As the UN climate change debate continues in Cancun, Mexico, the economic realities of a manufactured carbon market or any regulatory push toward alternative energy sources should be on the mind of any energy consumer. And this, of course, includes nearly every human being on the planet.
So far, there have been reports from Cancun that representatives of the host nation have been less than pleased with the United States’ informal pledge to cut greenhouse emissions by 17 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels. In fact, Mexican climate envoy Luis Alfonso de Alba indicated that the U.S. non-binding pledge was only a “modest” effort.
Oddly, de Alba simultaneously praises the (also non-binding) pledges of two emerging economic powerhouses: China and India. Apparently, de Alba is impressed by empty rhetoric because, as noted, these pledges are non-binding and basically useless affirmations full of little more than hot air. Part of the effort in Cancun is to formalize these pledges. De Alba shouldn’t hold his breath.
Here’s why: according to a recently-released International Energy Agency report compiling data through the year 2008, emerging economies such as China and India, tend to “recarbonize” rather than decarbonize. It’s a safe bet that both countries are aware of this trend and will tend not to buck it if it spells disaster for their future economic prosperity.
Couple these truths with the reality that most alternative energy sources are untested, prohibitively expensive and, in some cases, outright fantasies, pushing the world to consider coal a negative is irresponsible at best.
However, that is what the highly politicized efforts of the UN climate talks and most of the regulatory and legislative push coming from the White House seeks to do. More troubling still is the fact that, while the U.S. genuflects on the world stage to the political correctness demanded in situations where the science is in question – as it is increasingly is in the realm of climate change data – emerging economic giants like China and India are given a pass; even as it’s clear to the most simple-minded observer that these growing nations couldn’t possibly be serious about damaging their prospering new economies.
Given the prolonged recession the U.S. has been battling for the last few years, to cripple the economy further simply to appear conscientious about something as dubious as climate change is bad business, bad policy and bad for consumers. Care should be taken to make sure China and India don’t surpass the economic strength of the US and leave it scrambling to keep the lights on.
Mike Carey is president of the American Council for Affordable and Reliable Energy (ACARE).
