There is a shift from environmental focus.


Quote:

The worldwide economic crisis is prompting a growing number of countries to back away from pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions and invest in clean energy. ... In the United States, some business groups are calling on President-elect Barack Obama to move cautiously in tackling global warming, saying that a too aggressive response could prolong the economic downturn and cost jobs. But a growing chorus of other businesses, environmentalists, and politicians are calling for a green-based economic recovery.

Quote:

"It's a smart thing to do for the economy and a strategically wonderful thing to do for the environment," said David Foster, executive director of the Blue Green Alliance, a partnership between the Sierra Club and United Steelworkers that works to develop green jobs. His group points to a University of Massachusetts report earlier this fall that said a $100 billion investment in clean technology could create 2 million new jobs in the next two years. ... On Saturday, Obama gave his strongest comments yet about making the environment a cornerstone of his economic stimulus plan. He outlined a package to create 2.5 million jobs, that included "building wind farms and solar panels, fuel-efficient cars and alternative energy technologies that can free us from our dependence on foreign oil..."

But drop in oil price means that there are not as much business incentives now to spent money upfront on alternative technologies.
Can taxpayers handle the burden?

I could see this happening 18 months ago with the first glitches in the Chinese Economy.

On the upside, we may see lower consumption rates of fossil fuels for a few years. A reduction in demand has already seen prices plummet.

As far as constructing new thermal solar power plants are concerned. It's a smart move that can only benefit the economy.

Isn't it interesting how we personify the market and the economy? The economy is sick, the economy has a severe case of hiccups. The environment is a similar demigod, and they both depend on each other, although it has been a dysfuntional relationship up to now.

It's time for Gaia and Mammon to fornicate and 'beget' a new progeny that has the best characteristics of both.

We need to start thinking about nourishing the new enfant terrible, and superannuating its parents.

John Key said clearly during the election that he would keep but amend the ETS. Now he has said he will suspend it completely.

muso wrote on Nov 25^th, 2008 at 8:08am:

I could see this happening 18 months ago with the first glitches in the Chinese Economy.

And you didn't think to tell anyone?  Perhaps the crisis could have been averted  :D

We need to get out of this planet, it is so limited.

RecFisher wrote on Dec 11^th, 2008 at 7:14pm:

muso wrote on Nov 25th, 2008 at 8:08am: I could see this happening 18 months ago with the first glitches in the Chinese Economy. And you didn't think to tell anyone?  Perhaps the crisis could have been averted  :D

LOL Call me Cassandro (Masculine version of Cassandra). Nobody would listen to me. I even left my super in High Growth (ouch), so I didn't even believe myself.

We'll trade out of it. It might take a year or two.

For the non classically educated:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassandra