Yesterday, the European Union reminded the global airline community who’s in charge around here (metaphorically) by approving measures that will force airlines to participate in a carbon trading system (literally).   The industry, if you hadn’t guessed, is less than thrilled.   From The New York Times article on this very topic:

European justice ministers meeting in Luxembourg approved the greenhouse gas measures, which oblige airlines, regardless of nationality, that land or take off from an airport in the European Union to join the emissions trading system starting on Jan. 1, 2012.

The system, created in 2005, already includes heavy industries like cement makers and electricity generators in Europe.

European airlines reminded the EU that there’s not a whole lot of extra money lying around, while the United States is wondering if Europe is allowed to impose their rules on American carriers, or if it violates international aviation agreements.

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“Cap and trade” emissions programs have always struck a dubious note for me, and yesterday’s “Cashing in on Carbon” conference in London further reinforced my suspicions.   I’m all for polluters limiting their greenhouse gas output, and I have always argued that major environmental improvements for industries will come from economic incentives, but carbon trading seems like the old bait-and-switch deception long practiced by industry hucksters.   Sure they have to limit their emissions to a degree, but then they can buy up carbon credits all over they place, appearing to their shareholders and the public as environmental stewards, when in fact, they are continuing to spew huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.   And now we have industry leaders huddled in dark rooms scheming to make the most money from this shell game.

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The Associated Press via MSNBC (or is it the other way around?) announced yesterday the results of the first ever carbon cap-and-trade auction in the United States, which took place last Thursday, and raised $38.5 million.   The byline of the article is Albany, New York, so I’m going to go ahead and say that’s where the auction took place.

The money raised will be filtered back to the ten states that took part in the auction, to be spent on renewable energies and technologies.   Financially speaking, the auction was a success, as

Energy, financial and environmental interests paid $3.07 per allotted ton of emissions, about 65 percent more than the minimum set price of $1.86.

Though this is the very first auction of its type in the United States, but there are plans to make these quarterly events, the next of which is to be held December 17.  I’m almost positive there was a better way to word that last clause, but I’m going to just let it go.

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The European Union’s Parliament voted for mandatory cuts of CO2 emissions for cars, despite pressure from Europe’s powerful auto industry. The laudable law demands that car companies to reduce carbon dioxide output by 17% within 4 years and 60% within 12 years. According to the BBC:

“Environmental group Greenpeace said the law change could become ‘the first effective EU law to limit our impact on the climate’.”

Photo: said&done’s Flickr Photostream

takepart to discover other ways we can reduce our impact on the climate.

Related:

Inconvenient Truth of the Day

Dell Computer has beaten its goal to become carbon neutral by achieving 100% neutrality ahead of schedule.   The Texas based computer manufacturer has now moved into its stated goal of becoming “the greenest technology company on the planet” through a variety of methods.   Strict company wide energy efficiency standards, purchases of green, renewable power from solar and wind power sources, limiting the company’s emissions and buying carbon credits pushed Dell to full carbon neutrality in less than one year’s time, making it an shining example to corporations the world over.

“We’re driving ‘green’ into every aspect of our global business.   This includes setting new standards for energy efficiency and green power, delivering environmental and cost savings for customers and aligning key growth priorities with our focus on preserving our shared Earth.” said Dell founder and CEO, Michael Dell

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In yesterday’s Morning Edition radio program, National Public Radio shared a story concerning the business of carbon trading, and another in which a company is developing a plug-in hybrid that gets crazy good gas mileage. Of course, it’s nothing new that National Public Radio is airing stories about progressive causes, but two in one day seems impressive (or, I suppose, excessive, depending with whom you speak). My, that was a lot of “essives.” We move on.

The first story profiles “three young business school grads who are carbon entrepreneurs,” which is a fancy way of saying they are all thirty-ish and work in the carbon trading industry. The story briefly touches on the ethics of carbon trading, an issue oft-overlooked issue, especially in the age in which some countries (no one in particular, of course) claim environmental treaties are biased against countries that already developed industry, say, a hundred plus years ago. You can here by listening to the piece, and perhaps think about the long-term ethical ramifications of creating a carbon trading market in which the end result, by these peoples’ very definitions, ought to be the eradication of their own industry. Or, listen to it, and just be glad someone’s doing something.

The second piece is for those of us that would rather not risk life and limb in order to get great gas mileage. A company has modified a Prius to be a plug-in hybrid which can average 100 miles a gallon, and in one five-mile trip got 340 mpg. It remains to be seen, however, if it’s still impossible to see well out the back window of that thing. You can here and listen to the story.