Despite commitments to renewable energy and two decades of international negotiations, global emissions continue to rise. Coal, the most damaging of all fossil fuels, has actually risen from 25 per cent to almost 30 per cent of world energy use. And while European countries have congratulated themselves on reducing emissions, they have increased their carbon imports from China and other developing nations, who continue to expand their coal use. As standards of living increase in developing countries, coal use can only increase as well - and global temperatures along with it. In this hard-hitting book, Dieter Helm looks at how and why we have failed to tackle the issue of global warming and argues for a new, pragmatic rethinking of energy policy - from transitioning from coal to gas and eventually to electrification of transport, to carbon pricing and a focus on new technologies. Lucid, compelling and rigorously researched, this book will have a lasting impact on how we think about climate change.
The Carbon Crunch
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'Mr Helm has done a service to everyone else by describing what a global climate-change mitigation regime would look like if one took economics seriously.' --The Economist
'[The Carbon Crunch] is a provocative analysis and well worth the discomfort it will likely engender.' --Steve Yearley, Times Higher Education
'[Dieter Helm] has turned his agile mind to one of the great problems of our age: why the world's efforts to curb the carbon dioxide emissions behind global warming have gone so wrong, and how it can do better. He is far from being the first to tackle the issue, but he is among the more influential and, as he demonstrated in his new book, The Carbon Crunch, one of the more readable.' --Pilita Clark, Financial Times
'The Carbon Crunch is a powerful and heartfelt plea for hard-nosed realism. And it also suggests a worrying truth - that the environmental movement is often more interested in pursuing a soft-focus vision of a greener world than in actually fixing climate change.' --Fred Pearce, New Scientist
'[Dieter Helm] has turned his agile mind to one of the great problems of our age: why the world's efforts to curb the carbon dioxide emissions behind global warming have gone so wrong, and how it can do better. He is far from being the first to tackle the issue, but he is among the more influential and, as he demonstrated in his new book, The Carbon Crunch, one of the more readable.' --Pilita Clark, Financial Times
'[The Carbon Crunch] is a provocative analysis and well worth the discomfort it will likely engender.' --Steve Yearley, Times Higher Education
'[Dieter Helm] has turned his agile mind to one of the great problems of our age: why the world's efforts to curb the carbon dioxide emissions behind global warming have gone so wrong, and how it can do better. He is far from being the first to tackle the issue, but he is among the more influential and, as he demonstrated in his new book, The Carbon Crunch, one of the more readable.' --Pilita Clark, Financial Times
'The Carbon Crunch is a powerful and heartfelt plea for hard-nosed realism. And it also suggests a worrying truth - that the environmental movement is often more interested in pursuing a soft-focus vision of a greener world than in actually fixing climate change.' --Fred Pearce, New Scientist
'[Dieter Helm] has turned his agile mind to one of the great problems of our age: why the world's efforts to curb the carbon dioxide emissions behind global warming have gone so wrong, and how it can do better. He is far from being the first to tackle the issue, but he is among the more influential and, as he demonstrated in his new book, The Carbon Crunch, one of the more readable.' --Pilita Clark, Financial Times
About the Author
Dieter Helm CBE is professor of energy policy, University of Oxford and Fellow in Economics at New College, Oxford. He is a member of the Economic Advisory Committee to the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, and Chair of the Natural Capital Committee.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The history of international attempts to address global warming can be traced back to the Rio conference of the early 1990s, which led to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. In the twenty years since Rio, agreements have been signed, targets set, laws passed and speeches made. Whole industries have grown up to tackle the problem. But for all the time and money that has been expended, the result so far has been utter failure. The unspinnable fact is that carbon emissions relentlessly continue to rise; the rate of increase is if anything getting faster.
Why? Who's to blame? What should be done? These are the three questions which lie at the heart of Dieter Helm's provocative and entertaining monograph.
The main reason for the relentless increase in emissions is, of course, the build out of coal burning power stations, particularly in China.
It is common therefore to hear China being blamed for the lack of progress on climate change. European leaders often point to the fact that emissions are falling in most European countries and argue that they are 'leading' on climate change, while implying that sadly nothing can be done about Chinese emissions.
Helm doesn't buy this smug European line. Take the example of Britain. Our production of carbon in the last twenty years has fallen; our consumption of carbon has not. Essentially we are outsourcing our emissions to China and other less developed economies. We let China pollute on our behalf, and then pretend it is nothing to do with us.
One of the key problems with the targets that have been set in Britain and Europe is that they focus on the wrong variable: carbon production rather than carbon consumption.... Read more ›
Why? Who's to blame? What should be done? These are the three questions which lie at the heart of Dieter Helm's provocative and entertaining monograph.
The main reason for the relentless increase in emissions is, of course, the build out of coal burning power stations, particularly in China.
