Carbon Emission Abatement Essay

Topic Carbon emission abatement smoke be achieved by various meaner, for example, regulation (controlling the emitting of coulomb copy on the same basis as giving medications control other pollutants), by subsidizing consumption of renewable technologies using wind or the sun, by subsidizing non-century polluting technologies and by supporting research into innovative green technologies. A nonher way of achieving reduction in carbon emissions is a pricing scheme much(prenominal) as a crest-and-trade emissions trading scheme (TEST), which could exist in Australia by 2014, and China probably by 2015.Nations have alike achieved reductions through dynamism conservation. cover (1) the various options available for carbon abatement, their merits and weaknesses, and (2) the role government and business have to play if the methods atomic number 18 to achieve their objectives. study Assignment Tutor Mrs. Maintained Sings Major Assignment spherical warming is a complicated issue fa ced by leaders of today. Warnings are becoming increasingly amplified, in the wake of a realization that a disastrous future ahead be hasten of the perpetual accumulation anthropogenic greenhouse flatulencees ? emanating from fossil-fuel combustion and burning forests.PM Tony Blair told BBC sews that scientific evidence of planetary warming was overwhelming and its consequences disastrous. Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature (f the hides atmosphere and corners in recent decades (Brakeman 2009). The hide discloses average near-surface atmospheric temperature increased by 0. 6 ? 0. 2 Celsius (1. 1 ? 0. 4 Fahrenheit) in the 20th nose waddy (The Universe-Galaxy-stars 2012). Global warming and modality change have already unleashed untold suffering to thousands of populate across the face of the earth.Think of the millions of environmental refugees who have been forced to vacate the land of their forefathers cause of flooding. Thousands of childre n in Africa have been born into lives of poverty, disease and famine, resulting from shifting climatic conditions (Andorra 2011, quoted in Africa Up in Smoke, 2012, 12). In Niger for example, drought and famine claimed the lives of nearly 70 people (BBC News 2012), whilst later in the year, unexpected flooding displaced 1 50000 families, stirred up a cholera outbreak and claimed more lives.In Australia and the US, wild do fires have destroyed the habitat of thousands of species, minify beautiful vast carpets of green thriving tit flora and fauna into barren life slight stretches of sparsely vegetated, scrawny and horrid landscapes with little biodiversity. Mode send to exceptional, whilst intensified convection over the Caribbean also brought heavy rains to Colombia, where flooding displaced an estimated 1. 5 million people.Thousands of pages can be authored to document the incalculable inscribe bushels global warming has caused to our beloved mother earth. It is even more ast onishing when you realism that all this anguish has been borne by people who are now resilient today. You cannot help provided wonder what it shall be like in the more distant true. A continued surge in co levels for another century will see gases reach a level unheard of since millions of years ago. The consequences are anticipated to take galore(postnominal) centuries to be fully manifested, as the Earth transforms into a new state.In the distant future, eras with high CO are anticipated where sea levels will be even higher and temperature will hang glide to catastrophic levels a planet grossly unlike the one to which the human species is adapted (Conservation Foundation 1963). By now you whitethorn be wondering , what is the connectedness surrounded by Global Warming and Carbon Emissions? After all, the essence of this account is a mere review of the various meaner by which Carbon Emissions may be reduced. Scientific research has established a link between Global Warming a nd Carbon Dioxide pollution.Carbon dioxide particles are capable of retaining heat energy accepted from the sun (Rogers 1989). The atmosphere naturally contains optimum levels of carbon dioxide, necessary to make the earth habitable (green-house effect). Human activities such(prenominal) as burning of forests and fossil fuels, however, come on append co levels in the atmosphere to catastrophic levels which cause global warming and climate change (Munroe 2011). The author was inclined to explain the relationship between Carbon emission and Global Warming, so as to express the weight of the Carbon Reduction issue under review.Mitigating carbon emission seeks to curb Global Warming and all its adverse impacts highlighted previously. Global warming is the bigger picture beyond carbon emission. Carbon reduction methods in the discussion essentially designate the sectors summarized the opposite pie-chart. Government can use regulation to reduce carbon emission levels. This is essential ly a command-and-control approach, where standard minimum requirements are established and enforce by law. such laws may target annual level of carbon emission, mandatory adoption of given forms of unfermented technology and production techniques.Compliance by emitters is mandatory, the failure of which is punishable by fines, public shaming, penalties, sanctions and blacklisting. (ESSAY Emission. Trading 2010). pattern is an effective control mechanism as it covers all aspects of the global emission by sector. Regulation almost guarantees a reduction, as companies seek to and static, that it fails to allow firms to determine a cost saving approach, based on the elimination of non-value adding costs and the most effectual wrinkle of action elevate to the industry (ESSAY Emissions trading 2010).Low volume, small industries such as dry unuseds and book printers, for example may looking at aggrieved when their carbon assessment is made on the same basis as that of mega profit m aking high volume industries such as oil and gas line or car manufacturers. The smaller industries are sure to comply with the legal requirement concerning carbon emissions in the fear of being penalized substantially. The bigger industries however, may find the penalties very negligible in comparison to the high receiptss they generate.This sad tale ensures that small companies remain small, whilst the bigger industries continue to grow. As mentioned by obturate (2004, 35), regulation when used to dictate capital injection towards a given technology or production technique is criticized for being efficient than substitute alternatives available. Presently, the fines for breakage the EX. carbon law is pegged at 100 euros ($130) per metric ton (1 . 