*****
From the Mega Nitrogen Revolution to the Micro Carbon Revolution
The South Beach Diet a la Leningrad
I'll eat my hat if you can guess what this post is about !
If you are lucky enough to be reading this blog, you are most likely a well-fed caloric beneficiary of The Mega Nitrogen Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries. Courtesy of man-made fertilizers produced from ammonia, natural gas and potash, you and your billion+ peers in America, Japan & Europe are unduly-fortunate recipients of calories and protein beyond the comprehension of most residents of today's Developing World.
Are your pants a touch tight? Your skivvies now a wedgie? Is your dress riding up? Your full-capacitance bra now an electrifying double Jack-in-the-box? Is your face full and are your cheeks rosy ? Praise the Lord ! -- you are very well fed !
Now, do me a favor -- if you are reading this blog on a full stomach, sign off now, don't eat for 18 - 24 hours, and then come back.
......tick tock tick tock tick tock.....
......18 - 24 hours later -- are you hungry now ?
If so, you will definitely think more clearly and rationally. Now your priorities are correct -- now you are in the basement of Maslow's Hierarchy.
Welcome ! -- to the "Bottom of the Pyramid" ! -- where the Poor in the Developing World regularly miss meals and go hungry. Hey ! -- why not miss another meal, just to build up an appetite for the dessert of this post? Come back and read this blog tomorrow -- after fasting again.
......tick tock tick tock tick tock.....
Keep trying this routine for weeks, or months, or years. Now you truly feast in the Dungeon of Alimentary Despair. Now you would even eat a mud pie, like the Poor are doing today in Haiti. Hunger is the First Mother of All Invention. Case in point ?
Thirty years ago when I learned Russian at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, California, one of my teachers was a Russian émigrée who lived through the German Siege of Leningrad during World War II -- "The 900 Days." In fact, fittingly, as a survivor of the Siege, she was chosen in the early 1970s to translate Harrison Salisbury's book of the same title from English into Russian for distribution (surreptitiously) in the Soviet Union.
How did the residents of Leningrad survive almost 3 years of German siege without food imports? I'll eat my hat if you can guess! No, of course not! -- the dogs and cats were first to go. Silly you. They were eaten looooong ago. Then all the wild animals at the Leningrad Zoo. Then tasty leather goods -- purses, belts and seat coverings -- were cut up, cooked and eaten. Then the starchy glue used to apply wallpaper in houses made a dandy soup, and then, then....
Cannibalism. -- Yes, man ate man, woman and children. Woman ate woman, man and child. And how could you tell the man-eaters from the rank & file starving living on bread and water? She told me -- the cannibals had fuller faces and "rosy cheeks".
Uh-oh......go look in the mirror now. How do you look ? Whose protein have you been eating ? OK, only a cow's ? Only a pig's ? Well, still, how lucky you are! And moreover, how BIG your carbon footprint is! Remember, one Big Mac alone generates about 4.7 pounds of CO2.
So, now, after this experiment, do you still begrudge the Poor in the Developing World their daily Carbon Micro Credit (CMC), whether they were able to earn it or not by NOT cooking with biomass? If mentally and physically you were truly at the "Bottom of the Pyramid" when you read this, TODAY you will start supporting our Crusade to help feed the World's hungry via the MARKETS-BASED, SELF-FUNDING mechanism of the cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit (CMC). It does not cost you anything, nothing but your Conscience if you do not take action.
The Mega Nitrogen Revolution served you well. Now let the Micro Carbon Revolution set the table well for the next billion, or two or three.
"Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth" -- Ecclesiastes 11:2
"Woe unto you that are full now! for ye shall hunger" -- Luke 6:25
Happily, however, the World will never run out of man-made CO2. So for the next few centuries at least, pull up a chair to the all-you-can-eat carbon buffet. Bone appetit ! [sic].
Hyper-calorically yours,
David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Nutritionist
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
*****
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
The Laws of Nature and Carbon Footprints -- Grrrr !! Growl !! Hissssss !!
*****
"The Sovereign Individual" as Micro Profit Center
The Right of Eminent Domain versus the Right of Immanent Domain
Carbon Claim Jumpers & Micro Property Rights
The International Micro Social Security Payment
The Carbon-Micro-Offset per diem
"Property Rights are always and everywhere a genetic phenomenon."
Sound familiar? It's a parallel re-statement of Milton Friedman's well-known economic dictum: "Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon." For centuries natural philosophers and economists have debated the origin of property rights. What are they?
-- (1) a Divine Right from Heaven or God ?
-- (2) the Natural Order of Things = a Law of Nature ?
-- (3) a recent Human Artifact of modern society and law ?
-- (4) something else ?
#2 is most likely -- the natural human proclivity for property rights is genetic. In short, it is programmed by genes and is the human gene expression equivalent of territorial instinct in animals.
Ants, which evolved 120 million years ago, know instinctively to kill other species of ants that invade their territory. Male hummingbirds zealously defend their most fragrant flower patch to the far asymptote of neutral net energy gain. Even dogs, domesticated for thousands of years, like land surveyors, still know instinctively to pee in the corners of their yards. The Spartans knew naturally to resist the incursion of the Persians. And a San Diego man this week instinctively fought off two barbarians who tried to pillage his beer at gunpoint, even taking a bullet in the buttocks to preserve his territorial right to get buzzed.
Another way of defining territorial instincts or property rights in animals? -- it is the physical space containing the minimum caloric or minimum energy content needed to support the animal and its mate (or mates) and offspring. Without this minimum caloric content under its control, the animal will starve to death or undergo gene expression changes unfavorable to its reproductive success (e.g., low sex-hormone levels). In sum, animals instinctively know how much property/space they need to successfully avoid genetic death.
In fact, I predict that scientists will soon identify a single human gene coding for territorial instinct. Counter-intuitively, complex behaviors in animals are often monogenic. Many scientists being male, they will christen the gene -- mi6PaK -- and the gene product or protein -- dysBdZ4u. Or, alternatively -- Hu8miKSO ?
