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Cheating CO2 statistics
Jul. 24th, 2008 01:09 pmMonbiot can be annoying on occasion, but this time, he confirms what I'd suspected for a while.
Recent cuts in UK CO2 emissions have been achieved by exporting pollution. If we include the CO2 emissions of goods we import rather than make ourselves, our emissions have risen.
Not only that, but they're allowing as much as they want to be offset by carbon trading schemes - many of which are deeply flawed and hardly any actually result in the actual removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.
In other words, we can increase our carbon footprint, while still claiming as a country that we are reducing our CO2 emissions.
There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Recent cuts in UK CO2 emissions have been achieved by exporting pollution. If we include the CO2 emissions of goods we import rather than make ourselves, our emissions have risen.
Not only that, but they're allowing as much as they want to be offset by carbon trading schemes - many of which are deeply flawed and hardly any actually result in the actual removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.
In other words, we can increase our carbon footprint, while still claiming as a country that we are reducing our CO2 emissions.
There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
