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Govt CSIRO GAGS top carbon economist
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Gideon Polya
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Nov 02, 2009 06:02 PST
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Dear all,
Do you wonder why there is essentially NO political debate about
revenue-neutral Carbon Taxes (favoured by top climate scientists and
climate economists) VERSUS the fraudulent, pro-coal, pro-pollution,
pro-polluter, carbon pollution-increasing CPRS (Carbon Pollution Reduction
Scheme) of the Labor Government?
We Humanists and Australians should all be up in arms over reports of the
apparent GAGGING of a very eminent Australian ecological economist Dr Clive
L. Spash (CSIRO), former head of the European Society for Ecological
Economics, and author of numerous scholarly publications (see:
http://www.clivespash.org/main.php?page=home
<http://www.clivespash.org/main.php?page=home&style=default> &style=default
).
It appears that he is being CENSORED by CSIRO according to a report in The
Australian (see:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26291548-601,00.html ),
QUOTE: "The nation's peak science agency has tried to gag the publication of
a paper by one of its senior environmental economists attacking the Rudd
government's climate change policies.
The paper, by the CSIRO's Clive Spash, argues the Carbon Pollution Reduction
Scheme is an ineffective way to cut emissions, and instead direct
legislation or a tax on carbon is needed.
The paper was accepted for publication by the journal New Political Economy
after being internationally peer-reviewed.
But Dr Spash told the Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics
conference that the CSIRO had since June tried to block its publication.
In the paper, Dr Spash argues the economic theory underpinning emissions
trading schemes is "far removed" from the reality of permit markets. "While
carbon trading and offset schemes seem set to spread, they so far appear
ineffective in terms of actually reducing GHGs (greenhouse gases)," he says.
"Despite this apparent failure, ETS remain politically popular amongst the
industrialised polluters.
"The public appearance is that action is being undertaken. The reality is
that GHGs are increasing and society is avoiding the need for substantive
proposals to address the problem of behavioural and structural change."
The ABC (see: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/02/2731014.htm )
says much the same, QUOTE: "An environmental economist at the CSIRO says he
is being told not to publish a paper on climate change because it challenges
Government policy.
But the CSIRO says it is not trying to censor the scientist and is still
reviewing the case.
Fears are being expressed both inside and outside the agency that it is
self-censoring to avoid controversy and to safeguard its funding.
Dr Clive Spash is an ecological economist who has worked for the CSIRO since
2006, specialising in the interactions between the environment and the
economy.
In Dr Spash's paper, which he has not been allowed to publish, he argues
that carbon trading - like the emissions trading scheme being promoted by
the Federal Government - appears to be ineffective in reducing greenhouse
gas emissions.
He says more direct measures such as a carbon tax or new infrastructure
would be simpler and more effective.
His paper was submitted for publication in the UK journal New Political
Economy earlier this year.
But in July the CSIRO wrote to the editors, telling them the paper was being
withdrawn because it had not been approved through internal CSIRO processes.
Dr Spash told the Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics
conference in Darwin last week that CSIRO managers "maintained they had the
right to ban" the paper."
Dr Spash's expert views are shared by top climate scientists and climate
economists (for detailed quotes see the Yarra Valley Climate Action Group
website article "Experts: Carbon Tax needed and NOT Cap-and-trade Emissions
Trading Scheme (ETS)" " :
http://sites.google.com/site/yarravalleyclimateactiongroup/carbon-tax-needed
-not-cap-and-trade-emission-trading-scheme-ets and "Top climate scientists
opt for carbon taxes & slam ETS" ". Open Forum :
http://www.openforum.com.au/content/top-climate-scientists-opt-carbon-taxes-
slam-ets ).
Cheers, Gideon Polya
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