Carbon Trading Fail

When the United Nations put together a carbon trading scheme to reduce greenhouse gases they forgot to repeal the law of unintended consequences. The NY Times explains the latest bureaucratic 'surprise':

Greenhouse gases were rated based on their power to warm the atmosphere. The more dangerous the gas, the more that manufacturers in developing nations would be compensated as they reduced their emissions.

But where the United Nations envisioned environmental reform, some manufacturers of gases used in air-conditioning and refrigeration saw a lucrative business opportunity.

They quickly figured out that they could earn one carbon credit by eliminating one ton of carbon dioxide, but could earn more than 11,000 credits by simply destroying a ton of an obscure waste gas normally released in the manufacturing of a widely used coolant gas. That is because that byproduct has a huge global warming effect. The credits could be sold on international markets, earning tens of millions of dollars a year.

That incentive has driven plants in the developing world not only to increase production of the coolant gas but also to keep it high — a huge problem because the coolant itself contributes to global warming and depletes the ozone layer. That coolant gas is being phased out under a global treaty, but the effort has been a struggle.

These people will keep on being surprised by a problem that has sop many moving parts.

Comments

[James D.]

OT, but actually not OT at all - from the LUN:

The idea that something as fundamental as the distribution of wealth can be radically altered in a democracy without disastrous side effects is an intellectual fantasy. Prohibition, a far simpler social engineering project than fundamentally redistributing wealth, didn’t get rid of demon rum, it gave us Al Capone. And the people who wanted to drink kept right on doing so.

Intellectuals, especially in the social sciences, have a nasty habit of thinking that, “This is the way the world should be, therefore this is the way the world can be.” This is what leads them to come up with so many ideas that are, in George Orwell’s phrase, “so stupid that only intellectuals believe them.”

I'd add "the Kennedy family" to "Al Capone" but otherwise I agree 100%.

[Appalled]

No activist gets the Law of Unintended Consequences. If they did, they might be a little modest about how they achieve their ends.

Thing is, so many unintended consequences are extremely forseeable, that you do wonder how unintended they were. Like, if you subsidize an activity, folks associated with the activity will take more risks. And, if you tax an activity, you'll get less of the activity, and more activity elsewhere.

[James D.]

This one's definitely OT. Again, see the LUN...

In an embarrassing screw-up, Florida prosecutors today accidentally distributed a post-mortem photo of Trayvon Martin as well as copies of George Zimmerman’s college records, material that Florida law considers confidential and exempt from disclosure.

Yeah, "accidentally." I bet it was. A post-mortem photo sure to rile up suporters of TM, and college records that make GZ look like a loser:

Zimmerman’s Seminole State College of Florida records--61 pages in total--include his original application to the community college and his class transcripts. The documents detailed Zimmerman’s poor grades, which landed him on academic probation last year

"Accidental"

By the way, can any of the lawyers here explain to a layperson what conceivable relevance GZ's application to community college could possibly have to the events of that night in Sanford?

[bunky]

radical environmentalism's intended consequence is communism.

[Dave (in MA)]

So we got the High Yella Hispanic's college records, but still nothing about Barry Soetoro's.

[Melinda Romanoff]

The Church didn't do well by indulgences, so I find it challenging at best that any form of government will do well by it.

[rse]

Appalled-I have actually read schemes that argued that only intentions and goals matter, not means or consequences. I think it's the opposite but you can see how unintended would be disregarded if you want to skip over it all.

They want brownie points for being pure at heart.

Great link James D.

Has anyone linked to John Rosenberg's analysis of the Texas brief in the aff action case before SCOTUS?

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/313447/racial-preference-austin-john-s-rosenberg

One point I would add is that if you think learning is about social interactions among people instead of a body of knowledge, the classic Marxist view that Obama has now officially pushed, you want diversity. Since in this view your gender and skin color define who you are just as assuredly as your class, in this mindset each classroom needs the requisite melanin and organs and zip codes I suppose.

Texas brief is nonsense but what they are trying to get is based on that Bronfenbrenner Ecological Systems Theory which is itself just an excuse for a desired political result.

[Frau Musicus]

OT - Mel rules! What a treat to read the article about Benny Goodman's Russian tour.

[James D.]

rse, I thought of you when I read that article about social engineering...

[Danube of Thought]

"what conceivable relevance GZ's application to community college could possibly have to the events of that night in Sanford?"

The standard for what must be produced in discovery is far broader than that of relevance for admissibility at trial. In civil discovery at least, you have to turn over anything that is reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.

[Danube of Thought]

After Oil for Food, what would you expect?

[NK]

Comm College?-- probably part of SPD and/or State cops background checking GZ's associations to evaluate his Self Defense claims, evidence of bias, reputation etc.

[Janet]

Which thread is the right one for this story? - Ft. Hood Jihadist Nidal Hasan Found In Contempt Of Court For Refusing To Shave His Beard…

Is there a "General Disgust" thread?
How come Hasan isn't DEAD!!!! Contempt of Court? Fined?...Oh my goodness...we are done.

