Ignoring climate change far more expensive than fighting it, says British report

A Stern Talking-to

Some folks worry that restricting greenhouse-gas emissions could hurt the economy. Turns out that's a bit like worrying that a tracheotomy will hurt a patient in anaphylactic shock -- yeah, it'll sting, but without it the patient will croak. (Yes, we watch way too much ER.) Ignoring climate change could dampen the global economy by 5 to 20 percent each year within a decade, costing the world up to $7 trillion, according to a new report from chief British government economist Nicholas Stern. Think Great Depression, but with much worse weather. In contrast, tackling climate change now would cost about 1 percent of global GDP each year -- roughly what the world spends annually on advertising. We better get cracking, though: the report warns that the chance to avoid the worst effects of climate change "is already almost out of reach." Eek. British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, who commissioned the report, said the U.K. would take leadership in the international response to tackle climate change, and proposed a new E.U. target to reduce emissions 30 percent by 2020 and at least 60 percent by 2050.

straight to the source: BBC News, 30 Oct 2006

straight to the source: Reuters, 28 Oct 2006

straight to the source: MSNBC.com, 30 Oct 2006

straight to the source: The Guardian, Gaby Hinsliff, 29 Oct 2006

straight to the report: Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change

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Comments: (3 comments)

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"Iriomote-yamaneko"

The Iriomote wildcat, Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis, is unique to the island of Iriomote, in the Okinawan archipelago, a not inconsiderable distance SW of the principal Japanese islands. It is a subspecies of P. bengalensis, the "leopard cat," which was presumably first identified in India, or somewhere else around the Bay of Bengal. The Iriomote wildcat is not so gloriously colored as the golden leopard cat, but still has elegant, subtle markings.

A Google-search for images of the Iriomote wildcat does not turn up anything wonderful, but at least gives a suggestion. The site www.env.go.jp. offers some interesting data regarding the style with which the Japanese go about legally treating their wildlife, and with which they present that to the outside world.

According to the University of California's recent "Encyclopedia of Animals," this wildcat is not a very petite critter: it measures up to 42 inches, 107 cm., from nose to base of tail. I would not like to have Little Dog run into one -- not that there is much of a chance of that. One wonders what they like to eat, and if the absence of their preferred food, whatever it is, is responsible for the reduction in their numbers on Iriomote.

The Google image search brings up a number of photos of stuffed-animal versions of the Iriomote wildcat. Hopefully the plain affection for animals, both domestic and wild, that so many people in East Asian countries display, does indeed translate into effective governmental action, for the sake of both biodiversity and animal welfare.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 1:25 AM on 31 Oct 2006

They'd love to drag us down

Let's face it -- America is the king of the world economy. Japan, Britain and the rest may be our friends politically, but in business -- it's war. They'd like nothing better than to drag us down to their 2 digit GDP per capitas.

So, they cook up "Global Warming" and claim if we don't inflict all kinds of penalties on ourselves there will be some greater "cost".

Cost? How about oil prices going down because winters are warmer? How about new arable land driving down the cost of housing? How about unleashing clean drinking water by the "tonne" (that was for you Brits) into the ecosphere.

No, Mr. Gore has shown himself to be an economic Benedict Arnold, selling himself and our country to the Crown.

by jabailo at 11:39 AM on 31 Oct 2006

Not Just Exxon

Minnkota Power, a generation/transmission cooperative serving electricity consumers in northwest Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, is not happy about climate change and they want their customers to know about it, every other month. A review of their customer newsletter, the Minnkota Messenger, indicates a consistent concern that climate change is a massive environmental sham. Some of it reads like grocery store tabloids and it's quite interesting how much coverage they give to it, perhaps hoping that quantity will make up for quality. Read on...

Solar Kismet

by solarkismet at 11:17 AM on 01 Nov 2006

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