‘Fume permits’ perfect for fraud

Romanian houses

Some people, like NZ Climate Science Coalition energy spokeman Bryan Leyland, have been warning for years that the introduction of trading in invisible, unmeasurable, so-called “carbon credits” (or ‘fume permits’) is an open invitation to fraud.

Since 2002, Carbon Trade Watch has been keeping a close eye on the effectiveness of and criminal activity in carbon trading around the world. They wrote a good summary in April this year of frauds in the European scheme.

Now, we see the involvement of an entire country in “irregularities”, with Romania being completely barred from trading in carbon credits.

The Kyoto Protocol created a Compliance Committee (or Carbon Police), responsible for setting fines or deciding other punitive action when countries fail to meet their obligations under the Protocol.

The Compliance Committee has suspended Romania from participating in the carbon “market” because, they say, there are “irregularities” in Romania’s emissions data. The country was anticipating earning $US2.2 billion towards reducing its national debt from sales of carbon “offsets”.

The temptation to misreport the nation’s emissions and sinks is perhaps too easy, but one wonders what nasty political considerations might lie behind this severe and rapaciously expensive sanction (if the country loses the whole of the potential earnings, the fine is $US2.2 billion for what might have been an administrative lapse). One has strong doubts that the same thing happen to, say, the UK or Germany if they counted the invisible gases improperly.

Notice how emissions of carbon dioxide (with a few even less important gases) are demonised in this report from AFP by referring to the process as “pumping industrial gases.”

The scheme allows around 12,000 companies including huge multinationals to buy and sell rights to pump industrial gases into the atmosphere.

There has been a clever and very successful propaganda campaign to turn us against greenhouse gases.

Views: 40

4 Thoughts on “‘Fume permits’ perfect for fraud

  1. Mike Jowsey on 29/08/2011 at 11:35 pm said:

    It’s been so long since I read the adverb “rapaciously”

    ra·pa·cious (r-pshs)
    adj.
    1. Taking by force; plundering.
    2. Greedy; ravenous. See Synonyms at voracious.
    3. Subsisting on live prey.

    apt

  2. Richard C (NZ) on 30/08/2011 at 9:51 am said:

    “industrial gases” ?

    This hand-held industrial gas analyzer is designed for emissions monitoring and maintenance & tuning of combustion processes including boilers, burners, gas & diesel engines, turbines, furnaces, kilns, heaters, and laboratory analysis:-

    http://www.e-inst.com/industrial-gas-analyzers/products-E4400

    Gas Sensors:

    O2, CO, NO, NO2, SO2, CxHy

    Also enables efficiency, excess air, & CO2 calculations and the Combustion Booklet PDF linked on the page (very handy) gives a rundown on combustion and industrial gas emissions:-

    http://www.e-inst.com/docs/E-Instruments-Combustion-Booklet-2009.pdf

    Causes for Concern about Nitrogen Oxides:
    When NOx reacts with the oxygen in the air, the result is ground-level ozone. Groundlevel ozone has very negative effects on the respiratory system, such as causing lung cancer, and on agricultural production. NOx also reacts to form nitrate particles, and acid aerosols, which all cause respiratory problems. Nitric acid, formed when NOx reacts with water, can cause acid rain and the deterioration of the quality of water. Acidic gases along with airborne particles cause visibility impairment and lower air quality.

    Carbon Monoxide:
    CO, is a highly toxic gas that can form during incomplete combustion. CO is colorless, odorless, and extremely harmful to the respiratory system. Overexposure to carbon monoxide can cause headache, dizziness, and sometimes death. It is of the greatest importance to measure CO emissions to maintain safety. During combustion most of the carbon burned reacts to form carbon dioxide, however some of the carbon stays in the intermediary stage as carbon monoxide. Excess levels of CO can be created due to incomplete combustion, poor burner design, bad firing conditions, or a leaky furnace. Motor vehicles, industries, and incomplete combustion are the primary producers of manmade CO.

    Sulfur Dioxide:
    SO2, makes up about 95% of all of the sulfur oxides that is released during combustion. SO2 is a main cause of acid rain when it reacts with water vapor. The EPA regulates the emissions of sulfur dioxide through its Acid Rain Program. Most sulfur dioxide is produced through the production of electricity and through industrial processes.

    Carbon Dioxide:
    CO2, is always a byproduct of combustion. The level of carbon dioxide released is dependent upon the type of fuel used and the combustion process. Although naturally produced through respiration and other organic processes, carbon dioxide is a green house gas and thus advances global warming. The primary sources of manmade carbon dioxide are motor vehicles, industries, and electric utilities.

    If I had to choose my poison from the above, I think I’d go for the one at the bottom of the list that’s beneficial to my winter comfort level and has the added bonus of increasing crop yields.

    • Thanks, Richard, good information. CO2 was never considered an “industrial gas” in this black sense until the radical ecomentalists dreamed up the idea as propaganda.

    • Andy on 30/08/2011 at 10:20 pm said:

      Wikipedia rates CO 2 as air pollution, including that from respiration I.e breathing

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Post Navigation