The story of Cap and Trade

I have been meaning to write something about emissions trading and the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme for a while.

Instead here is a video by Annie Leonard which describes emissions trading in a fairly simple way.

The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo.

Leonard's main criticisms are:

1. emission permits will be given away free to emitters, in effect, rewarding them for causing the problem. That will certainly be the case in New Zealand, where billions of $NZ worth of permits will be allocated to agriculture and trade exposed and emissions intensive industries over an 80-year period.
2. emission offsets (carbon offsets) will be fraudulently obtained, thus undermining the cap on emissions
3. caps on emissions are essential to a cap and trade scheme, but there are no internationally agreed caps.
4. emissions trading is a distraction from the real measures to decarbonise economies, and as such it encourages 'business as usual'.

Kate Sheppard, writing on the Mother Jones website, says that Leonard grossly simplifies emissions trading. I am not so sure. I think Leonard has hit the nail on the head.

Robin's ashes

Today, at 11:00a.m., Mrs Johnson and I interred Robin's ashes at Karori Cemetery. Robin's ashes had been sitting at home for over a year in an octagonal-sided wooden container.

We left home in a steady misty drizzle (typical Wellington in December!), but 'Huey', the mountaineer's weather god was also in attendance and the drizzle had stopped while we were at Karori Cemetery.

The container doesn't go into the bed of the rose garden, it goes into a hole in the grass next to the bed. A Wellington Council employee placed the container in the hole. Mrs Johnson placed a trowel of mulch on top and I filled the hole in with a spade. It seemed the right thing to do. I signed a form and we left. Huey also departed, and the drizzle started again. Mrs Johnson and I then had a latte and a muffin at the Boutique Dining Room Cafe on Karori Road.

Here is a photo or two of Robin's plaque.