07-06-2010, 06:46 AM
I remember we have discussed the buying and selling of CO2 emission rights here some time ago. Today an article in a dutch paper (so sorry no english link) http://www.volkskrant.nl/economie/articl..._gesjoemel
showed wat dubious roles governments and industry has.
The same as the subsidies on biofuel, which instead of going to small innovative companies that work on new technologies go to large multinational that burn down rainforrest to grow palm trees for oil.
In this case the dutch government and a few big banks and energy companies are in on the deal.
So the idea is that dutch companies can claim emission rights if they help bring down CO2 production in development countries. This idea seems to be great because over there a lot more can be done with a lot smaller investments.
But what is the case; they pay chinese companies to produce large amounts of HCFC22 (a cooling liquid that is a bit more ozone and greenhosue friendly than the old coolants). In this process HFC23 is a by-product and this material is a very strong greenhouse gas (12.000 times as strong as CO2). By destroying this HFC23 in a clean way these companies gain huge emission rights. (HCFC22 of course being a potent greenhouse gas itsself and will probably be banned soon).
I don't have to tell you how damaging this kind of scams are for people's belief in the government when it comes to the greenhouse effect.
showed wat dubious roles governments and industry has.
The same as the subsidies on biofuel, which instead of going to small innovative companies that work on new technologies go to large multinational that burn down rainforrest to grow palm trees for oil.
In this case the dutch government and a few big banks and energy companies are in on the deal.
So the idea is that dutch companies can claim emission rights if they help bring down CO2 production in development countries. This idea seems to be great because over there a lot more can be done with a lot smaller investments.
But what is the case; they pay chinese companies to produce large amounts of HCFC22 (a cooling liquid that is a bit more ozone and greenhosue friendly than the old coolants). In this process HFC23 is a by-product and this material is a very strong greenhouse gas (12.000 times as strong as CO2). By destroying this HFC23 in a clean way these companies gain huge emission rights. (HCFC22 of course being a potent greenhouse gas itsself and will probably be banned soon).
I don't have to tell you how damaging this kind of scams are for people's belief in the government when it comes to the greenhouse effect.