[Danube of Thought]

Have four MPs hold the son of a bitch down in his cell and shave him.

[JM Hanes]

"These people will keep on being surprised by a problem that has sop many moving parts."

Sorry, TM, but you'd have to be fiercely determined not to see the carbon credit scheme's moving parts, or to find the consequences even remotely surprising.

[Frau Steingehirn]

"So we got the High Yella Hispanic's college records, but still nothing about Barry Soetoro's."

I truly believe *all* records have been destroyed as part of Axelrod's making Obama ready for the road trip to the WH. I read that it all began with the creation of the story and selection of photos around the time of the Axelrod's control.

There will never be a way to *look* at them or any passport information.

[daddy]

Surely the UN is the best of all possible worlds.

Good Morning. For fun am rereading Voltaire's pithy and witty "Candide."

Dr Pangloss would do great organizing the UN"s Carbon Trading racket. Mahalo:)

[lyle]

Have four MPs hold the son of a bitch down in his cell and shave him.

Four female MPs. While they've got him pinned down, have one of them tell him they're all menstruating.

[Threadkiller]

"The cost of keeping your home cool is rising

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- With the heat we're feeling, many homeowners are discovering that it's gotten a lot more expensive to keep their homes cool. The cost of cooling homes is rising because the cost of the Freon gas used in most air conditioners is skyrocketing. The reason -- new EPA regulations. The next time you call someone like Danny Crimmens to come fix your air conditioner, be prepared for sticker shock when you get the bill.

Repairing leaky air conditioners has never been as expensive as it is right now.

The problem is the rising cost of R-22 Freon gas, the most common coolant used in both home and business air conditioners for some 40 years. In 2010, the EPA began phasing out R-22 because of concerns that it damaged the ozone layer.

"So what everybody did is agreed that beginning in 2010, they would start phasing out R-22, and phase it out over a 10-year period through 2010-2020," said Richard Ciresi, president of AireServ Heating and Cooling.

But then, last year, the EPA changed the rules. Instead of phasing out R-22 at a rate of 10 percent per year, the EPA proposed an immediate 35 percent reduction.

"Well, the moment that proposal hit the street, the price of the refrigerant R-22 tripled literally overnight," said Ciresi.

Tripled from about eight-dollars a pound to 25-dollars a pound. And much of that cost is being passed on to consumers.

"Our price just escalated wildly, some of which we tried to absorb to help our customers." And it's going to get worse before it gets better. The closer we get to 2020, the more scarce and more expensive R-22 gas will become.

So, many homeowners will face a dilemma -- whether to pay the skyrocketing cost of repairing an older air conditioner, or buying a newer model that does not use R-22 gas"

http://r-22-refrigerants.blogspot.com/2012/06/cost-of-keeping-your-home-cool-is.html?m=1

[DrJ]

TK, it may be time to convert the refrigerant in my old car to a newer one. The results supposedly aren't great, but acceptable.

[Ignatz]

"Unintended" consequences are a feature not a bug.
When a huge new problem pops up from the last huge bureaucracy, a new huge bureaucracy is needed to clean the new mess up. Of course the old huge bureaucracy carries on just as before and eventually a third is needed to fix the second's "unintended" consequences.

Perpetual motion may be impossible but perpetual inertia is not; a bureaucracy in glacial motion tends to stay in glacial motion and to cause whatever it touches to stay at rest.

[Threadkiller]

I would be amazed of you have an r12 system, DrJ. How old OS the car?

In other news for my fellow California suckers, here is the new rural fire fee map. $150 for the first structure and $25 for each additional structure. You can get a $35 credit if you already pay for a fire service.

http://www.bof.fire.ca.gov/sra_viewer/

Wait until you see how rural California actually is.

[Threadkiller]

OS = is.

F'n Droid...

[DrJ]

TK, it is 25 years old (a W124 Benz, FWIW).

[DrJ]

TK, we are about 200 feet from the SRA area. Whew!

[Ignatz]

Well if I've got to pay for fire protection guess I'll go start one to make sure I get my money's worth. Heh, heh, heh.

[DrJ]

Iggy, not to put thoughts into your head, but does your brother live in the area? :)

[Frau Kühlanlage]

TK & DrJ - my husband became, ahem, a book certified technician in order to buy freon and even has two tanks now stored in our small basement. We don't think we'll ever need all of it, and it may end up in the final estate/garage sale down the line.

Our MB diesel car and Ford truck are 24 years old. My '54 VW, of course, doesn't need freon.

[Ignatz]

--Iggy, not to put thoughts into your head, but does your brother live in the area? :)--

Yes, yes he does, doc. On the other hand I intend taking all his property away so that might not be the best policy.

Related to that, I don't know how many times I had to listen to that clown threaten to burn somebody out if they didn't bend to his will. What a nutjob.
Of course he would have had to hire somebody to do it since being a narcissist means you always have some boneheaded fall guy standing by.

[DrJ]

We don't think we'll ever need all of it

Raises hand!

Which MB do you have, Frau?

