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Index of Subjects --Boundary_(ID_IK1mJoUip48ndSIw7xc4sA) Content-type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Another article on Norway's carbon tax points out that since the =20 inception of this tax, Norway's carbon footprint has increased 14%. =20 Yet another article says that it has decreased 14%, but only 2% of the =20= decrease is attributable to the tax = [http://ideas.repec.org/p/ssb/dispap/337.html=20 ]. Meanwhile, other countries without a carbon tax have had their =20 footprint decrease (notably the USA). The Wall Street Journal =20 reported on Tuesday that the carbon footprint in Norway has increased =20= 15% since the tax was instituted = [http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/09/30/emissions-impossible= -norway-taxes-carbon-emissions-rise/=20 ]. According to the article, Norwegians are buying more, bigger, and =20= more expensive cars, and are driving more. They like the lifestyle. =20= (I think joie de vivre in Norwegian is glede for liv.) They are doing =20= fine, with much petroleum production, and one of the highest wealth-=20 levels in the world. Their new tax probably has essentially no =20 practical or measurable effect on world climatic conditions =20 whatsoever, and the policy is not transferable to other countries =20 whose situations may be quite different. However, although the tax is =20= reportedly highly unpopular among some (see "Carbon tax tops Norway =20 grievances" at = http://www.scandoil.com/moxie-bm2/financial/politics_/carbon-tax-tops-list= -of-norway.shtml)=20 , it must make others satisfied, perhaps emotionally =97 and anyway, =20 they are enjoying life in spite of it. Good for them! Politicians generally like new taxes. Whether taxes ever do any good =20= is a matter of debate, but any rationale will suffice. When taxes are =20= openly proposed, the poison is usually sugar-coated in some way: the =20 benefit will help some worthy goal, or it will only hurt someone we =20 really don't like anyway (such as the envied rich, or corporations). =20= I have no idea why otherwise kindly and intelligent people fall for =20 these scams so readily. Do we think that government is a god that =20 should be in charge of all our activities in every detail, and should =20= take and give according to some divine wisdom? In the old days, various deities were thought to control the weather. =20= I think that Thor was one of them. Now we want government to take =20 charge, and we get quite worked up and emotional against the imagined =20= heretics who are thought to be responsible for climatic =20 inconveniences, and we become very devout toward the good spirits who =20= will rescue us if we only will ritualistically offer them the proper, =20= heartfelt obeisance on election day. By the way, I chuckled at the phrase "being clobbered by market =20 forces." That is just a variant of "being mugged by reality." I =20 suspect all of us, deep down, resent practical restraints. =97PSB On 1 Oct 2008, at 6:41 PM, David & Alison Webster wrote: > Hi All, Oct 1, 2008 > The October 2008 Issue of Canadian Geographic has an interesting =20 > article on Norway and how they have prospered since a carbon tax was =20= > introduced 16 (yes, sixteen) years ago. Large oil royalties no doubt =20= > helped. > > Politics is usually about choosing the lesser of evils but the =20 > carbon tax idea introduces a good option, because it will encourage =20= > people to adapt to the future and thus avoid being clobbered by =20 > market forces. > > E.g. a small privately owned company, LS9 Inc., has developed a =20 > way to produce oil from carbon-rich waste at an anticipated cost of =20= > $50/barrel. If this pans out, it will be the greatest energy advance =20= > since the Carnot (sp?) Cycle. All done so far without a carbon tax =20 > but how else can a tiny company take on Petrochemical giants and win ? > A small private Canadian company (don't recall name) has for =20 > some years had a pilot scale microbial procedure for producing =20 > ethanol from any carbon rich material but had to go to Germany and =20 > the US to obtain government funding to build a commercial scale =20 > plant (don't know how this turned out and funding may have dried up). > > Plasco Energy Group Inc, another small privately held company, is =20= > poised to turn Red Deer trash into electrical power. > > Somewhere recently I read that killing plant manure, a difficult =20 > waste disposal problem, has taken a new shine as a potential source =20= > of methane (for energy production) and the idea is again emerging =20 > that even relatively small livestock operations can exploit methane =20= > to save on energy costs. > > Any Popular Science or Popular Mechanics magazine from ~1978 =20 > sounds contemporary; same approaches, older technology. And when the =20= > petrochemical industry felt threatened they increased production =20 > enough to put these alternative energy companies out of business. > > Without the shelter provided by a carbon tax there is a danger =20 > that the mistakes of 40 years ago will be repeated and all these =20 > positive developments, for the environment (and countless others), =20 > will end up bankrupt. > > Yt, DW > > Rob Woods wrote: > >> Just to give a different perspective on the the upcoming election =20 >> here are my choices: >> >> >> As person who has long enjoyed the outdoors, recycles, farms as =20 >> organically as possible and until recently on the board of =20 >> directors of a Windfield company I would like to vote green. >> >> >> As a Farmer any carbon taxes on fuel scares the living daylights =20 >> out of me as cash flows will be adversely affected and no guarentee =20= >> that I can recoupe the additional costs or qualify for the programs =20= >> created to help farmers. (I do not need new farm equipment at this =20= >> time nor does the Farmer I rent equipment from either