Waves of the Future 

The Environment, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Conservation, Protection...

Global warming, carbon emissions, green policy, taxation, biofuels

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Waves of the Future Series
Book 1
The 21st Century Environmental Revolution
Book 2
Population Growth
Due out 12/2009. Topics not addressed in Book I.

Second Editions




Looking for Innovative Solutions
to Global Problems


There is no doubt that we are not doing enough for the environment. A decade ago, global warming was still considered by many but a theory. Today, the crisis is very real.

But, there is much more.... Our own babies are now born with dozens of toxic compounds and carcinogens in their tissues. Species are lost, resources are being depleted, permanent damage is done to oceans and the planet, etc.

We need a new perspective on these issues.


Large-scale Strategies for the Environment

The 21st Century Environmental Revolution:
A Comprehensive Strategy for Conservation, Global Warming, and the Environment / The Fourth Wave

Author: Mark C. Henderson
Publisher: Waves of the Future
Copyright: © 2008
ISBN-10: 0980998905
ISBN-13: 978-0-9809989-0-0

Introduction   Contents  Bits & Pieces (below)
Reviews   Comments   E-Book Project
Discounts & Best Places to Buy

This is perhaps one
of the most daring
works on the environment so far.

It argues that we
have the means today
to bring about
economic changes which could lead to an environmental revolution.

 The simple strategy proposed in this book would create environment-friendly economies which would foster change on a large scale and make countries around the world greener and greener year after year.

The plan is economically feasible and could be implemented virtually overnight. It addresses not only global warming but also conservation, environmental protection, and most of the other issues on the green agenda.

It is a book that could have a significant impact on the environment and our future.


Bits & Pieces

Environment, Global Warming, Conservation, Recycling...

Chapter 7

The First Premise of
Large-Scale Environmental Change:

Massive Scale

 Environmental needs are massive. People have been dying for a long time as a result of contaminants. Now, climate change is threatening to become another global killer.

Yet, we are still fumbling in terms of addressing environmental issues. We need to shift gear. Massive needs require large-scale strategies.
Of course, strong political backing is needed for a strategy to have any hope of being adopted. No government would launch blindly head first into large-scale change.

Taxation has been around for centuries and is well understood. Systems are already implemented on a large scale. Green taxation is relatively new but similar to other punitive taxes already implemented on alcohol and cigarettes in many countries.

Countries have already gone through major shifts in taxation--e.g. from resource to retail systems--without significant disruptions. A tax shift is feasible.

Chapter 7

The Second Premise of
Large-Scale Environmental Change:

Strong Political Support

Chapter 7

The Third Premise of
Large-Scale Environmental Change:

Minimal Social Committment

 A large-scale strategy could not be based on a massive social commitment to additional funding. Who wants to pay more taxes!

Fortunately, there is something called revenue-neutral taxation. Some taxes are increased while others are reduced, with the taxpayer breaking even.

For example, a government could increase green taxes by a certain amount and reduce income tax by that same amount. People would not pay higher taxes overall.
One of the requirements for large-scale change to occur is that it has to use efficient mechanisms. Current research points to the fact that approaches involving markets tend to deliver a bigger bang for the buck.

Subsidies and regulations will continue to have an important role in an environmental strategy, but they have limits. Market-based approaches, such as taxing contaminants and packaging, are more cost-effective.

Chapter 7

The Fifth Premise of
Large-Scale Environmental Change:

The Use of Efficient Mechanisms

The Book's Predictions -- Mark C. Henderson


'Wasters, polluters, and those who do not care for the
environment or are unable to adapt would only fall behind
and see the fate of the dinosaurs.' (p. 83)
                         -- Mark C. Henderson, July 2008.

In September 2008, major North American automakers Ford and GM begged governments for grants and subsidies to help them retool for new generations of green vehicles. Unlike European and Asian manufacturers, they had made the environment a secondary concern and focused on gas guzzlers like the SUV. But, there was a price to pay for that...

Only a month later, they were on the verge of bankruptcy. Because the automobile industry is so important to the North American economy, governments will likely bail them out. However, without intervention, they would likely have already seen the fate of the dinosaurs.

The Final Proof
The Recent Oil experience


For decades, many people struggled to make grounds for the environment. Most of it was to little avail. Despite all the efforts, SUVs made their appearance as if climate change did not exist and there was no such thing as the environment. The gas guzzler industry thrived up until very recently, and environmentalists could do little to change that.

As the price of oil shot past $120 a barrel and made its way to its peak at $147 in mid-2008, the industry collapsed and major North American SUV manufacturers announced plant closures virtually overnight. A month later, they were all talking about their latest hybrid and upcoming electrical vehicles, and the struggling renewable energy industry was quickly becoming the wave of the future.

What environmentalists failed to accomplish in three decades was achieved by markets in three months.


___________

With a simple tax on fossil fuels, the price of oil could be back to levels that could deliver large-scale change for the environment. They would do so without the hardships normally associated with price hikes as people would have more money to spend from an income tax reduction. Imagine applying that strategy to contaminants, packaging, etc.

Market mechanisms would work and could totally reshape
the world we live in.




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