Moran may add more confusion to climate debate

Comments on Alan Moran “We emit less carbon than Combet gives us credit for”, 17/05/2011, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/commentary/we-emit-less-carbon-than-combet-gives-us-credit-for/story-e6frgd0x-1226057027444

This post appears to add more confusion to the debate rather than make it clearer, by introducing this nonsensical and unclear emissions imbedded in trade into the picture.

It is not too different from using whatever arguments available to suit own statement irrespective its logic and soundness.

So what implications for climate change policies would Mr Moran want to draw from the introduction of this issue?

PS: Mr Moran quoted a statement from a chapter of a recently published anthology, Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, edited by F.P. Sioshansi and says ‘I observed: "International trade means countries that export energy-intensive products incur emissions on behalf of other countries.’


“This tends to reduce the national emission levels of many developed countries, while exaggerating those of some developing countries and resource rich countries like Australia.”

What does that mean? It means that the developed countries as a whole emit more than the current country statistics show. It points to more responsibility for the developed countries including Australia to reduce emissions and to pay for their above world average emissions they have.