A murine gene-deletion model will result in stoner love-prone mice that happily give away all their pot with no expectation of reward. Thus proving that communal "ownership" of property and communes are unnatural territorial constructs of crackpots and potheads. Parenthetically, this gene, or a splice variant of it and its protein product, may already be known to us as a stress-induced hormone or metabolic (hunger-related) hormone.
Regardless, modern economists and rational thinkers agree that private Property Rights are the fundamental basis of all economic activity and wealth creation. But what do we see happening in the Developing World today? -- corporate carbon carpetbaggers & claim-jumpers and well-meaning but over-weaning NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and charities are exercising de facto eminent domain and unjustly taking the carbon footprints of Poor Individuals for a spectrum of misplaced reasons ranging from the "positive" extreme -- for the communal good -- to the very negative extreme -- for corporate profits.
Yet if the Poor slaving at the "Bottom of the Pyramid" knew the true economic value of their abstract and now-offset footprints, their natural instinct to protect their territory or property rights (let us call it "the Right of Immanent Domain") would certainly be aroused -- Grrrr !! -- it's in their genes! Hence, if the Poor knew, they would autonomously say: "Pharaoh! -- Let my carbon offsets go!"
Our Mission at Carbon Manna Unlimited is to reawaken the Poor worldwide, make them aware that their property rights are being violated, and establish each of them as a Micro Profit Center and "Sovereign Individual" free to monetize the value of their own carbon offsets. The cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) described at length in this blog empowers any Poor Individual in Africa or Asia to benefit directly and solely by selling his or her own carbon offsets to the highest bidder in Europe or America.
Are you skeptical? How nice! -- skepticism is the unnatural luxury of a full stomach and a partially empty mind. Rather than be skeptical, be a Renaissance Man and wholistic problem-solver, which is much harder.
As a natural corollary of the discussion above, what is another way to define the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) described in earlier posts here ? -- it is the CO2 released per human-being per day by cooking with biomass the daily caloric content Homo sapiens can gather from their genetically-determined range or territory. Or, from the territory they would normally dominate, ceteris paribus, if Planet Earth were not unnaturally over-crowded, as it is sadly today.
The SICMC in the Developing World is guesstimated in posts below as 2 kgs of CO2/person/day. Individuals who qualify under the means-testing formulas described below in this blog should be paid the full retail value of this daily offset if they cook with solar or a more efficient charcoal stove (instead of biomass) -- even if some days a Cruel Providence prevents them from gathering and cooking their minimum daily-required caloric content.
In short, on some days the SICMC instead becomes a form of International Micro Social Security (IMSS) -- a social micro-transfer payment or a social safety-net for the World's poorest Poor. This logical and daily monetary allowance in the range of only 5 - 10 cents/day/person should also be the Natural Order of Things in a now overcrowded and Unnatural World.
As well, whether the SICMC on any specific day is paid for a produced carbon offset or paid partially as a social welfare payment should not matter to carbon project managers and offset accreditation agencies. They should give the Poor the benefit of the doubt. And allow the Poor to receive a Living Wage as compensation for days they could not find or afford enough food to cook. The Poor can then use that Living Wage to go buy food and make up their caloric deficit. And make up their carbon-offset deficit at the same time.
Another way of describing the latter situation is to instead call the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) the Carbon-Micro-Offset per diem.
If you are an American, your state congressmen collect per diems while they are in your state capitol ranging from US$ 60 - 200/day -- whether they actually incur any expenses or not. Are they poor and living on only US$ 1 - 2/day ? No, but they still collect this daily free money from taxpayers. If your well-off congressman merits up to US$ 200/day for free, cannot the Poor merit 5 - 10 cents/day/person "for free" on days they are unable to cook adequate food?
Any rational human-being in America or Europe should instinctively realize the economic equity of the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) and the Carbon-Micro-Offset per diem, and likewise recognize the Sanctity of Property Rights in the Developing World, no matter how micro the Property, and no matter how poor the Individual.
Let's all honor micro-property rights worldwide. It's the Law of Nature.
And let's all allow the Poor to eat without being "skeptical". That's the Law of Grace. Can you feel it?
Very territorially yours,
David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Geneticist
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
*****
"The Sovereign Individual" as Micro Profit Center
The Right of Eminent Domain versus the Right of Immanent Domain
Carbon Claim Jumpers & Micro Property Rights
The International Micro Social Security Payment
The Carbon-Micro-Offset per diem
"Property Rights are always and everywhere a genetic phenomenon."
Sound familiar? It's a parallel re-statement of Milton Friedman's well-known economic dictum: "Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon." For centuries natural philosophers and economists have debated the origin of property rights. What are they?
-- (1) a Divine Right from Heaven or God ?
-- (2) the Natural Order of Things = a Law of Nature ?
-- (3) a recent Human Artifact of modern society and law ?
-- (4) something else ?
#2 is most likely -- the natural human proclivity for property rights is genetic. In short, it is programmed by genes and is the human gene expression equivalent of territorial instinct in animals.
Ants, which evolved 120 million years ago, know instinctively to kill other species of ants that invade their territory. Male hummingbirds zealously defend their most fragrant flower patch to the far asymptote of neutral net energy gain. Even dogs, domesticated for thousands of years, like land surveyors, still know instinctively to pee in the corners of their yards. The Spartans knew naturally to resist the incursion of the Persians. And a San Diego man this week instinctively fought off two barbarians who tried to pillage his beer at gunpoint, even taking a bullet in the buttocks to preserve his territorial right to get buzzed.
Another way of defining territorial instincts or property rights in animals? -- it is the physical space containing the minimum caloric or minimum energy content needed to support the animal and its mate (or mates) and offspring. Without this minimum caloric content under its control, the animal will starve to death or undergo gene expression changes unfavorable to its reproductive success (e.g., low sex-hormone levels). In sum, animals instinctively know how much property/space they need to successfully avoid genetic death.
