Reduced CO2 emissions are the currency of growth

Reduced carbon emissions as the CURRENCY of growth, development and real estate commissions. 

AB 32 set a standard to be achieved by 2020--- 1990 CO2 emissions. That created a limited commodity--like a finite money supply (an allowance--not like our government's crazy printing presses), CO2 emissions are now limited in CA to 1990 levels. Unlike the money supply, you can’t just flip a switch to create more CO2 capacity (currency), because the Earth itself represents the ultimate zero sum game and the FED doesn't control the Earth, even under Bernancke. 

Any future growth, to the extent that it produces increased CO2 emissions, must have those emissions directly offset by reductions in CO2 emissions somewhere else. The beauty of CO2 is that it’s like currency, it’s transportable and universal. You can increase CO2 emission in one sector, housing, for instance, but you can offset that increase--ANYWHERE--the offset doesn’t need to come from cutting CO2 emissions in the housing stock. The offset could some from simple conservation--many people cutting their personal CO2 emissions by 10% -- or it could come from lowering CO2 emissions associated with transportation or water/sewer processing. Obviously, increasing use of renewable energy represents and decreasing other energy sources is an offset too. 

It follows that REALTORS need to become more aware about CO2 emissions because without sufficient offsets, in terms of reduced CO2 emissions, their very near future business success will be shaped by the 2020 CO2 emission ceiling. That ceiling could mean less growth and more expensive growth that produces more costly houses that are forced to be net zero or close to net zero. For older homes there are likely to be complications and expenses in reselling because those houses tend to be more energy inefficient (the low hanging fruit) and are prime candidates for mandated energy saving retrofits to generate offsets needed to meet 1990 CO2 emission levels. If growth is limited, new jobs, income and purchasing power will be too--there goes the housing recovery. 

Local communities can continue to grow, but only if sufficient CO2 offsets are achieved. Growth without offsets creates CO2 debt that must be paid back before the 2020 AB 32 deadline. 

Recently, the accelerating growth in The City of San Luis Obispo is generating much more interest and enthusiasm than the modest progress being made in the implementation of the Climate Action Plan that was passed nearly a year ago. REALTORS, developers and citizens should rethink their priorities by considering whether the near term convenience of business as usual is really worth inevitable constraints on growth and likely increases in complications and expenses imposed on the resale of the existing stock of residential and commercial property. 

It's really simple!

Below is an email in response to finding yet another Climate Change Science website with more information that most would or could wade through. I wouldn't suggest that the science is unimportant, but it's fine tuning from the viewpoint of a society that is headed toward a cliff and is so concerned about how fast it can proceed toward the brink that it may not be able to stop before plunging over the edge--that would leave the learning how to fly part to subsequent generations--I hope they are quick learners. 

I think one of the perceived problems is that there is now an overabundance of information about climate change. Defining the scope of the problem, creating a plan and implementing that plan draws on science, sociology, psychology, ethics , etc, etc. 

No one is well versed in all that stuff---nor can most even keep pace the advances in knowledge in just one discipline 

BUT we don't need to understand the details. The right wing nuts keep suggesting that if we don't understand climate change we shouldn't do anything to curb CO2 emissions. 

That's a logically flawed argument. We understand LITTLE about our world these days, but that doesn't stop us from interacting with it. 

We drive cars on the freeway--but we don't know what makes a car work or how the freeway was constructed. We fly on airlines--not knowing how the plane was designed or how the air traffic control technology operates.

We use our planet, but understand little about it. 

We can see that what our ancestors did had an impact on our present lives. Cities are located in certain places because of our ancestors--natural resources are depleted--landscape changes--all just in a matter of decades. We KNOW what we do in the present will impact later generations. 

Does anyone really believe that population and energy use can continue to expand indefinitely without dire consequences? 

Is is really VERY simple--LOTS of people (how about everyone?) need to reduce their CO2 emissions NOW.  

Timing is critical--more critical than the amount. 

Renewables and big initiatives are also important, but behavior can change fast and little changes multiplied by millions of people equals a big reduction--and it doesn't matter WHERE it happens--it's one atmosphere.

Affluent countries can reduce CO2 use by a greater amount than poor countries--and hardly notice a change in lifestyle. That's OK--the only equity we need to worry about is that we all live on ONE planet. 

The politics just gets in the way and encourages buck passing.