Carbon dioxide emissions - Essay Example

Running head: CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS Carbon dioxide emissions Insert Insert Insert 3 April Carbondioxide emissions Carbon dioxide emission is a by-product of energy production, which is the largest among green house gasses that contribute to global warming. This gas emerges from combustion of fossil fuels, which include automobiles, industrial production such as metal production, coal, and oil and gas from factories (World bank publications, 2004 pp 147). Due to the effects of carbon dioxide emissions to the climate, most countries agreed to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by the year 2010. Some of the main causes of carbon emissions are electricity generation, industrial processes and construction, fumes from vehicles, airplane fumes and domestic heating (Stankovic, 2009 pp 19). During the process of burning fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal, and gas, carbon dioxide is released. Deforestation can be also a cause of carbon emissions, since the carbon sequestered in trees is released to the atmosphere, as there is shortage of trees to counter balance the gas. Nevertheless, transportation accounts for a high level of carbon emissions since vehicles, trains, planes, boats and trucks are involved in the production of carbon dioxide fumes. In addition, human beings greatly contribute to the emissions of carbon dioxide, through use of electricity in lighting, heating, and air conditioning service. This is because the generation of electricity leads to a high level of carbon dioxide emissions. The industry sector also plays a major role in the emission of carbon gasses; this is due to the processes involved in production and manufacturing of goods. According to Smith (2007), in the past 25 years, emissions of carbon dioxide in Australia have risen dramatically, due to a large number of fossil fuels being burnt in the country. In addition, despite Australia having a population of 0.32% of the world’s population, it produces a very high level of carbon emissions, which is 1.43%, meaning that each person pollution levels are 4.5 times the global average (Smith 2007). In addition, “over the past 25 years, the growth of carbon emissions in Australia, was twice the growth rate for the world as a whole, twice the growth rate for USA and Japan, and five times the growth rate for Europe” (Raupach, 2007). In 2009, Australia was leading in carbon emissions among the developed nations, and scientists blamed the high level of carbon dioxide emissions on the use of coal in the country (Clarke, 2009) Regulatory measures for emission reduction: When carbon dioxide emissions are released to the air, they remain in the atmosphere for 100 – 200 years, thus with time causing the temperature on the earth to increase, which results to global warming. However, according to science daily (2008), each increase of one degree Celsius of carbon dioxide is capable of causing up to 1000 deaths and respiratory complications such as asthma in human beings. These gasses in the atmosphere normally cause a greenhouse effect, which interferes with the earth’s temperature. Nevertheless, the following are the regulatory measures for carbon emission reduction. Price on carbon emission in the form of Pegouvian tax, Ceiling on emissions imposed by direct regulation and Subsidizing clean energy initiatives. The first initiative is price on carbon emission in the form of Pegouvian tax. Environmental tax was invented by Pigou, an English economist in the1920s whereby, due to the negative effects caused by carbon emissions to the human beings and the environment, a tax is imposed on the productions that cause emissions. An environmental tax leads to industries and factories putting up measures to reduce the rate of emissions to avoid paying the tax. The pegouvian tax is believed to curb environmental damages caused by pollution, hence firms should be charged as per the damage caused by their pollution. Moreover, the pegouvian tax gives income to the public and causes economic inefficiency (Wangensteen 2006, pp 239). Pigouvian tax is aimed at dealing with the emitters of carbon dioxide and green house gasses so that they can face the costs of their actions. However, when implementing environmental tax, a country should consider tax effectiveness in reducing the green house gasses. The rate of taxing should also be in proportion with the nature of damage by the carbon emissions. The pegouvian tax should not be a burden to the families that are not well off. However, there is a possibility that those countries that contribute towards environmental tax will be at a disadvantage if they compete with countries that have not imposed tax on carbon emissions. The tax should also be incorporating some government policies in them such that, the policies to reduce on carbon emission should specifically work towards curbing carbon emissions and not encouraging them. Nevertheless, a carbon tax seems to be a solution to the emissions produced by countries on daily basis. This is because no firm will be willing to part with some extra cost all the time, and hence firms will do their best to reduce the emissions from their plants (Hemraj 2011 pp 6). However, according to Perrin (2010), Citigroup suggested that the Australian government should price carbon emissions in order to prevent huge emission of carbon in the future. According to Brake (2011), the levels of carbon emissions are still rising in Australia and they rose by 13% last year. As a result, there were unusual climatic conditions, like cooler temperatures and increase in rainfall, leading to flooding. Hence, the Australia’s minister for climate change commented that the increase in carbon emissions has always been increasing in levels since 1990. However, the minister is focusing on introducing a price on carbon. This clearly indicates that Australia’s government should find effective measures to deal with this problem. Secondly, Ceiling on emissions imposed by direct regulation is another measure for emission reduction. The emission ceiling is usually under the emission trading system; here, a government can set a ceiling on the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted. The government hence sells permits to pollute, thus giving a firm allowance of emitting a certain amount of gasses. However, with time, these licenses are reduced in order to reduce high rate of carbon emission to the atmosphere. A direct regulation is referred to as a command and control process that involves the set regulatory standards enforced