Chilling thought

Norm Kalmanovitch contends CO2 has no negative impact on the environment and is therefore irrelevant as far as climate change is concerned. This, so eloquently, dashes T. M. Ashby's long-awaited dream for a global warming catastrophe to overwhelm us. But Ashby should not feel so defensive. Who would have thought that a natural cooling trend, as we are now experiencing, would be the culprit destroying all hope for a truly exciting and glorious environmental disaster to take place?

Lyle R. Sakatch, Calgary

Reuters cheerful about economic slowdown: Now China is growing slower, can it grow clean

SHANGHAI/BEIJING, Dec 19 (Reuters) - China's dramatic economic slowdown is paying an environmental dividend, slashing emissions levels from the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter as its highest-carbon industries begin to contract.

UK Chamber of Shipping suggests that shipping prevents catastrophic global warming

The Chamber of Shipping, the representative body for UK-based commercial shipping, announced today that it is taking a lead position in the international shipping industry’s response to climate change by advocating a global and open emissions trading scheme.

“This is a bold and far-reaching decision that gives a lead to the rest of the shipping world,” said Martin Watson, President of the UK Chamber of Shipping. “The UK industry recognises that shipping, which carries 80 per cent of all world trade goods – and 90 per cent of the UK’s trade – must make a significant contribution to the battle to reduce mankind’s carbon emissions.

“The carbon cost of carrying a ton of freight by ship is 10 times less than by road – and 100 times less than by air. Shipping is by far the most carbon-friendly transport mode. However, because so much freight is carried by sea, shipping does produce nearly three per cent of total emissions. We need to take whatever action is needed to try to limit those emissions – but without accidentally causing freight to be shifted from ships to other, less carbon-friendly forms of transport. That would be catastrophic in terms of total emissions.”