In fact, I predict that scientists will soon identify a single human gene coding for territorial instinct. Counter-intuitively, complex behaviors in animals are often monogenic. Many scientists being male, they will christen the gene -- mi6PaK -- and the gene product or protein -- dysBdZ4u. Or, alternatively -- Hu8miKSO ?
A murine gene-deletion model will result in stoner love-prone mice that happily give away all their pot with no expectation of reward. Thus proving that communal "ownership" of property and communes are unnatural territorial constructs of crackpots and potheads. Parenthetically, this gene, or a splice variant of it and its protein product, may already be known to us as a stress-induced hormone or metabolic (hunger-related) hormone.
Regardless, modern economists and rational thinkers agree that private Property Rights are the fundamental basis of all economic activity and wealth creation. But what do we see happening in the Developing World today? -- corporate carbon carpetbaggers & claim-jumpers and well-meaning but over-weaning NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and charities are exercising de facto eminent domain and unjustly taking the carbon footprints of Poor Individuals for a spectrum of misplaced reasons ranging from the "positive" extreme -- for the communal good -- to the very negative extreme -- for corporate profits.
Yet if the Poor slaving at the "Bottom of the Pyramid" knew the true economic value of their abstract and now-offset footprints, their natural instinct to protect their territory or property rights (let us call it "the Right of Immanent Domain") would certainly be aroused -- Grrrr !! -- it's in their genes! Hence, if the Poor knew, they would autonomously say: "Pharaoh! -- Let my carbon offsets go!"
Our Mission at Carbon Manna Unlimited is to reawaken the Poor worldwide, make them aware that their property rights are being violated, and establish each of them as a Micro Profit Center and "Sovereign Individual" free to monetize the value of their own carbon offsets. The cell-phone-based Carbon Micro Credit (CMC) described at length in this blog empowers any Poor Individual in Africa or Asia to benefit directly and solely by selling his or her own carbon offsets to the highest bidder in Europe or America.
Are you skeptical? How nice! -- skepticism is the unnatural luxury of a full stomach and a partially empty mind. Rather than be skeptical, be a Renaissance Man and wholistic problem-solver, which is much harder.
As a natural corollary of the discussion above, what is another way to define the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) described in earlier posts here ? -- it is the CO2 released per human-being per day by cooking with biomass the daily caloric content Homo sapiens can gather from their genetically-determined range or territory. Or, from the territory they would normally dominate, ceteris paribus, if Planet Earth were not unnaturally over-crowded, as it is sadly today.
The SICMC in the Developing World is guesstimated in posts below as 2 kgs of CO2/person/day. Individuals who qualify under the means-testing formulas described below in this blog should be paid the full retail value of this daily offset if they cook with solar or a more efficient charcoal stove (instead of biomass) -- even if some days a Cruel Providence prevents them from gathering and cooking their minimum daily-required caloric content.
In short, on some days the SICMC instead becomes a form of International Micro Social Security (IMSS) -- a social micro-transfer payment or a social safety-net for the World's poorest Poor. This logical and daily monetary allowance in the range of only 5 - 10 cents/day/person should also be the Natural Order of Things in a now overcrowded and Unnatural World.
As well, whether the SICMC on any specific day is paid for a produced carbon offset or paid partially as a social welfare payment should not matter to carbon project managers and offset accreditation agencies. They should give the Poor the benefit of the doubt. And allow the Poor to receive a Living Wage as compensation for days they could not find or afford enough food to cook. The Poor can then use that Living Wage to go buy food and make up their caloric deficit. And make up their carbon-offset deficit at the same time.
Another way of describing the latter situation is to instead call the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) the Carbon-Micro-Offset per diem.
If you are an American, your state congressmen collect per diems while they are in your state capitol ranging from US$ 60 - 200/day -- whether they actually incur any expenses or not. Are they poor and living on only US$ 1 - 2/day ? No, but they still collect this daily free money from taxpayers. If your well-off congressman merits up to US$ 200/day for free, cannot the Poor merit 5 - 10 cents/day/person "for free" on days they are unable to cook adequate food?
Any rational human-being in America or Europe should instinctively realize the economic equity of the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) and the Carbon-Micro-Offset per diem, and likewise recognize the Sanctity of Property Rights in the Developing World, no matter how micro the Property, and no matter how poor the Individual.
Let's all honor micro-property rights worldwide. It's the Law of Nature.
And let's all allow the Poor to eat without being "skeptical". That's the Law of Grace. Can you feel it?
Very territorially yours,
David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Geneticist
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
*****
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Global Moral Lipodystrophy & the Micro Revolutions
*****
The World is Fat [ sic ] -- some parts anyway
Would you like flies with that? [ sic ]
Lipodystrophy is maldistribution of an individual's body fat, often caused by disease or treatment of a disease such as AIDS/HIV. But it is also a planetary-wide phenomenon as evidenced by the high obesity rates in America and Europe and the very low body-mass indices that prevail among the poor at the "Bottom of the Pyramid" in the Developing World.
In sum, the world is not flat, but fat. In some parts anyway.
Sadly, the space-time continuum or fabric of Planet Earth is hugely pockmarked and grossly distended by deep gravity wells that mal-accumulate wealth, nutrition and economic opportunity. The deepest of these amoral and unduly wealthy gravity sinks is, of course, Wall Street. At the other extreme, "gravity's rainbow" is almost completely absent on the convex, barren and achromatic plains of Africa.
So what liposuction techniques will equilibrate this global and amoral maldistribution of body fat, dietary protein, caloric intake, income and wealth ? What drastic plastic surgery will dermabrade away the scandalous and hideous stretch marks and cellulite of America and Europe?
As Richard Feynman wrote: "There's plenty of room at the bottom."
