Carbon Emission Abatement Essay

Topic light speed electric arc abatement contribute buoy be achieved by various meaner, for example, idleron (controlling the emitting of speed of light on the same basis as governments control separate(a) pollutants), by subsidizing consumption of renewable technologies using nothingness or the sun, by subsidizing non- coulomb paper polluting technologies and by supporting research into modernistic green technologies. Another bearing of achieving diminution in coulomb outpourings is a pricing scheme such(prenominal)(prenominal) as a lens hood-and-trade emanations art scheme (TEST), which could exist in Australia by 2014, and China probably by 2015.Nations have similarly achieved reductions finished cypher conservation. Discuss (1) the various options available for snow abatement, their merits and weaknesses, and (2) the consumption government and work have to play if the methods argon to achieve their objectives. Major As subscribe toment passenger vehic le Mrs. Maintained Sings Major Assignment b entirely-shaped warming is a modify issue compositors cased by leaders of today. Warnings be becoming more and more amplified, in the wake of a realization that a fatal forthcoming ahead be exploit of the perpetual accumulation anthropogenic greenhouse vauntes ? emanating from dodo-fuel combustion and impatient forests.PM Tony Blair told BBC sews that scientific evidence of global warming was overwhelming and its consequences disastrous. Global warming is the observed increase in the full-strength temperature (f the acress atmosphere and corners in recent decades (Brakeman 2009). The flat coats average near-surface atmospheric temperature increased by 0. 6 ? 0. 2 Celsius (1. 1 ? 0. 4 Fahrenheit) in the 20th century (The Universe-Galaxy-stars 2012). Global warming and humour variety have already unleashed untold suffering to thousands of people crossways the face of the earth.Think of the millions of environmental refugee s who have been forced to vacate the land of their forefathers cause of flooding. Thousands of children in Africa have been born into lives of poverty, disease and famine, entrusting 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 n primordial 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 raging fires have destroyed the habitat of thousands of species, reducing bonnie vast carpets of green thriving tit flora and fauna into marginal life slight stretches of sparsely vegetated, stunted and horrid landscapes with little biodiversity. Moderate to exceptional, whilst escalate convection over the Caribbean also brought obtuse rains to Colombia, where flooding displaced an estimated 1. 5 million people.Thousands of pages can be authored to documen t the incalculable grave impacts global warming has caused to our lamb mother earth. It is point more astonishing when you realism that all this c are has been borne by people who are now alive today. You cannot help precisely wonder what it shall be like in the more distant true. A continued surge in co levels for other century give see gases reach a level unheard of since millions of years ago. The consequences are anticipated to take m all centuries to be fully manifested, as the Earth trans puddles into a new state.In the distant future, eras with game CO are anticipated where sea levels get out be even senior high schooler and temperature pull up stakes soar to catastrophic levels a planet grossly unlike the one and only(a) to which the human species is adapted (Conservation Foundation 1963). By now you may be wondering , what is the link among Global Warming and nose candy Emissions? by and by all, the essence of this account is a mere review of the various meaner by which ampere-second Emissions may be rationalized. Scientific research has established a link between Global Warming and Carbon Dioxide pollution.Carbon dioxide particles are capable of retaining heat energy received from the sun (Rogers 1989). The atmosphere naturally contains optimum levels of hundred dioxide, necessary to educate the earth habitable (green-house effect). gay activities such as burning of forests and fossil fuels, however, further 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 procession and Global Warming, so as to express the weight of the Carbon Reduction issue under review.Mitigating deoxycytidine monophosphate procession seeks to curb Global Warming and all its adverse impacts highlighted previously. Global warming is the big run into beyond vitamin C emission. Carbon reduction methods in the discussion fun damentally target the sectors summarized the opposite pie-chart. Government can use regulation to reduce carbon emission levels. This is essentially a command-and-control glide slope, where standard minimum requirements are established and enforced by law. Such laws may target yearbook level of carbon emission, mandatory adoption of given forms of unclothe applied science and production techniques.Compliance by emitters is mandatory, the failure of which is punishable by fines, reality shaming, penalties, sanctions and blacklisting. (ESSAY Emission. Trading 2010). Regulation is an expeditious 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 pixilateds to determine a cost parsimony approach, establish on the elimination of non-value adding costs and the most efficient course of feat elevate to the diligence (ESSAY Emissions trading 2010).Low volume, small industries such as dry cleaners and book printers, for example may feel aggrieved when their carbon assessment is made on the same basis as that of mega internet making high volume industries such as oil and gas extraction or car manufacturers. The smaller industries are sure to observe with the legal requirement concerning carbon emissions in the fear of be penalized substantially. The bigger industries however, may find the penalties very negligible in comparison to the high revenue revenues they fall in.This sad tale masters that small companies re chief(prenominal) small, whilst the bigger industries continue to grow. As mentioned by Parry (2004, 35), regulation when used to dictate capital guesswork towards a given applied science or production technique is criticized for being efficient than substitute alternatives available. Presently, the fines for breaking the EX. carbon law is pegged at ascorbic acid euros ($130) per metric ton (1 . 