1023 tons) of carbon, for airline companies and 7 euros per metric tones for general manufacturing industries (ESSAY Emissions trading 2010).As stated by Paltrier (2010, 13), laws against the carrying out of deforestation are another f orm of regulation that target carbon emission reduction. Deforestation is the unwarranted cutting down of trees for logging, mining, oil and gas extraction cattle ranching or agricultural purposes. You may have wondered, if at all any linkage exists between trees and carbon. How do laws against deforestation achieve carbon reduction? You will be glad to know that trees act as a carbon sink, absorbing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.The presence of trees creates a carbon sink which eliminates to greater extent, the excess levels of carbon. When this mechanism however is eliminated, then how will atmospheric carbon subside? The absence of trees would cause an unprecedented exponential issue in Carbon levels. However it is saddening to note that most of the damage has been through already. Did you know that between 1930 and today, Philippines has lost 90% of its rain forests, whilst Madagascar has lost 95% of its rainforests, El Salvador 70-85% of its rainforests due to heavy bombin g during the civil war 1984-1985.Sumatra has only 15% of its rainforests left. It appears that substantial damage has been done already, yet still, governments cannot afford to waver in the fight to curb deforestation. It is encouraging to note that some governments have even taken a pro-active approach to not only protect their few remaining forests, but to replenish the depleted ones also. Issues of economic rise upment hinder the effective implementation of deforestation laws. Imagine the impact of halting logging activities in Africa, which are providing employment for millions of people and putting food on the table in thousands of homes.What about the grave effect on their already beset economies what would it mean for initiatives such as building schools, educating and empowering women on family planning and many other crucial issues? Resultantly, it is no surprise that only 6% of Central Africans forests are protected by law (Laurence et al 2006, 457). Service, to ensure ef ficiency and marginal carbon emission from the combustion of fuel. Other regulations, such as the U. S Lacey Act 1968, bar the trade of wooden products across international boundaries.The role of government is to provide adequate funding for the effective implementation of these laws and of course to enact the legislation to curb carbon emission (Greenback 2011). Another way of reducing carbon emission as stated by Festoon (10, 4) is the recognise of development of renewable technologies using wind or the solar energy. The truth of the matter is that, it is relatively costlier in the early years to develop dismantle technologies. apparatus costs are high and most companies are discouraged.However, rewarding the development and use of such technologies would provide incentive for companies to partake. Such reward can be in the form of government subsidy to lower acquisition costs of setup material, the provision of expert engineers to assist in the setup activity, offering loans t o clean technology development projects as well as a mere sign of recognition and appreciation. The government will obviously need to cater for these requirements in its national budget. The government is also tasked with rendering support for research into innovative green technologies.The subsidy approach is highly viable as it provides incentive for businesses to develop cleaner technologies, whilst the companys liquidity and cash flow remain relatively unaltered. This entails that companies will continue to enjoy healthy profits whilst, developing cleaner technologies concurrently, or in the case of government loans spreading the cost of the financing activity which will be eventually offset by rower operating(a) costs in the long run. This approach also ensures a healthy mutually beneficial relationship between the government and business.One drawback however, is that once companies fulfil such loans, they may not be used entirely to serve the purpose of clean technology devel opment. In Zanzibar, for example, cases have been recorded whereby some farmers apply loans rendered to them by the Ministry of Agriculture through Agro-Bank, for the purpose of developing wind vanes (Mutagen 2012). Furthermore, resources are not always sufficient enough to provide for this cause. Carbon emission may also be reduced through a federally-imposed carbon tax (Ovenbird 1997).The main idea is that government can use the surplus tax revenue to finance subsidies in the development of selected low-carbon technologies. The chances of any government imposing a new tax however, is somewhere between zero and nil. If carbon is taxed, this will significantly decrease annual profits, repel investors and cause economic recession. The successful imposition of carbon tax would entail that governments possess a whole new crime syndicate of subsidy revenue to distribute to industry. Will the tax revenue be used to provide subsidies for clean genealogy development?If at all subsidies are indeed issued, would you trust that they will award them to the right companies, foot the right reason? It is a really a be the most effective dodging? Naked (200311) revealed that in Japan, a carbon tax rate of $2. 