The answer to this macro imbalance are the various micro mechanisms and paradigms described in this blog, most of which are based on the ubiquity of the cell phone and the low transaction costs of the fully-electronic networks of mobile carriers. Some of these micro-mechanisms are self-funding and markets-based, requiring no charity but only implementation and moral and political will. These new Micro Revolutions include:
(1) the Carbon Micro Credit (CMC)
(2) the Foreign-Aid Micro Credit (FAMC)
(3) the School-lunch Carbon-Micro-Offset Program
(4) Micro Property Rights / Micro Private-Property Rights
(5) Micro-tithing / Micro-charity
(6) Micro Loans / Micro Finance
(7) International Micro Social Security
(8) Micro Medicine or Micro-telemedicine
(9) Micro Education or Micro tele-education, and
(10) Micro________ ? -->> You fill in the blank.
Micro mechanisms and micro paradigms such as these, again, based mainly on the globally ubiquitous cell-phone network, could eventually liposuction excess economic fat and surplus nutrition from America & Europe and redistribute it equitably, accountably and efficiently to the Poor in the Developing World.
Will you be part of these Micro Revolutions and take the moral high-ground? Or, rather, would you like fries with that ?
"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"
"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow -- written December 25th, 1864.
Merry Christmas -- December 25th, 2008
David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Santa
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
*****
The World is Fat [ sic ] -- some parts anyway
Would you like flies with that? [ sic ]
Lipodystrophy is maldistribution of an individual's body fat, often caused by disease or treatment of a disease such as AIDS/HIV. But it is also a planetary-wide phenomenon as evidenced by the high obesity rates in America and Europe and the very low body-mass indices that prevail among the poor at the "Bottom of the Pyramid" in the Developing World.
In sum, the world is not flat, but fat. In some parts anyway.
Sadly, the space-time continuum or fabric of Planet Earth is hugely pockmarked and grossly distended by deep gravity wells that mal-accumulate wealth, nutrition and economic opportunity. The deepest of these amoral and unduly wealthy gravity sinks is, of course, Wall Street. At the other extreme, "gravity's rainbow" is almost completely absent on the convex, barren and achromatic plains of Africa.
So what liposuction techniques will equilibrate this global and amoral maldistribution of body fat, dietary protein, caloric intake, income and wealth ? What drastic plastic surgery will dermabrade away the scandalous and hideous stretch marks and cellulite of America and Europe?
As Richard Feynman wrote: "There's plenty of room at the bottom."
The answer to this macro imbalance are the various micro mechanisms and paradigms described in this blog, most of which are based on the ubiquity of the cell phone and the low transaction costs of the fully-electronic networks of mobile carriers. Some of these micro-mechanisms are self-funding and markets-based, requiring no charity but only implementation and moral and political will. These new Micro Revolutions include:
(1) the Carbon Micro Credit (CMC)
(2) the Foreign-Aid Micro Credit (FAMC)
(3) the School-lunch Carbon-Micro-Offset Program
(4) Micro Property Rights / Micro Private-Property Rights
(5) Micro-tithing / Micro-charity
(6) Micro Loans / Micro Finance
(7) International Micro Social Security
(8) Micro Medicine or Micro-telemedicine
(9) Micro Education or Micro tele-education, and
(10) Micro________ ? -->> You fill in the blank.
Micro mechanisms and micro paradigms such as these, again, based mainly on the globally ubiquitous cell-phone network, could eventually liposuction excess economic fat and surplus nutrition from America & Europe and redistribute it equitably, accountably and efficiently to the Poor in the Developing World.
Will you be part of these Micro Revolutions and take the moral high-ground? Or, rather, would you like fries with that ?
"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"
"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow -- written December 25th, 1864.
Merry Christmas -- December 25th, 2008
David A. Palella
Chief Carbon Santa
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
*****
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC)
*****
2 kilograms of CO2/person/day -- more or less ?
A New Universal Constant
"Thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting" ? [ Daniel 5:27 ]
In my November 20, 2008 post below I defined the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) as approximately 2 kilograms of CO2/person/day -- the amount of CO2 emitted per day per person by cooking with biomass if a human being is to survive at a subsistence level. This equates exactly, of course, to the carbon offset created by instead cooking with solar, for example.
Sadly, this New Universal Constant probably applies only to a protein-poor diet in the Developing World. If the Poor in the Developing World are actually fortunate enough to experience a more "normal" nutritional composition in their diet and a higher caloric intake, then the SICMC could approach 3 - 4 kilograms of CO2/person/day. Whatever, I leave it to environmental and nutrition scientists to debate the fine points and weigh the issues down to the gram.
Once rigorously defined, the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) should be accepted by all governments, NGOs, and carbon project originators, managers & auditors without debate and equivocation. The Poor are already hungry. We should immediately respect their Micro Property Rights and let them claim already what is rightfully theirs.
So taking into account the average family size in the Developing World (5 - 6 persons...?), the daily value of the Carbon Micro Credits a family could earn by cooking with solar or an efficient charcoal stove is substantial for people living on US$ 1/day. For details, see the calculation down below from one Indonesian study prepared for submission to the U.N. CDM (Clean Development Mechanism).
The revenue a family could earn might range from US$ 40 - 100/year or more, depending on offset market prices in Europe. So what if millions or 10s of millions of families reduced their emissions and claimed their credits every year? Would excess carbon offsets be produced? Would market prices drop? If so, who will be victimized? The Poor in the Developing World? Or rich corporations gaming the U.N.'s CDM scheme ?
The answer in short ? -- the loooooong discussions on Means Testing in my posts below of 26 & 28 November 2008. Let the Poor sell their offsets first and at a higher price. Let the Rich find another financial game to play.
Can the well-fed and often overweight Rich in America & Europe submit to the Rule of Common Sense and the Divinity of Compassion and share the Manna of carbon-offsets trading? Or, will they be weighed in the balances and found wanting?
Globally & warmly yours,
David A. Palella
Chief Dreamer
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
--------------------------------
Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) --
CO2 Emission Calculation
Reference:
"Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Solar Cooker Project
Aceh 1, Indonesia", pg. 5, Section 4.