as the =20 >> capital cost is too great vs the fuel and efficiency savings). >> >> >> My sitting representative falsely accused the CEO of my current =20 >> employer of insider trading when he himself sent emails regarding =20 >> changes in income trusts before it was publicly announced. >> >> >> A conservative party whose tax policies help my middle class pocket =20= >> book but also stopped the sale/split of my employer (which most =20 >> employees saw as beneficial). The conservatives are also not =20 >> supportive of the environmental innitiatives that I would like to =20 >> see. >> >> >> And the NDP party whose heart is in the right place but I think =20 >> would financially tax the country into an economic crash to cover =20 >> all the increased spending. >> >> >> Thus 5 choices and no clear answer. An independant would look =20 >> really good right now (Mr Casey, please switch ridings). >> >> >> >> Rob Woods >> >> Georgefield NS >> >> >> >> >> ----- Original Message ---- >> From: Wayne P. Neily <neilyornis@hotmail.com> >> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >> Sent: Wednesday, October 1, 2008 2:21:21 PM >> Subject: RE: [NatureNS] Nova Scotia's nature and the federal election >> >> Hello folks, >> While most of us would agree with Blake that a Harper majority =20 >> would be a disaster for Canada, I would hope that most would vote =20 >> for the party that has the best understanding of, and solutions =20 >> for, environmental issues, unless you are in a constituency where =20 >> there is a real danger that the regressive conservatives might eke =20= >> out a narrow victory. This idea of exchanging votes strategically =20= >> may have merit, but it depends on complete trust between the =20 >> persons doing the exchange and so is subject to abuse, as well as =20 >> to wrong guesses as to which party would have the best chance of an =20= >> upset. At the risk of sounding political (I have not yet =20 >> decided whom to vote for), I am envious of the residents of Central =20= >> Nova, who not only have a chance to elect the leader best informed =20= >> on environmental issues (and the only female), but to defeat Peter =20= >> MacKayavelli, who is an embarrassment to Canadians still best known =20= >> for his betrayal of the PCs by breaking the promise that he gave in =20= >> writing to get the leadership of the party. No wonder that he =20 >> couldn't understand what all the fuss was about when Harper decided =20= >> that the government should disregard (or break) the Atlantic =20 >> Accords. We can only hope that enough of the voters there will =20 >> think carefully, instead of just voting for a favorite son of a =20 >> favorite son. >> >> Think Green! >> >> Wayne Neily >> Tremont, Kings Co., Nova Scotia >> >> "Think globally, Act locally." - Ren=E9 Dubos, 1972. >> >> >> >> = ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2008 07:59:01 -0300 >> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >> From: maybank@ns.sympatico.ca >> Subject: [NatureNS] Nova Scotia's nature and the federal election >> >> Hi All; >> >> I care deeply for the nature of Nova Scotia, and the environment of =20= >> the world. Consequently, it is necessary to get political at =20 >> times. This is one of those times. >> >> I shudder at the thought of Harper achieving a majority =20 >> government. The environment, our culture, and our society will =20 >> suffer. But how can we make our anti-Harper votes count? =20 >> Fortunately, voting strategically is now much easier. Go to: >> >> www.voteforenvironment.com <http://www.voteforenvironment.com/> >> >> It is a remarkable website that is tracking every riding in the =20 >> country, and making up-to-the-minute suggestions on how best to =20 >> fight Harper. >> >> And afterwards, I urge you to contact your friends, family, =20 >> colleagues, and everyone on your e-mail list, and let them know =20 >> about this web site. If we can affect the results in some key =20 >> ridings, who knows what might happen? Our environment and our =20 >> society deserve our support. >> Respectfully, >> >> Blake Maybank >> White's Lake, NS >> maybank@ns.sympatico.ca >> >> = ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> Get your information fix on your phone. With MSN Mobile you get =20 >> regular news, sports and finance updates. Try it today! = <http://www.msnmobile.ca/=20 >> > >> >> > > --Boundary_(ID_IK1mJoUip48ndSIw7xc4sA) Content-type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Another article on Norway's = carbon tax points out that since the inception of this tax, Norway's = carbon footprint has increased 14%. Yet another article says that = it has decreased 14%, but only 2% of the decrease is attributable to the = tax [<a = href=3D"http://ideas.repec.org/p/ssb/dispap/337.html">http://ideas.repec.o= rg/p/ssb/dispap/337.html</a>]. Meanwhile, other countries without = a carbon tax have had their footprint decrease (notably the USA). = The <i>Wall Street Journal</i> reported on Tuesday that the carbon = footprint in Norway has increased 15% since the tax was instituted [<a = href=3D"http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/09/30/emissions-imp= ossible-norway-taxes-carbon-emissions-rise/">http://blogs.wsj.com/environm= entalcapital/2008/09/30/emissions-impossible-norway-taxes-carbon-emissions= -rise/</a>]. According to the article, Norwegians are buying more, = bigger, and more expensive cars, and are driving more. They like = the lifestyle. (I think <i>joie de vivre</i> in Norwegian is = <i>glede for liv</i>.) They are doing fine, with much petroleum = production, and one of the highest wealth-levels in the world. = Their new tax probably has essentially no practical or measurable = effect on world climatic conditions whatsoever, and the policy is not = transferable to other countries whose situations may be quite different. = However, although the tax is reportedly highly unpopular among = some (see "Carbon tax tops Norway grievances" at <a = href=3D"http://www.scandoil.com/moxie-bm2/financial/politics_/carbon-tax-t= ops-list-of-norway.shtml)">http://www.scandoil.com/moxie-bm2/financial/pol= itics_/carbon-tax-tops-list-of-norway.shtml)</a>, it must make others = satisfied, perhaps emotionally =97 and anyway, they are enjoying life in = spite of it. Good for them!