The Carbon Crunch: How We're Getting Climate Change Wrong-and How to Fix It

An economist’s take on “why the world’s efforts to curb the carbon dioxide emissions behind global warming have gone so wrong, and how it can do better” (Financial Times).
 
Despite commitments to renewable energy and two decades of international negotiations, global emissions continue to rise. Coal, the most damaging of all fossil fuels, has actually risen from 25% to almost 30% of world energy use. And while European countries congratulate themselves on reducing emissions, they’ve increased their carbon imports from China and other developing nations, who continue to expand their coal use. As standards of living improve in developing countries, coal use can only increase as well—and global temperatures along with it.
 
Written by an Oxford economist who specializes in environmental issues, this book goes beyond pieties and pipe dreams to address the practical realities that are preventing us from making progress on this crucial issue—and what we can do differently before it’s too late.
 
“Should be compulsory reading for the entire political class as well as the bureaucratic elite and the commentariat.”—New Statesman
 
“An optimistically levelheaded book about actually dealing with global warming.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
“A powerful and heartfelt plea for hard-nosed realism.”—New Scientist

1124301604
The Carbon Crunch: How We're Getting Climate Change Wrong-and How to Fix It

An economist’s take on “why the world’s efforts to curb the carbon dioxide emissions behind global warming have gone so wrong, and how it can do better” (Financial Times).
 
Despite commitments to renewable energy and two decades of international negotiations, global emissions continue to rise. Coal, the most damaging of all fossil fuels, has actually risen from 25% to almost 30% of world energy use. And while European countries congratulate themselves on reducing emissions, they’ve increased their carbon imports from China and other developing nations, who continue to expand their coal use. As standards of living improve in developing countries, coal use can only increase as well—and global temperatures along with it.
 
Written by an Oxford economist who specializes in environmental issues, this book goes beyond pieties and pipe dreams to address the practical realities that are preventing us from making progress on this crucial issue—and what we can do differently before it’s too late.
 
“Should be compulsory reading for the entire political class as well as the bureaucratic elite and the commentariat.”—New Statesman
 
“An optimistically levelheaded book about actually dealing with global warming.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
“A powerful and heartfelt plea for hard-nosed realism.”—New Scientist

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The Carbon Crunch: How We're Getting Climate Change Wrong-and How to Fix It

The Carbon Crunch: How We're Getting Climate Change Wrong-and How to Fix It

by Dieter Helm
The Carbon Crunch: How We're Getting Climate Change Wrong-and How to Fix It

The Carbon Crunch: How We're Getting Climate Change Wrong-and How to Fix It

by Dieter Helm

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Overview

An economist’s take on “why the world’s efforts to curb the carbon dioxide emissions behind global warming have gone so wrong, and how it can do better” (Financial Times).
 
Despite commitments to renewable energy and two decades of international negotiations, global emissions continue to rise. Coal, the most damaging of all fossil fuels, has actually risen from 25% to almost 30% of world energy use. And while European countries congratulate themselves on reducing emissions, they’ve increased their carbon imports from China and other developing nations, who continue to expand their coal use. As standards of living improve in developing countries, coal use can only increase as well—and global temperatures along with it.
 
Written by an Oxford economist who specializes in environmental issues, this book goes beyond pieties and pipe dreams to address the practical realities that are preventing us from making progress on this crucial issue—and what we can do differently before it’s too late.
 
“Should be compulsory reading for the entire political class as well as the bureaucratic elite and the commentariat.”—New Statesman
 
“An optimistically levelheaded book about actually dealing with global warming.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 
“A powerful and heartfelt plea for hard-nosed realism.”—New Scientist


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780300217414
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publication date: 08/11/2020
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 289
Sales rank: 983,013
File size: 1 MB

About the Author

Dieter Helm is professor of energy policy, University of Oxford; fellow in economics at New College, Oxford; and professorial research fellow at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Oxford. He is chair of the world’s first Natural Capital Committee.

Table of Contents

List of figures and tables vi

List of abbreviations vii

Preface to the revised and updated edition ix

Acknowledgements xv

Introduction 1

Part 1 Why should we worry about climate change?

1 How serious is climate change? 15

2 Why are emissions rising? 35

3 Who is to blame? 59

Part 2 Why is so little being achieved?

4 Current renewables technologies to the rescue? 79

5 Can demand be cut? 104

6 A new dawn for nuclear? 124

7 Are we running out of fossil fuels? 142

8 A credible international agreement? 160

Part 3 What should be done?

9 Fixing the carbon price 179

10 Making the transition 199

11 Investing in new technologies 217

Conclusion 237

Endnotes 252

Bibliography 267

Index 276

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