[ authors' full contact info down below ]
An undated PDF document from late 2005 or early 2006...?
This rigorous technical proposal prepared for submission to the U.N. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) states that the average family not cooking with biomass reduces CO2 emissions by 3.5 tons/year. Very similar figures from JPMorgan's British subsidiary Climate Care echo this amount.
So the value of Carbon Credits from using 1 solar cooker/year/family is:
3.5 tons CO2/device/year X $25/ton or credit = $87.50
Based on December 2008 forward contract price from:
http://www.carboncapitalmarkets.com/home.php
Therefore, let's define a Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) for a family as the CO2 saved/day by not cooking with biomass =
(3.5 tons/year x 2,000 lbs/ton)
--------------------------------------- = 19.18 lbs/day of CO2/family
365 days/year
This carbon credit calculation is only for CO2 emitted when burning deadwood or other biomass such as dried grass, cow dung, etc. Of course, an assumption about average family size must be made to find the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) per person.
<<------------------------------------------------------------>>
Reference Details:
"Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Solar Cooker Project
Aceh 1, Indonesia", pg. 5, Section 4.
Authors:
Herliyani Suharta
Agency for the Assessment & Application of Technology
The Center for Energy Technology
(BPPT-BBTE)
c/o PUSPIPTEK, Serpong
Tangerang, Indonesia
email: herli@iptek.net.id
Dieter Seifert
Advisor
CDM Solar Cooker Project
Development Germany
email: bdiv.seifert@t-online.de
AAM Sayigh
World Renewable Energy Network
Brighton, U.K.
email: asayigh@netcomuk.co.uk
<<------------------------------------------------------------>>
*****
2 kilograms of CO2/person/day -- more or less ?
A New Universal Constant
"Thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting" ? [ Daniel 5:27 ]
In my November 20, 2008 post below I defined the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) as approximately 2 kilograms of CO2/person/day -- the amount of CO2 emitted per day per person by cooking with biomass if a human being is to survive at a subsistence level. This equates exactly, of course, to the carbon offset created by instead cooking with solar, for example.
Sadly, this New Universal Constant probably applies only to a protein-poor diet in the Developing World. If the Poor in the Developing World are actually fortunate enough to experience a more "normal" nutritional composition in their diet and a higher caloric intake, then the SICMC could approach 3 - 4 kilograms of CO2/person/day. Whatever, I leave it to environmental and nutrition scientists to debate the fine points and weigh the issues down to the gram.
Once rigorously defined, the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) should be accepted by all governments, NGOs, and carbon project originators, managers & auditors without debate and equivocation. The Poor are already hungry. We should immediately respect their Micro Property Rights and let them claim already what is rightfully theirs.
So taking into account the average family size in the Developing World (5 - 6 persons...?), the daily value of the Carbon Micro Credits a family could earn by cooking with solar or an efficient charcoal stove is substantial for people living on US$ 1/day. For details, see the calculation down below from one Indonesian study prepared for submission to the U.N. CDM (Clean Development Mechanism).
The revenue a family could earn might range from US$ 40 - 100/year or more, depending on offset market prices in Europe. So what if millions or 10s of millions of families reduced their emissions and claimed their credits every year? Would excess carbon offsets be produced? Would market prices drop? If so, who will be victimized? The Poor in the Developing World? Or rich corporations gaming the U.N.'s CDM scheme ?
The answer in short ? -- the loooooong discussions on Means Testing in my posts below of 26 & 28 November 2008. Let the Poor sell their offsets first and at a higher price. Let the Rich find another financial game to play.
Can the well-fed and often overweight Rich in America & Europe submit to the Rule of Common Sense and the Divinity of Compassion and share the Manna of carbon-offsets trading? Or, will they be weighed in the balances and found wanting?
Globally & warmly yours,
David A. Palella
Chief Dreamer
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
--------------------------------
Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) --
CO2 Emission Calculation
Reference:
"Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Solar Cooker Project
Aceh 1, Indonesia", pg. 5, Section 4.
[ authors' full contact info down below ]
An undated PDF document from late 2005 or early 2006...?
This rigorous technical proposal prepared for submission to the U.N. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) states that the average family not cooking with biomass reduces CO2 emissions by 3.5 tons/year. Very similar figures from JPMorgan's British subsidiary Climate Care echo this amount.
So the value of Carbon Credits from using 1 solar cooker/year/family is:
3.5 tons CO2/device/year X $25/ton or credit = $87.50
Based on December 2008 forward contract price from:
http://www.carboncapitalmarkets.com/home.php
Therefore, let's define a Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) for a family as the CO2 saved/day by not cooking with biomass =
(3.5 tons/year x 2,000 lbs/ton)
--------------------------------------- = 19.18 lbs/day of CO2/family
365 days/year
This carbon credit calculation is only for CO2 emitted when burning deadwood or other biomass such as dried grass, cow dung, etc. Of course, an assumption about average family size must be made to find the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) per person.
<<------------------------------------------------------------>>
Reference Details:
"Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Solar Cooker Project
Aceh 1, Indonesia", pg. 5, Section 4.
Authors:
Herliyani Suharta
Agency for the Assessment & Application of Technology
The Center for Energy Technology
(BPPT-BBTE)
c/o PUSPIPTEK, Serpong
Tangerang, Indonesia
email: herli@iptek.net.id
Dieter Seifert
Advisor
CDM Solar Cooker Project
Development Germany
email: bdiv.seifert@t-online.de
AAM Sayigh
World Renewable Energy Network
Brighton, U.K.
email: asayigh@netcomuk.co.uk
<<------------------------------------------------------------>>
*****
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Carbon Micro Property Rights & the Death of Microfinance
*****
Will Carbon Micro-Property Rights supplant Microfinance?
Will the Death of Microfinance be greatly exaggerated?
A pan-African sushi buffet ?
Over 1 billion dispossessed ! ?
