Thursday, May 5, 2011

The price of carbon

Business Day reported on 3rd May that Trevor Manuel had bemoaned the lack of price for carbon emissions. I have no sympathy for him. I emit carbon every time I breathe - do my exhalations have value? If so, will he please tell me where I can find someone to pay for them?
I am not alone in this. It is only greedy taxgulpers like Manuel who believe there is money in carbon. The whole saga rests on the thesis that carbon emissions are destructive. I have sought in vain for any conclusive evidence of this, and found absolutely none. I have found some indications of a warmer world, but no destruction as a result - rather, I have found some benefits, such as living longer. With every passing year, the failure of King Carbon to appear robed in the cloth of doom becomes more evident.
When he was Minister of Finance, Manuel commanded considerable respect. He is rapidly eroding his credit as he gets deeper into the carbon scam. Scam? Yes, it is a scam when, as you report, our Government commits to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 34% by 2020 with no consideration of the costs. The deal struck at Copenhagen said we would only reduce our emissions if the major emitters paid us. There is no sign of that happening.

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