In less than 24 hours New Zealand will begin in earnest an Emissions Trading Scheme. While Australia plays Russian-Roulette with the climate, New Zealand has acted on the need to reduce carbon emissions. The framework for emissions trading started in New Zealand in January 2008 for the forestry sector, but from the 1 July 2010 the scheme will be vastly increased to include the transport, industrial and energy sectors.

The scheme provides an opportunity for you to participate in the reduction of New Zealand carbon emission credits through Climakind. Similar to the European carbon emission scheme, every credit you purchase and cancel through Climakind is permanently removed from the scheme. Fewer carbon credits helps speed up the transition to a low carbon future.

Australians have reacted positively to the new Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, who in the blink of an eye snatched the leadership of the Labour party. But are we any closer to a solution on climate change? Ms Gillard has been very careful not to make any commitments to reducing Australia's carbon emissions, but she has shown her support (see quote in margin). While the Prime Minister realises the implications of doing nothing, she is also keenly aware of the ex-Prime Minister's fate.

Recent news has hinted at a shift to a carbon tax. As mentioned in previous articles, we see this move as a delaying tactic. The differences between a tax and a market driven price have been debated over the last decade. In contrast to the lack of flexibility of a carbon tax, a market driven price enables the market to determine where and at what price emissions will be reduced.

The terrible truth is that as long as the balance of power rests in the hands of resource companies it will be difficult for any government leader to put a price on carbon.

A recent study found that 97 percent of scientific experts agree that climate change is "very likely" caused mainly by human activity. You would think that 97 percent agreement would be good enough to convince the most adamant disbeliever.

The survey is based on questions posed to 1,372 scientists. Nearly all the experts agreed that it is "very likely that anthropogenic greenhouse gases have been responsible for most of the unequivocal warming of the Earth's average global temperature in the second half of the twentieth century", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

This survey indicates the growing evidence available to scientist and highlights the need to act now. One certainty is that the earth's average temperature is rising. So far this year, through to May 2010, is on track for the warmest year ever recorded, National Climatic Data Center.

This month's Carbon Emission Reduction Tip (CERT 4) is to think twice before turning on the clothes dryer. Not only is the clothes dryer crisping your clothes, but it is burning a hole in your wallet. Instead, consider hanging out the clothes.

Think of it this way, a clothes dryer can consume 15 times more energy than a cold water clothes-wash. Putting it in perspective, using a clothes dryer for 15 hours adds 1 tonne of carbon emissions to the atmosphere on average. That is more than three times the carbon emitted from a plasma TV (based on average viewing over a year).

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30 June 2010

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Michael Salvatico