Has anyone ever asked the question: "Is there really a need for micro-charity and/or microfinance?"
Perhaps not. In short, as described at length in this blog, if the carbon micro-property rights of the Poor in the Third World were respected, and if they could indeed monetize their reduced-carbon footprints by cooking with an efficient Uganda stove and selling their earned offsets, for example, would there be such a need for micro-charity and micro-finance? I venture to say, the need for them both would be reduced 50 - 75 %. Or more.
If the world's NGOs and major governments would just embrace the Common Sense of the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) described below in detail in my post of November 20, 2008, and engage in a "willing suspension of disbelief" regarding the indisputable fact that human beings do indeed have to eat a certain amount of cooked food every day (or they unwillingly go hungry, in which case the SICMC then becomes a well-merited social-transfer payment), then the need for traditional microcharity and microfinance would be hugely reduced.
Are Africa's one billion people eating sushi every day?
Are they not cooking at home daily with biomass but, rather, dining out at the local McDonald's?
Are they cooking with electric stoves or gas ranges instead of biomass?
Are they fasting 1 or 2 days per week by choice for religious or health reasons?
The answer to all of these foolish questions, of course, is "No!"
But the vast majority of the "intelligentsia" in America & Europe wearing overcoats of subcutaneous body fat doubt the assumption that hyper-low body-mass-index Africans consume food cooked with biomass, and therefore doubt the validity of the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC). When the topic of Carbon Micro Credits is raised, they repeatedly express "concerns" about "validation" and "fraud", while the Poor in Africa starve, as happened again recently in southern Ethiopia. Lamentably, excessive feeding starves the brain of Common Sense, and the Rich are poor in compassion.
If we respected the Micro-Property Rights of the Poor in the Developing World and enabled them to sell their annual carbon offsets every year for US$ 45 - 100 per family, as well as allowed them to save 20 - 60 % of their daily income by not having to buy expensive cooking fuels or biomass, then they could immediately elevate their standard of living by 25 - 75 %. If so, then the need for both microfinance and micro-charity in the Developing world would be greatly reduced.
If we further compensated Africans at the village-level for reforestation programs, methane-capture projects, and other green house gas-mitigation efforts, the income of the average African could be elevated even further. As written before below, the Rich in the Developed World should let the Poor in the Developing World inherit the carbon markets.
Respecting Carbon Micro Property Rights worldwide would be the beginning of the end for micro-charity, and likewise reduce the role of microfinance. Markets-based solutions are the economic Natural Order of Things. Property Rights are similarly Divine and "self-evident". Remember, "the Poor shall inherit the Earth." Let Rich Stupidity die so they may inherit their rightful Property now.
Warmly & rightfully yours,
David A. Palella
Chief Dreamer
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
*****
Will Carbon Micro-Property Rights supplant Microfinance?
Will the Death of Microfinance be greatly exaggerated?
A pan-African sushi buffet ?
Over 1 billion dispossessed ! ?
Has anyone ever asked the question: "Is there really a need for micro-charity and/or microfinance?"
Perhaps not. In short, as described at length in this blog, if the carbon micro-property rights of the Poor in the Third World were respected, and if they could indeed monetize their reduced-carbon footprints by cooking with an efficient Uganda stove and selling their earned offsets, for example, would there be such a need for micro-charity and micro-finance? I venture to say, the need for them both would be reduced 50 - 75 %. Or more.
If the world's NGOs and major governments would just embrace the Common Sense of the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC) described below in detail in my post of November 20, 2008, and engage in a "willing suspension of disbelief" regarding the indisputable fact that human beings do indeed have to eat a certain amount of cooked food every day (or they unwillingly go hungry, in which case the SICMC then becomes a well-merited social-transfer payment), then the need for traditional microcharity and microfinance would be hugely reduced.
Are Africa's one billion people eating sushi every day?
Are they not cooking at home daily with biomass but, rather, dining out at the local McDonald's?
Are they cooking with electric stoves or gas ranges instead of biomass?
Are they fasting 1 or 2 days per week by choice for religious or health reasons?
The answer to all of these foolish questions, of course, is "No!"
But the vast majority of the "intelligentsia" in America & Europe wearing overcoats of subcutaneous body fat doubt the assumption that hyper-low body-mass-index Africans consume food cooked with biomass, and therefore doubt the validity of the Standard International Carbon Micro Credit (SICMC). When the topic of Carbon Micro Credits is raised, they repeatedly express "concerns" about "validation" and "fraud", while the Poor in Africa starve, as happened again recently in southern Ethiopia. Lamentably, excessive feeding starves the brain of Common Sense, and the Rich are poor in compassion.
If we respected the Micro-Property Rights of the Poor in the Developing World and enabled them to sell their annual carbon offsets every year for US$ 45 - 100 per family, as well as allowed them to save 20 - 60 % of their daily income by not having to buy expensive cooking fuels or biomass, then they could immediately elevate their standard of living by 25 - 75 %. If so, then the need for both microfinance and micro-charity in the Developing world would be greatly reduced.
If we further compensated Africans at the village-level for reforestation programs, methane-capture projects, and other green house gas-mitigation efforts, the income of the average African could be elevated even further. As written before below, the Rich in the Developed World should let the Poor in the Developing World inherit the carbon markets.
Respecting Carbon Micro Property Rights worldwide would be the beginning of the end for micro-charity, and likewise reduce the role of microfinance. Markets-based solutions are the economic Natural Order of Things. Property Rights are similarly Divine and "self-evident". Remember, "the Poor shall inherit the Earth." Let Rich Stupidity die so they may inherit their rightful Property now.
