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From what I have read, I have concluded that economists live in a dream world, divorced from logic and reality.
Most economists appear happy to live with, and base their work upon, huge assumptions, apart from some branches of the discipline such as the behavioural economists. |
| Standard economists assume that all actors in a trading, free, market always make a rational, selfish decision at each point of sale. One can question whether all purchasing decisions are made solely on a Darwinian-survival, or Dawkins-selfish basis. One can also question if all purchasing decisions are rational.
My main doubt is whether consumers actually have any choice in their purchasing decisions. I would say that the majority of markets have narrow scope – that not all the products that could come to market are permitted to come to market. My experience suggests that markets are rarely free – some product sellers have restricted, limited access to markets, either because others have cornered the market through some artificial competitive advantage, or through having undue power within the market. There are also the advantages conferred by time in the marketplace – the grandfather winner-takes-all syndrome. And on top of that, there are the markets that start to resemble cartel operations, or even quasi-monopolies. |
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Category: Academic Freedom
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Academic Freedom Bait & Switch Big Picture Big Society Carbon Commodities Carbon Pricing Carbon Taxatious Climate Change Conflict of Interest Corporate Pressure Cost Effective Demoticratica Direction of Travel Divide & Rule Dreamworld Economics Emissions Impossible Energy Autonomy Energy Change Energy Insecurity Engineering Marvel Financiers of the Apocalypse Fossilised Fuels Freemarketeering Fuel Poverty Green Investment Green Power Growth Paradigm Hydrocarbon Hegemony Low Carbon Life Major Shift National Energy National Power Nudge & Budge Oil Change Paradigm Shapeshifter Peak Emissions Petrolheads Policy Warfare Political Nightmare Price Control Regulatory Ultimatum Social Democracy Sustainable Deferment Technofix Technological Fallacy The Myth of Innovation The Price of Gas The Price of Oil The War on Error Vote Loser Wasted Resource Western Hedge
Academic Freedom #2 : The UN climate treaty needs energy producer obligations
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The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change calls nations to attend regular gatherings of the signatories to the ratified convention – the Conference of the Parties.
The nations send delegations – hardly ever sending their premiers, presidents and primes. What bargaining powers do these delegations have ? They have the authority to offer small percentages in emissions reductions, just to show willing. They have the mandate to refuse policies their nations do not like. |
| The language is framed around energy consumption – most country delegations have been advised by their economists that increased efficiency in the use of energy means that the national energy use will decrease. O wondrous technology ! You allow us to cut our energy use – and therefore our carbon intensity.
These same economists advise that the Holy Ghost of Innovation will inspire Research and Development – which will mean that new technologies will curtail greenhouse gas emissions. We only have to invest in new engineering. This Cult of the New is the fable on which most advanced nations hang their hope. |
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Categories
Academic Freedom Bait & Switch Behaviour Changeling Big Picture Big Society Carbon Commodities Carbon Pricing Carbon Taxatious Climate Change Conflict of Interest Contraction & Convergence Corporate Pressure Demoticratica Direction of Travel Disturbing Trends Divide & Rule Dreamworld Economics Emissions Impossible Energy Change Energy Revival Environmental Howzat Fossilised Fuels Gamechanger Global Warming Hydrocarbon Hegemony Low Carbon Life National Energy Nudge & Budge Oil Change Paradigm Shapeshifter Policy Warfare Political Nightmare Protest & Survive Regulatory Ultimatum Resource Curse Social Chaos Social Democracy The War on Error Voluntary Behaviour Change Western Hedge
Academic Freedom #1 : The United Nations isn’t working
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A lot of people are going to be distressed when I say this, and tell me I have no right to say it – but honestly guys and gals, it’s time to tell the patently obvious truth : the United Nations process on Climate Change isn’t working.
Even if there is a way to construct a treaty with wording that all the country delegations can agree to (or at least not bitterly fight tooth and nail to their early graves), the basic premise of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is faulty. |
| Those responsible for the production of fossil fuels should be made to accept responsibility for global warming pollution, and take on the mission of changing the way they make the energy they sell the world.
I’m not calling for environmental fines. Environmental fines don’t work. They don’t stop pollution, they don’t prevent polluting activities, and they don’t provide enough monetary resources to clean up pollution. I’m not calling for carbon tax, or other forms of carbon pricing. Those responsible for selling polluting energy would never pay the full carbon price – they always delegate extra costs to their consumers. Carbon pricing and carbon taxation can never provide an incentive for meaningful de-carbonisation of the energy supply that we need. Cap and Trade does not appear to have altered the course of any region’s energy infrastructure development. The price of carbon always remains too low to stimulate real change. |
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