<div><br></div><div>Politicians = generally like new taxes. Whether taxes ever do any good is a = matter of debate, but any rationale will suffice. When taxes are = openly proposed, the poison is usually sugar-coated in some way: the = benefit will help some worthy goal, or it will only hurt someone we = really don't like anyway (such as the envied rich, or corporations). = I have no idea why otherwise kindly and intelligent people fall = for these scams so readily. Do we think that government is a god = that should be in charge of all our activities in every detail, and = should take and give according to some divine = wisdom?</div><div><br></div><div>In the old days, various deities were = thought to control the weather. I think that Thor was one of them. = Now we want government to take charge, and we get quite worked up = and emotional against the imagined heretics who are thought to be = responsible for climatic inconveniences, and we become very devout = toward the good spirits who will rescue us if we only will = ritualistically offer them the proper, heartfelt obeisance on election = day.</div><div><br></div><div>By the way, I chuckled at the phrase = "being clobbered by market forces." That is just a variant of = "being mugged by reality." I suspect all of us, deep down, resent = practical restraints.</div><div><br></div><div style=3D"font-size: 13px; = ">=97PSB</div><div><br><div><div>On 1 Oct 2008, at 6:41 PM, David & = Alison Webster wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>Hi = All, = &n= bsp; Oct 1, 2008<br> The October 2008 Issue of = Canadian Geographic has an interesting article on Norway and how they = have prospered since a carbon tax was introduced 16 (yes, sixteen) years = ago. Large oil royalties no doubt helped.<br><br> Politics = is usually about choosing the lesser of evils but the carbon tax idea = introduces a good option, because it will encourage people to adapt to = the future and thus avoid being clobbered by market forces.<br><br> = E.g. a small privately owned company, LS9 Inc., has = developed a way to produce oil from carbon-rich waste at an anticipated = cost of $50/barrel. If this pans out, it will be the greatest energy = advance since the Carnot (sp?) Cycle. All done so far without a carbon = tax but how else can a tiny company take on Petrochemical giants and win = ?<br> A small private Canadian company (don't = recall name) has for some years had a pilot scale microbial procedure = for producing ethanol from any carbon rich material but had to go to = Germany and the US to obtain government funding to build a commercial = scale plant (don't know how this turned out and funding may have dried = up).<br><br> Plasco Energy Group Inc, another small = privately held company, is poised to turn Red Deer trash into electrical = power.<br><br> Somewhere recently I read that killing plant = manure, a difficult waste disposal problem, has taken a new shine as a = potential source of methane (for energy production) and the idea is = again emerging that even relatively small livestock operations can = exploit methane to save on energy costs.<br><br> Any Popular = Science or Popular Mechanics magazine from ~1978 sounds contemporary; = same approaches, older technology. And when the petrochemical industry = felt threatened they increased production enough to put these = alternative energy companies out of business.<br><br> = Without the shelter provided by a carbon tax there is a = danger that the mistakes of 40 years ago will be repeated and all these = positive developments, for the environment (and countless others), will = end up bankrupt.<br><br>Yt, DW<br> <br>Rob Woods = wrote:<br><br><blockquote type=3D"cite">Just to give a different = perspective on the the upcoming election here are my = choices:<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"> = <br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">As person who has long = enjoyed the outdoors, recycles, farms as organically as possible and = until recently on the board of directors of a Windfield company I = would like to vote green.<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"> = <br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">As a Farmer any carbon taxes = on fuel scares the living daylights out of me as cash flows will be = adversely affected and no guarentee that I can recoupe the additional = costs or qualify for the programs created to help farmers. (I do not = need new farm equipment at this time nor does the Farmer I rent = equipment from either as the capital cost is too great vs the fuel and = efficiency savings).<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">My sitting = representative falsely accused the CEO of my current employer of insider = trading when he himself sent emails regarding changes in income trusts = before it was publicly announced.<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"> = <br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">A conservative party whose = tax policies help my middle class pocket book but also stopped the = sale/split of my employer (which most employees saw as beneficial). The = conservatives are also not supportive of the environmental innitiatives = that I would like to see.<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"> = <br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">And the NDP party whose heart = is in the right place but I think would financially tax the country into = an economic crash to cover all the increased = spending.