| Sourced From Theecologist.org |
In this brilliant winning entry of the Ecologist/New Economics Foundation essay competition, Janine Morley imagines what it would be like to buy that fateful tonne of carbon from a telephone broker…
How do you price the extra tonne of carbon that, once burned, tips the balance and triggers potentially catastrophic, irreversible global warming?
‘So youre looking for a quote on a tonne of carbon? Its a very special tonne that youre interested in buying, I understand? Youre after the tonne that tips the climate into a runaway conversion to a chaotic state. Hmm, well, I cant guarantee you that precise tonne, I should warn you, but scientists are convinced this runaway effect will be triggered by what were emitting right about now. So any tonne you buy today could be the one. And its a great time to buy – the markets have adjusted to the new global scenario and prices have really dropped off following the boom earlier in the year. Youre in for a bargain!
‘But first, I am obliged to check that, as a private customer, you are aware that there is no legal or other requirement for you to buy carbon emissions rights. Not even for that special tonne that tips the climate. Can you confirm that you understand? Great, so youre definitely looking to buy.
‘Looking at your options, then, the first route is to buy from one of the many carbon trading systems around the world. Some are closed markets, limited to controlled participants only. But in others anyone can trade through an agent – so long as youre not buying too much. For one tonne, I can give you a quote on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for
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