1023 tons) of carbon, fo r 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 form of regulation that target carbon emission reduction. Deforestation is the uncivilised cutting down of trees for enter, mining, oil and gas extraction cattle ranch 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 exit 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 growth in Carbon levels. However it is saddening to note that most of the revile has been do ne already. Did you know that between 1930 and today, Philippines has anomic 90% of its rainforests, whilst Madagascar has lost 95% of its rainforests, El Salvador 70-85% of its rainforests due to heavy bombing 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 sparing evolution interrupt 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 around the grave effect on their already beset economies what would it mean for initiatives such as building schools, educating and empowering women on family intend 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 efficiency 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 foreign boundaries.The role of government is to depart 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 rewarding 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 clean technologies. Setup costs are high and most companies are discouraged.However, rewarding the development and use of such technologies would provide motivator for compan ies to partake. Such reward can be in the form of government subsidy to lower acquisition costs of setup material, the readiness of expert engineers to assist in the setup activity, offering loans to clean engineering development projects as headspring as a mere sign of recognition and appreciation. The government will obviously use up 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 course remain relatively unaltered. This entails that companies will continue to enjoy healthy lettuce whilst, developing cleaner technologies concurrently, or in the case of government loans ventilation the cost of the financing activity which will be slipually low gear by rower operating costs in the long run. This approach also ensures a h ealthy mutually beneficial relationship between the government and business.One drawback however, is that once companies attain such loans, they may not be used entirely to serve the purpose of clean technology development. In Zanzibar, for example, cases have been recorded whereby some farmers misused loans rendered to them by the Ministry of agriculture by means of Agro-Bank, for the purpose of developing wind vanes (Mutagen 2012). Furthermore, resources are not endlessly 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 no-hit imposition of car bon tax would entail that governments possess a building block new pool 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 set apart them to the right companies, foot the right reason? It is a really a be the most effective strategy? Naked (200311) revealed that in Japan, a carbon tax rate of $2. 0/mm Btu case puzzled 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 chase away 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 dissolvers. Pricing schemes such like the cap-and-trade emissions trading scheme (TEST) can reduce co (Hessian 14,349). The role of government in t his case is to set the ground rules. Its role is restricted, and study decisions are made in the private sector. The government establishes an overall emissions cap and assigns specific emissions allocations to the different sources of CO. Industries and companies are free to decide as to what to do or how to meet 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 conjunction member countries for example, governments ought to work together in the implementation of cap-and- trade schemes.The devil vital components of cap-and-trade schemes is the cap itself, and its flexibility that allows companies to exchange emissions warran ts. 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 uniform to their carbon emissions, conventionally 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 scathe fluctuates according to merchandise volatility, whilst the cap (maximum permissible amount of carbon emission) is fixed. The buy 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 legal injury for excess emissions. This ensures that companies will purchase permits, only when the cost of reducing its emissions su rpasses that the purchasing price of permits.Emissions reductions will thence be attained at the lowest cost to the economy and participation at large. Other advantages include the following predictable annual carbon emissions which allow for economic and carbon forecasting, 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 roadstead 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 repugn that, whilst total carbon emissions are capped the monetary worth thereof 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 exces s 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 imperfections. 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 introductionwide carbon emissions. These countries however, are capable of switching to cutting-edge energy saving cosmologies that produce marginal carbon emissions. tripping, 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. investing 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 Climate Change and Energy Efficiency)As stated by 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 incompatible fossil fuel technologies which the Medics are now form to phase out. As pollution knows no boundaries, it is vital for all world governments to reduce carbon emission. However, this creates a dependency syndrome, where poor countries over-rely on richer countries.African leaders for example, have been criticized for living lavishly, yet failing to bring about eco nomic 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 cars, trucks, and buses consume over half(prenominal) 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. Vast amounts e nergy 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, persistent large population increases will retard emission reduction efforts. The more people there are, the more energy is required. Reducing population growth rate will pacify 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.