Global Media Forum ends by urging people to learn to live with less | Environment & Development | Deutsche Welle | 23.06.2010

The winner of a photo competition aimed at illustrating climate change was also announced as the Global Media Forum wrapped up on June 23. Entrants from around the world had been invited to document the visible effects of climate change in their own environment. The winning photo, from Sudipto Das in India, shows children bathing in a river – an idyllic scene only at first glance. The children are seen jumping into the water from the roof of a flooded temple.

It would be difficult to find a more dramatic example with which to underline the appeal for urgent action from Mannava Sivakumar, Director of the Department for Climate Forecasting at the World Meteorological Organization. Hours before the end of the conference, Sivakumar announced, to enthusiastic applause, that “we must all learn to live with less – so that others can continue living."

EPW POLICY BEAT: EPA, CAP-AND-TRADE AND OIL

The "stronger policy initiatives" of the kind Harvard thinks are necessary probably don't jibe with what we support, but the original point still holds: Kerry-Lieberman, and any variants thereof, will make consumers, families, farmers-basically, anyone who drives-pay a massive gasoline tax for no apparent benefit-at least not the avowed benefit of which cap-and-trade supports are so fond of reciting.

Another point: when it comes to necessarily skyrocketing electricity prices under cap-and-trade, supporters routinely tout complicated wealth transfers in Kerry-Lieberman et al. to make consumers whole (they will do nothing of the kind). But as for higher gasoline prices, neither Waxman-Markey nor Kerry-Lieberman would help consumers shoulder the increased burden at the pump-a burden that is also highly regressive. Again, if the point is to keep prices high to change consumer behavior, i.e. drive less, Harvard tells us cap-and-trade is a simply massive tax that's not high enough to achieve that goal.