[ZeroES.announce] This Wednesday: Steve Dodds demystifying the economics of climate change impacts and mitigation

[Robert Wiblin]

Hello again Zero Emissions Society Announce list,

Apologies about the corrupted PDF in the previous email. I have now
attached a working interview with Clive Hamilton for your enjoyment!
Note that he will be speaking about his new book at ANU next Tuesday:
http://billboard.anu.edu.au/event_view.asp?id=13827 .

Here's some fantastic news to brighten your day - the ANU has
announced that it will be moving to 20% Government Accredited Green
Power by the beginning of 2008. We'll have more information about that
decision as soon as ANUgreen releases it. This will be sure to place
pressure on other Australian universities to up their commitment as it
is the highest of any university in Australia currently. We're still
not exactly zero emissions, but it's a great start. Well done
ANUgreen!

There will be what looks like an excellent public seminar on Wednesday
about the economic impacts of climate change. Hope to see you there!


When:               4:00 PM, Wednesday, 2 May.

Who:                Dr. Steve Hatfield Dodds

CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Australia.

Convenor, CSIRO Integration Network

Discussing:         Winning the War Against Error: How researchers can
improve climate change policy outcomes through more integrated
research and communication.

Synopsis:           Achieving a clear public understanding of policy
choices and expected impacts is crucial to responsive democratic
governance, helping to align policies with the underlying values of
the community.  Different disciplines contribute to different aspects
of the evolution of environmental policy – such as through improving
our understanding of the climate system, developing and testing low
emission technologies, designing policy options, and assessing the
impacts of future pathways and potential policy responses.  There is a
risk, however, that disciplinary analysis of specific aspects of
complex systems can give rise to incorrect or misleading conclusions,
that may delay or prevent the adoption of worthwhile policies.

The main focus of this talk is to illustrate the need for integrated
approaches to complex issues, through examining three common
misconceptions about greenhouse policy.

Misconception #1:  Achieving deep cuts in emissions would require
reductions in economic living standards from current levels.

Misconception #2:  Achieving reductions in emissions through a carbon
price (such as tradable permits or a carbon tax) will reduce the
affordability of energy and necessarily involve adverse impacts on low
income households.

Misconception #3:  That delayed action to reduce emissions involves
smaller total economic costs and risks than early action.

Each of these misconceptions are shown to be incorrect, drawing on
recent economic modelling of 'deep cuts' in Australian emissions as
part of international action.

The presentation will conclude with a brief description of research
exploring the impact of various communication biases on public
attitudes and willingness to support policy action.  This research
indicates the miscommunication of the nature and magnitude of the
impacts of policy action risks delaying or preventing policy action
that would achieve widespread support if communicated clearly.

Where:              Robertson Seminar Room

Research School of Biological Sciences, ANU

(Map: http://campusmap.anu.edu.au/largemap.asp - Bldg 46, E4).

For more information on this seminar, contact Claudia Keitel on
6125-4822 or Clauida.Keitel at anu.edu.au
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