Hot Air

Time for a Cartoon

As Obama spends billions to make the US green, we came across this cartoon--so, for those of you who like pictures:



We, of course, are plotting our own, New Zealand version of "cap and trade" in an attempt to restrict carbon emissions. However, we take some heart from the pragmatic realism of Prime Minister John Key, who, recently scrapped the state television channel's Charter (the former government's grand plan to ensure more New Zealand produced programmes on air). The reason Key scrapped the Charter? Well, he was short, sharp and definitive. "It does not work!"

Since Key is a sort-of half-hearted climate change affirmer and since he has publicly committed to some sort of "cap and trade" system, we at Contra Celsum issue him a challenge: find us a carbon cap and trade system anywhere on the planet which actually works. Cap and trade simply does not work, nohow, nowhere. So, dump the idea. If it's a good enough reason for the Charter to go, it's more than good enough for "cap and trade".

Actually "cap and trade" reminds us of capital gains tax. Roger Douglas years ago, when Finance Minister, had a good look at introducing a capital gains tax in New Zealand. Treasury officials went all over the then known world and researched capital gains taxes wherever they were found. Douglas said the research produced an amazing, global consensus of opinion. Every country visited said two things. Firstly, a capital gains tax is a great idea, and it would be good for NZ to have one. Secondly, whatever you do, don't have one like ours. It's a shambolic croc.

So, there is widespread consensus--well, at least in the West, that "cap and trade" is a great idea to reduce carbon emissions. But the few countries that have one complain that it is an abject failure and has made things much worse.

Actually, if we are all serious about reducing carbon emission, forget "cap and trade." We could do no better than to take the advice of Sir Jonathon Black Death Porritt. He is the in-Green advisor to UK's Prime Minister. To stop polluting the planet with carbon dioxide and save, well, the human race, Porritt has concluded the UK population needs to be reduced by half, apparently.

Let's see. How might we do that, Sir Jonathon? The Black Death wiped out around two thirds of the population of Europe in the Middle Ages. How about a special targeted release, say in London--or in selective electorates that are Tory strongholds. It makes one wonder why on earth everyone got so wound up about bird flu a couple of years ago. Sir Jonathon is now effectively telling us a thorough-going, widespread pandemic would have been just the ticket. It would have saved the planet.

Or, better yet, how about a Trident ballistic missile nuclear strike on Russia. That will incite an appropriate counter strike on the UK, and bingo, climate change problem solved. And right quick, too.

It is no longer just the lunatic asylum that is being run by its inmates. Or maybe the UK is the lunatic asylum. In comparison, George Bush and John Howard look like a remarkably sane chaps.