through legislation on emission. It hence requires people to adhere to the sanctions and incase one fails to adhere, he/she may be liable to fines or penalties. Hence, when an emission-trading scheme has price ceiling, the government sells an unlimited amount of extra permits at the ceiling price. Finally, clean energy initiative is another measure that can guarantee the reduction of carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Clean energy can be referred to as a renewable energy, which is produced from only renewable resources. This energy causes less or no pollution at all, and it uses those resources that can easily be renewed. Clean energy may be derived from, wind, solar and water. The main aim of clean energy is to reduce the green house gas emissions and reduce the damages to the environment like global warming, thus providing a safer environment to live in. Another advantage of clean energy is that its sources are free, like water and wind, thus proving to be cheap and reliable. Sometimes, clean coal is also considered as a source of clean energy. Compared to other sources like in the case of oil, it is mostly found in the Middle East and hence expensive for some countries who do not have oil based territories. The clean renewable energy includes solar power, waterpower and wind power. According to Dell and Rand (2004, pp 27), renewable resources have attractive features that include the following. They enhance diversity in energy supply; they reduce the huge gas emissions; they also allow access of energy supplies to rural areas and they create new opportunities for employment; and finally, they utilize and conserve fossil fuels for future use and secure unlimited sources of energy. Since burning of fossil fuels contributes towards global warming, it would be wise if countries switched to the use of natural energy that is cheap and less pollutant. The use natural and renewable energy sources could lead to low prices in gas and electricity. Though the renewable energy may be expensive at first due to the initial costs, they are worth compared to the burning of fossil fuels. Regardless of the initial expense of clean energy, the life and health of citizens should be a top priority in any country. According to ABC news (2009), the Australian government had set aside $4.5 billion for clean energy, which was also aimed at providing employment and reducing the rate of emissions in the atmosphere. The initiative was also aimed at generating 20% of electricity from renewable resources, come 2020. Moreover, the Australian’s government has been on the forefront to ensure that the country reduces on its huge emissions for the benefit of their citizens and the environment. ABC news adds that the government aims at introducing and developing low carbon technologies, that will enhance low emission technologies even for investors in that country. Recommendation The use of clean energy has proven to be advantageous, cheaper, and reliable than the rest. Though expensive initially, it is both safer for humankind and the environment. Unlike the combustion of fossil fuels that lead to huge emissions in the air, which cause respiratory complications and increase the rate of mortality due to inhaling of such gasses, the clean energy is not harmful to human beings at all. It is also not pollutant, thus creating a clean environment for all. Burning of fossil fuels results to emission of green house gases that affect the atmosphere’s temperatures and lead to global warming, causing drought, or heavy rains that could lead to floods; thus, clean energy is environmental friendly. Since clean energy sources are water, solar and wind, these are natural resources that are easily affordable and hence making it possible for even the rural areas to access them. Renewable resources are advantageous since they enhance diversity in energy supply and they reduce huge gas emissions. They also allow access of energy supplies to rural areas and they create new opportunities for employment, and they utilize and conserve fossil fuels for future use and secure unlimited sources of energy. Nevertheless, according to ABC news (2009) the Australian government made plans to implement the clean energy initiative. In addition, since Australia is known to emit a high rate of carbon dioxide, this could be harmful to its environment and its citizens; hence, the Australian government should follow up the clean energy initiative to the latter until it is successful. Therefore, the clean energy initiative should be Australia’s priority measure in fighting the carbon emissions in the country. Conclusion Since Australia is part of Kyoto protocol, a protocol aimed at fighting global warming around the world, Australia should be an example to other nations in terms of controlling the emissions rates in the country. Nevertheless, with the all the negative effects of carbon emissions to the atmosphere, it is only wise for Australia to continue with the clean energy initiative that curbs global warming and provides a safer environment for people to live in. In addition, Australia has been hardest hit by the high rainfall increase that has resulted to flooding and high fire increase especially bush fires as a result to climatic change in temperatures. These can be prevented by reducing the chances of global warming. The effects of global warming could also lead to infectious diseases, very high temperatures and less of minimal temperatures. Global warming could also cause rise in sea levels and a decrease in snowing in some countries. If these gas emissions are not reduced, Australia could face rapid species extinction. It is evident that global warming effects lead to a high expense on the government, therefore in order to reduce disasters, it is important for a country to put effective measures in place in order to prevent losses. The clean energy initiative is a possible measure that has little or no pollutants, hence favorable for a country. Reference List ABC news. 2009. Climate change: Clean energy gets $4.5b Budget boost. (Online). Available from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/12/2568509.htm (accessed May 4, 2011). Brake, L., 2011. Australias carbon emissions rising. (Online). Available from: http://www.earthtimes.org/pollution/australia-carbon-emissions-rising/760/ (accessed May 4, 2011). Clarke, S. 2009. Australia leads world in carbon emissions. ABC news. (Online). Available from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/18/2745751.htm (accessed May 4, 2011). Dell, R. and Rand, D. A., 2004. 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