Warmly & rightfully yours,
David A. Palella
Chief Dreamer
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
*****
Friday, December 19, 2008
The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit in a Time of Famine
*****
Over-nighting Foreign Aid to Ethiopia by cell phone?
e-Manna / micro-Manna -->> Photons to Food in a Flash
Directly empowering the "Bottom of the Pyramid" to feed themselves immediately
Many of you may have noticed, sadly, this headline below which did not have to be written, but was due to the heinous obstructionism of farm lobbyists in the U.S.:
"Dead Children Linked to Aid Policy in Africa Favoring Americans"
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&refer=home&sid=aU7BLQWMss2k
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20081208/pl_bloomberg/au7blqwmss2k_1
In my post below dated December 13, 2008, I first described "The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit" (FAMC), which could have reduced the 6-month aid-shipment process -- lamentably described in the article above -- down to only a few minutes or hours.
How ? -- just have the appropriate U.S.-based government agency or NGO (non-governmental organization) such as USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) wire a few million dollars to the Central Bank of Ethiopia, which then apportions it among the country's mobile carriers that support SMS-based money transfers. Then transfer the millions of dollars $ 20 at a time directly to cell phones in villages and towns in the famine area, or adjacent areas.
Can starving people eat money or e-money? No, but as written in Ecclesiastes:
"A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things" -- Ecclesiastes 10:19.
In short, even in an area of famine, food can be bought, or it would soon be buyable when regions neighboring the famine area learned that the starving people now had cash or e-cash.
What if you don't trust the Central Bank of Ethiopia nor any intermediaries between the U.S.-based agency and the famished on the ground? Then transfer the cash directly from Washington, DC to any cell phone user/owner registered or living in famine area. This is technologically possible today -- see:
"Vodafone, Safaricom and Western Union Announce Partnership to Deliver International Mobile Money Transfers; Pilot Launched between U.K. and Kenya"
Englewood, Colo., London & Nairobi, Kenya, Dec 08, 2008 (Business Wire)
http://ir.westernunion.com/press/releaseDetail.cfm?releaseid=352835
Let me guess? -- You're worried about graft, fraud and "leakages"? Well, now the same things occur 6 months after the food-aid is shipped -- and after the children are already dead. The greatly delayed food is often stolen by Third-World soldiers, government officials, pirates & brigands just a few miles from the mouths of the despairing.
So I ask you, what is easier to steal? -- a ton of rice worth $500 on a truck? Or $500 sent wirelessly from Washington, DC or from a bank in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, $ 20 at a time to 25 different cell-phone owners in the Slough of Despair?
I would bet it is mathematically infinitely harder to steal 25 separate packets of photons going to 25 different numeric destinations compared to stealing one physical truck. Now multiply this scenario by 10,000 or 100,000 e-money transfers to the afflicted region. Would a few cell phone owners in the area with full bellies undeservingly receive an e-money transfer? Of course -- but just consider it the price of building goodwill in Africa for the often-maligned United States of America. "Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days" -- Ecclesiastes 11:1.
Let me guess? -- you suppose there are no cell phones in southern Ethiopia, especially in an area of famine? But there are, and even more so in the surrounding urbanized areas where food could be bought if money or e-money were in the hands of local church groups, charities or NGOs. Africa is home to almost 300 million cell phones, and the penetration rate is over 30%. In sum, access or coverage is not the problem.
American farm lobbyists are the problem.
Write to your congresswoman or congressman today and demand that America's barbaric farm-aid policy be changed immediately. But while you wait for those hearts of glaciers to melt, tell them also about the cell phone-based Foreign-Aid Micro Credit (FAMC), which could be implemented immediately.
The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit -- another form of e-Manna to feed Mankind -- courtesy of the cell phone.
Globally & telephonically yours,
David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
*****
Over-nighting Foreign Aid to Ethiopia by cell phone?
e-Manna / micro-Manna -->> Photons to Food in a Flash
Directly empowering the "Bottom of the Pyramid" to feed themselves immediately
Many of you may have noticed, sadly, this headline below which did not have to be written, but was due to the heinous obstructionism of farm lobbyists in the U.S.:
"Dead Children Linked to Aid Policy in Africa Favoring Americans"
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&refer=home&sid=aU7BLQWMss2k
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20081208/pl_bloomberg/au7blqwmss2k_1
In my post below dated December 13, 2008, I first described "The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit" (FAMC), which could have reduced the 6-month aid-shipment process -- lamentably described in the article above -- down to only a few minutes or hours.
How ? -- just have the appropriate U.S.-based government agency or NGO (non-governmental organization) such as USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) wire a few million dollars to the Central Bank of Ethiopia, which then apportions it among the country's mobile carriers that support SMS-based money transfers. Then transfer the millions of dollars $ 20 at a time directly to cell phones in villages and towns in the famine area, or adjacent areas.
Can starving people eat money or e-money? No, but as written in Ecclesiastes:
"A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things" -- Ecclesiastes 10:19.
In short, even in an area of famine, food can be bought, or it would soon be buyable when regions neighboring the famine area learned that the starving people now had cash or e-cash.
What if you don't trust the Central Bank of Ethiopia nor any intermediaries between the U.S.-based agency and the famished on the ground? Then transfer the cash directly from Washington, DC to any cell phone user/owner registered or living in famine area. This is technologically possible today -- see:
"Vodafone, Safaricom and Western Union Announce Partnership to Deliver International Mobile Money Transfers; Pilot Launched between U.K. and Kenya"
Englewood, Colo., London & Nairobi, Kenya, Dec 08, 2008 (Business Wire)
http://ir.westernunion.com/press/releaseDetail.cfm?releaseid=352835
Let me guess? -- You're worried about graft, fraud and "leakages"? Well, now the same things occur 6 months after the food-aid is shipped -- and after the children are already dead. The greatly delayed food is often stolen by Third-World soldiers, government officials, pirates & brigands just a few miles from the mouths of the despairing.
So I ask you, what is easier to steal? -- a ton of rice worth $500 on a truck? Or $500 sent wirelessly from Washington, DC or from a bank in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, $ 20 at a time to 25 different cell-phone owners in the Slough of Despair?