[rse]

Frau-my SUV is 14 years old which means my kids never had videos in the car. Monday when Red was having her dental surgery the waiting room is glass overlooking lobby. Multiple times there were kids trooping through playing games on a tablet while trying to walk.

What happened to put that away and be careful where you walk?

[Frau Audi Horch]

300 TD. It's our third diesel and second turbo. I love belching out black clouds on occasion when entering the freeway. I remember 19 cent a gallon diesel. The slower I drove, the better the mileage. Ah, memories. Even more fun was a DKW we got from German mechanic friends. I had to carry a small can of oil with me to mix with five gallons of gas. Dang, I wish we had kept that car. Ours was red with a white top.

[Frau Audi Horch]

rse - now each child has an individual tv. No more fighting over the video!

[DrJ]

Frau, Mine's a 300 as well, but not a diesel (so it is a 300E). I looked for a TD, but none were available in any sort of reasonable condition. Shame.

I never saw a DKW, but there were a few Amphicars in the area where I grew up.

http://www.amphicars.com/acfaq.htm

[Frau Klimaanlage]

My husband says that one day of study for DrJ and a moderate fee will make him a licensed technician (with plastic "Ausweis") and enable him to have a couple of tanks in the basement. The fee for the tanks, however, is now *not* so moderate.

[DrJ]

Frau, I think I'll continue to pay my mechanic to top it off every four or five years.

[Manuel Transmission]

I still have a couple of 1lb cans of R12 rusting away in my storage cabinet that I paid a buck apiece for a few decades ago. One day I expect to move them over and notice that they are empty. What a load of carp this ozone nonsense is.

[maryrose]

Frau:
Once again you are right on the money! I also believe all grades and transcripts have either been destroyed or altered. I once had a student who attempted to alter a transcript to make a "D" look like a "B". It was surprisingly authentic looking.

[Carol Herman]

To get "first world" attention, there should be a tax deduction for farting. The french could earn back some of their 75% rate deduction. If these folk can be found!

[Charlie Martin]

Wow, my 320E is only a '95...

[Manuel Transmission]

I just responded to a friend thinking about buying a certified used car instead of new with this anecdote:

I have a b-i-l that bought one of the old classic MB 300Ds a few years ago. One of those that had a good reputation and therefore he had to pay a premium. Something like $6k for the old crock. Suddenly, guys at church were hitting him up for loans now that he was rich!

[maryrose]

Frau:
You are absolutely correct in stating that Axelplouffe want a clean slate for Oblammy again. Unfortunately his records will not be released{if they still exist because he applied as a foreign exchange student and received financial aid he was not entitiled to. Also he was AA for Harvard Law because his grades were so low it was the only way he could get in. Michelle just rode in on her brother's coattails as an athlete.

[DrJ]

Charlie,

Wow, my 320E is only a '95...

Same body style (W124); the W210 was introduced the next year.

Yours has a lot of life in it yet, unless the CO folks put fender solvent (a/k/a salt) on the roads in the winter or you don't maintain it.

[Jane - talk is cheap!]

It seems impossible to scrub the world of all Obama's records. They would have to kill all the people who saw them that they don't trust.

Then again, nothing ever comes out.

[DrJ]

ManTran,

I have a b-i-l that bought one of the old classic MB 300Ds a few years ago. [snip] Suddenly, guys at church were hitting him up for loans now that he was rich!

That's partly because no one realizes how old they are. Most people think mine is five or six years old. Those that really are that age still are rather pricey.

The styling has held up rather well.

[Charlie Martin]

Yours has a lot of life in it yet, unless the CO folks put fender solvent (a/k/a salt) on the roads in the winter or you don't maintain it.

Oh yeah, I've got less that 200K miles.

[DrJ]

I've got less tha[n] 200K miles.

Mine does too (about 170K). But then I don't drive much.

[Manuel Transmission]

I guess that's the advantage of flying for the long trips. My 'new' BumW (98) has just over 50k. My old one (80) has 110k-- a third of which was accumulated on the autobahn before I bought it.

[rse]

MT-going through the Club of Rome diatribes and others, the ozone push built on the no DDT push and then it was on to the weather. It's tragic but amusing when they cannot decide if the apocalypse that merits controlling the economy and dictating indl behaviors is freezing or warming. It's the hard to disprove transnational threat that was needed.

[Ignatz]

-- But then I don't drive much.--

But when he does he scoots right along. :)

[Manuel Transmission]

The CoR stuff was going on when I was first at Ginormous Research Institute and our fearless leader was a member. At the same time my colleagues were doing engineering modeling and gaffawing over the ludicrous bases of the catastrophic predictions. It didn't pass the most casual smell test.

Just prior to that, Forrest and Meadows (love the irony) actually did some decent urban modeling that was the jumping off point for the global stuff.

[DrJ]

But when he does he scoots right along. :)

Don't ride with me on the highway! 80 mph minimum, unless there's traffic or the CHP are out.

[Drake1940]

Speaking of altered school transcripts. My son when 14 used his computer to alter a grade on his report card. Excellent job. Except, the report cards are mailed to us and the report card he gave us had no fold marks where it would have from an envelope. Grounded, grounded, grounded.