RFA Ethanol Podcast

International Trade Is Now Causing Global Warming

Chuck Zimmerman

The folks at the United Nations are at it again, this time along with the World Trade Organization. Last time it was their idiotic report about how cows and other forms of livestock are contributing so much to global warming (now calling it climate change which I believe happens naturally every year). This time they’ve moved a step ahead to try and link global climate change to trade. Give me a break. Here’s an excerpt from the WTO press release.

The scientific evidence is now clear that the Earth’s climate system is warming as a result of greenhouse gas emissions which are still increasing worldwide, and will continue to increase over the coming decades unless there are significant changes to current laws, policies and actions. Although freer trade could lead to increased CO2 emissions as a result of raising economic activity. It can also help alleviate climate change, for instance by increasing the diffusion of mitigation technologies.

The fact is that the scientific evidence isn’t clear. There is wide disagreement on this issue of GHG emissions. This is just another attempt to try to create fear in the name of accomplishing a policy objective and one that will have negative impacts on business in general and agriculture in particular. As if somehow, if we would just do what the UN wants on climate policy and what the WTO wants on a Doha agreement, all would be solved and we could sleep at night. It’s just not going to happen folks.

Here’s an excerpt from the UNEP release.

The world cannot continue with “business as usual” and there is a profound need for a successful conclusion to the current negotiations on both climate change and trade opening.

Sounds like the same old, “the sky is falling” story to me. But I’m sure this report will be quoted and pointed to by all the global warming wackos out there ad nauseum.

Post Update: Alert Twitter follower @etcattlewoman pointed me to a great piece on the Wall Street Journal about the growing skepticism worldwide of man made global warming. It’s worth a read.

Environment, Farm Policy, International, Wackos