Can Countries Cut Carbon Emissions Without Hurting Economic Growth?

There’s little Doubt : Cutting greenhouse gases will be costly.

But that leads to big question.First how costly? and Second can nation afford it?

As policies makers around the world take action to avoid a predicted climate catstrophe, the debate is turning to the costs of reducing carbone dioxide emissions. Energy efficiency measures are often pricey and alternative energy sources are more expensive that the fossil fuels they replace. A steep price on carbon emissions will ripple through the economy.

Does that mean a serious effort to tackle global warming is incompatible with economic growth?

Or

can we make significant cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions whitout causing serious damage to the economy?

Robert Stavins, a professor of business and government at Havard University and director of Harvard’s environment economic program, say the answer to the second question is yes : Making the necessary cuts need cause little more than a blip in world -wide growth if smart policies are used.

Steven Hayward, a fellow at the  American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, say no Energy use _and the carbon dioxide it emits_ is so central to the world economy that major cuts can be made without significant damage.

Of course the answers can depend in large part on how “significant cuts” and “serious damage” are defined.

Many scientists , the European Parliament and the Waxman-Markey climate legislation approved by the U.S House of Representatives have set a goal of cutting carbon emissions 80% by 2050, so that was picked as constituting significant cuts.

As the accompanying essays show, such a definition leaves plenty of room for disagreement.

DESERTIFICATION :  View the documentary “Creeping Desert “

NATURAL DESASTERS : UNEP and Partners: United to Combat Climate Change