| This is an occasional set of web postings that I have created to record thoughts on the subject of climate change and how engineers and the energy industries will need to formulate new designs and strategies in response to the challenge. It also includes details of a few presentations I have given, as well as some postings about the accounting and legal framework within which corporate entities operate. These I feel require change by statutory means if the investment needed to develop new technologies is to break free from subsidy and government grants.
Key to this issue is the belief that society has to find an effective way to account in monetary terms for the emissions our manufacturing, power and service industries produce, as well as those our domestic activities generate. Until recently such costs have been limited to investments in equipment that mitigate the impact of pollutants on the near-field environment. Now we are becoming aware of the impact such emissions have at a global level and are learning more about trading schemes, life cycle costs and the so-called 'carbon footprint' of the products and services we use. This has translated into two competing approaches: a) trading where efforts are being made to price emissions at the point where they are generated and b) footprints where emissions are assessed (and ultimately might be taxed) at the point of consumption. I hope these pages will provide an introduction to the issues involved and give the reader a better understanding of some of the areas where new technical and accounting ideas are evolving. Please note this material is 'work in progress'. If you have any ideas that you feel warrant inclusion or discussion, please contact me via this welcome blog. If you have any questions or thoughts on items that have already been posted, please feel free to respond by using the comments link at the bottom of each article.Regards |
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