BCBusiness | Trading emissions

Tony Wanless | Image: Jupiter | Published: March 20, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vancouver, B.C.
Tony Wanless, BCBusiness blogger and renowned opportunist, is pleased to announce the launch of the Carbon Removal Advancement Program (CRAP), a new carbon-emissions trading system that promises to have a tremendous impact on global warming.

“I believe global warming is a really bad thing,” observed Mr. Wanless astutely. “And the experts say it has something to do with carbon in greenhouse gases. We can’t wait for the problem to fix itself, so I’m taking steps now.

“By launching a system for carbon trading, I believe I’m democratizing the solution and will contribute greatly to reducing the greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere.”

Mr. Wanless noted that in recent months many have called for the trading of carbon credits, but that the mechanisms for this exchange are few and far between. Some Canadian provinces, such as B.C. and Quebec, plan such systems, but they are hampered by the usual government problems, such as how to maximize revenue without appearing to be taxing the, um, something out of consumers and industry.

Meanwhile, the brokerage industry, believing it is the expert for any kind of trading and desperately attempting to find a new revenue source to offset the sub-prime mortgage debacle, is also planning to create an exchange for derivative securities based on carbon offsets.

“I think here in Vancouver, the home of Howe Street, we know something about how to monetize vapour,” Mr. Wanless observed. “I mean, Nelson Skalbania is looking at how to fix global warming. And when Nelson gets in on it, you know there’s ballooning demand for this sort of thing.”

Mr. Wanless also believes his program will be more democratic than other systems currently being proposed by various semi-official environmental agencies such as Globe 2008 and the Geneva based International Emissions Trading Association, which recently warned that “we don’t have very much time” to stabilize greenhouse gases.

“I completely agree,” Mr. Wanless said. “I read the Desmog Blog, and I know time is running short. If ordinary people like me don’t speak up now, we’ll be the only ones left without a trading system.”

Mr. Wanless believes that effective and democratic carbon trading can be created through a simple social networking website (www.crapemissions.ca), in which members ($5 membership fee) can buy carbon offsets ($1 per kilogram fee), and trade them for a small transaction fee.

“People have to be allowed to feel that they

personally are doing something about the problem,” Mr. Wanless explained. “By joining CRAP – donations are always welcome – they won’t feel so guilty about commuting in their cars while consuming coffee and donuts. We all know how much this leads to increased emissions.”

The website will also harness the power of the Web to create a “cap-and-trade” exchange for industry to trade carbon “credits” – for a small transaction fee – Mr. Wanless added.

The exchange will also target other industries that are highly gaseous, such as politics and farming.

“We all know politicians release a lot of gas, but farming is just as bad,” Mr. Wanless said. “Together, cows and politicians release tonnes of methane gas into the atmosphere every day, contributing greatly to global warming.”