It’s Real Money – Your Money
By Einar Du Rietz
Maybe because most other topics seem to be covered and debated intensely in the media, finally some focus now start 
to fall upon the costs. The estimated and real costs for what the politicians will discuss in Copenhagen. And if media does this, chances are the general public will start to realize that they will have to pay.
Much too often, the general perception in the climate debate seems to be that politicians ought to do more and that someone else will pick up the bill. Contributing to this perception is the, quite natural, difficulty in grasping the magnitude of large sums. As the common believe among surprisingly many Americans during the health care debate, that higher taxes should not finance this – it ought to be free!
The highly varying estimates range between 170 and 765 billion USD. For something we can’t even agree on the need for.
The costs have already been high, strangely enough most locally, though this is presumed to be a global challenge. In 2003, the then socialist government of Sweden handed out about 180 million Euro to 879 different local climate projects. The current, allegedly non socialist government rejects the accusation that they should have terminated the program and claims instead that it is only changing names.
With your money. TANSTAFL
Filed Under: CFACT Europe • Economics • Issues
About the Author: Einar Du Rietz is a journalist and communications consultant based in Europe. He has authored several environmental reports for the Electrolux Group and loads of blogs for the Center for the New Europe at CNE Environment.
TANSTAFL, by one of our favorite authors, Robert A. Heinlein, “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.”