<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"> = <br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Thus 5 choices and no clear = answer. An independant would look really good right now (Mr Casey, = please switch ridings).<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"> = <br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"> <br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite">Rob Woods<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Georgefield = NS<br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"> <br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"> = <br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">----- Original Message = ----<br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">From: Wayne P. Neily = <<a = href=3D"mailto:neilyornis@hotmail.com">neilyornis@hotmail.com</a>><br></bl= ockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">To: <a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a><br></b= lockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Sent: Wednesday, October 1, 2008 = 2:21:21 PM<br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Subject: RE: = [NatureNS] Nova Scotia's nature and the federal = election<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Hello = folks,<br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"> = While most of us would agree with Blake that a Harper = majority would be a disaster for Canada, I would hope that most would = vote for the party that has the best understanding of, and solutions = for, environmental issues, unless you are in a constituency where there = is a real danger that the regressive conservatives might eke out a = narrow victory. This idea of exchanging votes strategically may = have merit, but it depends on complete trust between the persons doing = the exchange and so is subject to abuse, as well as to wrong guesses as = to which party would have the best chance of an upset. = At the risk of sounding political (I have not = yet decided whom to vote for), I am envious of the residents of Central = Nova, who not only have a chance to elect the leader best informed on = environmental issues (and the only female), but to defeat Peter = MacKayavelli, who is an embarrassment to Canadians still best known for = his betrayal of the PCs by breaking the promise that he gave in writing = to get the leadership of the party. No wonder that he couldn't = understand what all the fuss was about when Harper decided that the = government should disregard (or break) the Atlantic Accords. We = can only hope that enough of the voters there will think carefully, = instead of just voting for a favorite son of a favorite = son.<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"> = Think Green!<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Wayne = Neily<br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Tremont, Kings Co., Nova = Scotia<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">"Think = globally, Act locally." - Ren=E9 Dubos, = 1972.<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite">------------------------------------------------------------= ------------<br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Date: Wed, 1 Oct = 2008 07:59:01 -0300<br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">To: <a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a><br></b= lockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">From: <a = href=3D"mailto:maybank@ns.sympatico.ca">maybank@ns.sympatico.ca</a><br></b= lockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Subject: [NatureNS] Nova Scotia's = nature and the federal election<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Hi = All;<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">I care deeply = for the nature of Nova Scotia, and the environment of the world. = Consequently, it is necessary to get political at times. = This is one of those times.<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">I shudder at = the thought of Harper achieving a majority government. The = environment, our culture, and our society will suffer. But how can = we make our anti-Harper votes count? Fortunately, voting = strategically is now much easier. Go to:<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite">www.voteforenvironment.com <<a = href=3D"http://www.voteforenvironment.com/">http://www.voteforenvironment.= com/</a>><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">It is a = remarkable website that is tracking every riding in the country, and = making up-to-the-minute suggestions on how best to fight = Harper.<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">And afterwards, = I urge you to contact your friends, family, colleagues, and everyone on = your e-mail list, and let them know about this web site. If we can = affect the results in some key ridings, who knows what might happen? = Our environment and our society deserve our support. = <br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite">Respectfully,<br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Blake = Maybank<br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">White's Lake, = NS<br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"><a = href=3D"mailto:maybank@ns.sympatico.ca">maybank@ns.sympatico.ca</a><br></b= lockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite">------------------------------------------------------------= ------------<br></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite">Get your = information fix on your phone. With MSN Mobile you get regular news, = sports and finance updates. Try it today! <<a = href=3D"http://www.msnmobile.ca/">http://www.msnmobile.ca/</a>><br></block= quote><blockquote type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><br></blockquote><br><br></div></blockquote></div><br></div>= </body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_IK1mJoUip48ndSIw7xc4sA)--
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