Ideally they would revert from being dormitory towns to having their own semi-autonomous mini-economies, i.e. places where people could both live and work. But, with their 2002 National Spatial Strategy, the government was merely paying lipservice to this concept.

daithicarr

i think a good start would be having a well inegrated and efficent public transport system. i have yet to come across a country in europe with a worse system than ours.

the minister of transport asked people to use public transport over the christmas period. when my sister wanted to go from Limerick to Dublin two days after christmas there were no trains running. thats between our first and third largest citys.

bet the minister didnt use public transport, although he probably didnt drive himself either

djpbarry

Húrin wrote: »

They'll have to become small-time farmers to survive.

Yes, becoming Amish is the only possible solution :rolleyes:.