0/mm Btu case produced an emission rate of 324 mm ETC in the year 2040, attaining a 23% reduction in the emission rate. Without carbon tax imposition however, CO emission in 2040 would be 420 mm ETC (2003) . Without tax return in this case, CO emission rises to 332 mm ETC, producing an 8 mm ETC production compared with the tax return case.Clearly carbon tax, though controversial, can bring the results. Pricing schemes such like the cap-and-trade emissions trading scheme (TEST) can reduce co (Hessian 14,349). The role of government in this case is to set the ground rules. Its role is restricted, and major decisions are made in the private sector. The government establishes an overall emissions cap and assigns specific emissions allocations to the different sources o f CO. Industries and companies are free to decide as to what to do or how to go their allocations.The government needs to engage experts of industry, to come up with a reasonable maximum amount f carbon emission for various respective industries. Furthermore, the government is tasked with providing an accurate and reliable meaner of carbon emission measurement. Furthermore, there is also need to engage with other relevant bodies such as the EX., AU or SEAN. In the case of the European Union member countries for example, governments ought to work together in the implementation of cap-and- trade schemes.The two vital components of cap-and-trade schemes is the cap itself, and its flexibility that allows companies to exchange emissions warrants. The cap is perimeter of carbon emissions imposed by the TEST. The cap is attained by the creation of emissions permits, supplemented by a business requirement for emitters to yield the amount of permits akin weight to their carbon emissions, handed-downly on an annual basis. Under an TEST any firm emitting carbon under the permissible perimeter may retain permits equivalent to the amount of its carbon emission, whilst the excess permits may be sold.Presently, carbon permits can be traded at 7 euros a metric ton. Permit price fluctuates tally to market volatility, whilst the cap (maximum permissible amount of carbon emission) is fixed. The buying and selling of carbon remits is the second vital aspect of cap-and-trade schemes. One major advantage is that companies can implement carbon abatement at a lower cost than compared to the permit price for excess emissions. This ensures that companies will purchase permits, only when the cost of reducing its emissions surpasses that the purchasing price of permits.Emissions reductions will therefore be attained at the lowest cost to the economy and society at large. Other advantages include the sideline predictable annual carbon emissions which allow for economic and carbon for ecasting, relatively lesser political barriers than a tax, government can generate venue which can be reinvested through rebates or utilized to provide public goods such as roads and street lighting and companies generate revenue as carbon emissions decline.Cap-and-trade successfully reduced the sulfur oxide emissions that cause acid rain, quickly and cheaply (Roberts 2012) Critics argue that, whilst total carbon emissions are capped the monetary worth thus remains unspecified as it is determined by several market variables. This meaner that some economic conditions result in a marginal price for permits, which does not provide sufficient incentive for companies to limit their carbon emissions ND sell the excess permits. Another scenario may also occur, where, the market conditions result in a very high price which exceeds that of reducing carbon emissions.The scope and manner of price setting may also result in too many permits may be issued which gives rise to other market imperf ections. Industrial nations must reduce their dependence on fossil fuels such as gasoline, oil, and coal as they produce carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas that causes global- warming. Industrial countries are liable for most of the worldwide carbon emissions. These countries however, are capable of switching to cutting-edge energy saving cosmologies that produce marginal carbon emissions.Clean, renewable sources, such as solar, wind, and hydro-electricity, can generate sufficient energy without increasing carbon emission (Blackmore 1998). Such technologies need to be deployed much more widely, whilst government policies must encourage their use. Investment should also be directed towards developing and commercialisms clean technologies. The Australian Government for example, invested more than $5 billion in clean energy technologies development since 2000. Such technologies are vital efforts to reduce carbon emissions. (Department of humor Change and Energy Efficiency)As stated b y Dawson (1987,16), transferring Clean Technology to Developing Countries is also necessary for carbon reduction. Leading businesses, international organizations, and the medics ought to devise a meaner to transfer energy saving technologies to Leads. This enables Leads to develop their economies without using environmentally unfriendly fossil fuel technologies which the Medics are now striving to phase out. As pollution knows no boundaries, it is vital for all world governments to reduce carbon emission. However, this creates a colony syndrome, where poor countries over-rely on richer countries.African leaders for example, have been criticized for living lavishly, yet failing to bring about economic growth in their countries, which leaves their citizens to survive on donations from Medics and Nos. The government must also initiate behavior change. This can be done through awareness campaigns, media advertising as well as communicated in schools and work places. Did you know that c ars, trucks, and buses consume over half of the oil consumed in the United States (Wellhead 2010)? Imagine the impact of substituting traditional vehicles with energy efficient gasoline-powered cars, electric and fuel-cell ears and buses.These measures will lessen CO emissions by using less gasoline. In addition, campaigns may also encourage consumers to make less trips (encourage walking for small errands), use of public transportation, bicycles, and carpools. If we use less energy, less carbon dioxide is produced. Over the past two decades, American industry and consumers started using more-efficient motors, vehicles, appliances, windows, and manufacturing processes. considerable amounts energy and money promote energy efficient products. (Graph showing natural gas reduction of oil reliance- Centre for American Progress 2012)Governments must also slow down population growth, through awareness, family planning, women emancipation and free distribution of contraceptives. Whilst all the aforementioned technological and economic changes can reduce per capita carbon emissions, continual large population increases will retard emission reduction efforts. The more people there are, the more energy is required. Reducing population growth rate will alleviate carbon reduction efforts. Reducing carbon emission is not an event that can be completed over night but a process which needs several years to bring fourth results.