I would bet it is mathematically infinitely harder to steal 25 separate packets of photons going to 25 different numeric destinations compared to stealing one physical truck. Now multiply this scenario by 10,000 or 100,000 e-money transfers to the afflicted region. Would a few cell phone owners in the area with full bellies undeservingly receive an e-money transfer? Of course -- but just consider it the price of building goodwill in Africa for the often-maligned United States of America. "Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days" -- Ecclesiastes 11:1.
Let me guess? -- you suppose there are no cell phones in southern Ethiopia, especially in an area of famine? But there are, and even more so in the surrounding urbanized areas where food could be bought if money or e-money were in the hands of local church groups, charities or NGOs. Africa is home to almost 300 million cell phones, and the penetration rate is over 30%. In sum, access or coverage is not the problem.
American farm lobbyists are the problem.
Write to your congresswoman or congressman today and demand that America's barbaric farm-aid policy be changed immediately. But while you wait for those hearts of glaciers to melt, tell them also about the cell phone-based Foreign-Aid Micro Credit (FAMC), which could be implemented immediately.
The Foreign-Aid Micro Credit -- another form of e-Manna to feed Mankind -- courtesy of the cell phone.
Globally & telephonically yours,
David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
*****
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Civil Disobedience & Carbon-Market Inequities
*****
A Carbon Manifesto
Will Carbin Hood return to the Poor their rightful Carbon Offsets?
The Carbon Footprint Bill of Rights revisited
The End Justifies the Means Testing
Carbon-offset trading rules under the U.N./Kyoto Protocol "Clean Development Mechanism" (CDM) and other carbon-market regimes have led to a few grossly inequitable projects valued to the tune of US$ 150 - 200+ million/year (no typo) such as the two described in the articles cited below. As written before in this blog, the benefits and monetary rewards of global carbon trading should be pushed down to the "Bottom of the Pyramid" as soon as possible.
Rich companies should not benefit from green-house-gas reduction projects that they should have ethically undertaken anyway for the good of Humankind, as in #1 below. And the carbon-footprint property rights of the Poor in Africa should be respected and not taken without consent, as is happening in #2 below.
Means testing, Fairness testing, Fair Trade Principles and Common Sense must be applied to the U.N. CDM approval process and to other project-monetization regimes to protect the carbon property rights of the Poor, as well as to prevent the unfair flow of more wealth to the already-wealthy.
What Robin Hood-like entities will take back these unjust gains and return them to the Poor? Or what new carbon-market mechanisms will be developed to negate the undue influence of wealthy corporations in the Developed World? Which international NGO or sovereign government will be the first to endorse the Carbon Footprint Bill of Rights written below in the entry of 02 December 2008?
Until these questions are answered resoundingly, I call on all people with Common Sense and a Spirit of Fair Play to resist the implementation of unfair carbon-market mechanisms, and to boycott companies and their products that manipulate the current carbon trading "rules" for unfair gain.
Let the Poor inherit the carbon markets. Let the last now be first, let the "Bottom of the Pyramid" now be the top.
Warmly & fairly yours,
David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
References:
(1) "Rhodia S. Korea Plant Leads World in Carbon Credits"
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/44463/story.htm
"Laughing Gas: How To Game the Carbon Markets"
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/07/23/laughing-gas-how-to-game-the-carbon-markets/
(2) "Cooking up carbon credits: By distributing energy-efficient stoves in Africa, JPMorgan Chase aims to reduce greenhouse gases - and increase profits"
http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/11/technology/jpmorgan_carbon.fortune/
*****
A Carbon Manifesto
Will Carbin Hood return to the Poor their rightful Carbon Offsets?
The Carbon Footprint Bill of Rights revisited
The End Justifies the Means Testing
Carbon-offset trading rules under the U.N./Kyoto Protocol "Clean Development Mechanism" (CDM) and other carbon-market regimes have led to a few grossly inequitable projects valued to the tune of US$ 150 - 200+ million/year (no typo) such as the two described in the articles cited below. As written before in this blog, the benefits and monetary rewards of global carbon trading should be pushed down to the "Bottom of the Pyramid" as soon as possible.
Rich companies should not benefit from green-house-gas reduction projects that they should have ethically undertaken anyway for the good of Humankind, as in #1 below. And the carbon-footprint property rights of the Poor in Africa should be respected and not taken without consent, as is happening in #2 below.
Means testing, Fairness testing, Fair Trade Principles and Common Sense must be applied to the U.N. CDM approval process and to other project-monetization regimes to protect the carbon property rights of the Poor, as well as to prevent the unfair flow of more wealth to the already-wealthy.
What Robin Hood-like entities will take back these unjust gains and return them to the Poor? Or what new carbon-market mechanisms will be developed to negate the undue influence of wealthy corporations in the Developed World? Which international NGO or sovereign government will be the first to endorse the Carbon Footprint Bill of Rights written below in the entry of 02 December 2008?
Until these questions are answered resoundingly, I call on all people with Common Sense and a Spirit of Fair Play to resist the implementation of unfair carbon-market mechanisms, and to boycott companies and their products that manipulate the current carbon trading "rules" for unfair gain.
Let the Poor inherit the carbon markets. Let the last now be first, let the "Bottom of the Pyramid" now be the top.
Warmly & fairly yours,
David A. Palella
Caped Carbon Crusader
CARBON MANNA UNLIMITED
San Diego, CA
tel: 858-793-0741
email: dpalella@san.rr.com
http://community.keithferrazzi.com/profile/DavidPalella
http://carbonmanna.blogspot.com
References:
(1) "Rhodia S. Korea Plant Leads World in Carbon Credits"
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/44463/story.htm
"Laughing Gas: How To Game the Carbon Markets"
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/07/23/laughing-gas-how-to-game-the-carbon-markets/
(2) "Cooking up carbon credits: By distributing energy-efficient stoves in Africa, JPMorgan Chase aims to reduce greenhouse gases - and increase profits"
http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/11/technology/jpmorgan_carbon.fortune/
*****
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