It is common therefore to hear China being blamed for the lack of progress on climate change. European leaders often point to the fact that emissions are falling in most European countries and argue that they are 'leading' on climate change, while implying that sadly nothing can be done about Chinese emissions.
Helm doesn't buy this smug European line. Take the example of Britain. Our production of carbon in the last twenty years has fallen; our consumption of carbon has not. Essentially we are outsourcing our emissions to China and other less developed economies. We let China pollute on our behalf, and then pretend it is nothing to do with us.
One of the key problems with the targets that have been set in Britain and Europe is that they focus on the wrong variable: carbon production rather than carbon consumption.... Read more ›
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By S. Roberts
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Helm has recently become something of a poster boy for the anti-wind farm lobby which prompted me to read this book. He's not however a climate change skeptic. Although Helm is convinced that we are heading towards potentially disastrous global warming if we don't do something to reduce emissions he's far from persuaded that our current carbon reduction strategies will be effective.The first part of the book gives an excellent overview of the problem we face dealing with carbon emissions around the world, particularly those from developing economies like China and India. Helm then goes on to critique current policy and lays out his own solutions to the problem.
While I don't agree with all his criticisms of current renewable energy systems you can't argue with Helm's passion. For anyone involved in renewable energy this book is essential reading, if only to understand the where the opposition is coming from. Nice and short too!
While I don't agree with all his criticisms of current renewable energy systems you can't argue with Helm's passion. For anyone involved in renewable energy this book is essential reading, if only to understand the where the opposition is coming from. Nice and short too!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By hhodkinson
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an extremely interesting book and should be read by all with an interest in combating anthropogenic climate change - particularly policy makers. It lays out the history of climate change talks from Rio, through to Kyoto and on to recent talks in Copenhagen and Durban, explaining why they are hailed as successes, even though they have produced little in the way of visible results. Helm also dispels many prevalent myths such as the potential contribution current renewable technologies and energy efficiency measures can make - typically vastly overstated by environmental groups. He comments on the damage which results from picking energy generation winners, such as spending enormous amounts of money on wind power programmes which can only ever provide energy intermittently and are therefore normally backed up by fossil fuel plants. This approach means that money is not being put into other technologies where we would get more bang for our buck. After clarifying why past policies have failed and current policies will have little positive effect, he sets out his own short, medium and long term plans to address climate change.
He rightly states that the first objective of every country is to stop using coal for energy generation. From a carbon dioxide perspective, coal produces roughly double the emissions per unit of energy production when compared to gas. Gas (e.g. CCGT) power plants are a well developed technology which can be built quickly and relatively cheaply. Increasing gas energy production would lead to a reduction in emissions, especially in countries like China and India. He correctly identifies why carbon taxes in the developed world are explicitly flawed, since manufacturing is increasingly being exported to the developing world along with the associated emissions.... Read more ›
He rightly states that the first objective of every country is to stop using coal for energy generation. From a carbon dioxide perspective, coal produces roughly double the emissions per unit of energy production when compared to gas. Gas (e.g. CCGT) power plants are a well developed technology which can be built quickly and relatively cheaply. Increasing gas energy production would lead to a reduction in emissions, especially in countries like China and India. He correctly identifies why carbon taxes in the developed world are explicitly flawed, since manufacturing is increasingly being exported to the developing world along with the associated emissions.... Read more ›
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unpleasantly accurate and simply put summary of the challenges facing modern society
15 April 2013
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
There is so much written about energy, sustainability, green, eco etc. This book simply describes how badly we are doing in attempting to solve the needs of society and the realities of our environment by pursuing the wrong policies at high cost for little gain, whilst at the same time devising an energy/carbon accounting system that is misleading at best and morally bankrupt in general.
If you are in energy, carbon, green, eco or sustainability you simply must read this book.
If you are in energy, carbon, green, eco or sustainability you simply must read this book.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
'The Carbon Crunch' is very inspiring book for everyone with an interest in climate and energy policy. The author not only challenges the inconsistencies in current climate policy approaches but offers valid alternatives.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
True Believer dismisses wind, solar and insulation as pointless, and...
Unputdownable. Helm is a true believer in man-made climate change but convincingly dismisses everything the UK is doing to combat it as pointless and expensive folly, having an... Read more
Published 5 months ago by george bingham
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good sense for once
Should be required reading for anyone interested in energy supply. The writer gives facts and sensible proposals and points out that politicising the problem is doing more harm... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mr.J.E.Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Carbon Crunch
A veru useful and well written book. I opens new releams of thought into energy and environmental issues. I recommend it.
Published 6 months ago by H. M. Khatib
4.0 out of 5 stars
We need better responses
From its style, this is a book of conscience. Mr Helm, through his lengthy experience of working with government processes, has seen at first hand the difficulties of achieving any... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Christopher Mathews
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