Page 7 - Carbon Frauds and Corruption

CARBON FRAUD No laughing matter...

TONE FROM THE TOP
Enthusiasm can blind prudence
If it finally emerges that climate science has been twisted, or “sexed up”, especially by
people with vested financial interests, the whole edifice collapses. Uncertainty is the
first major risk facing everyone in the 'Carbon World' and many investments are being
made, right now, that will prove disastrous.

The second is that public support for costly abatement and CSR plans that
prove to be demonstrably ineffective will disappear, resulting in the withdrawal
of political will and destruction of edifice. The outcome will be worse for
organisations which have made extravagant "sustainability" claims
that prove to be untrue.
Both may be remote possibilities, but they contribute to the subliminal background –
or “Tone from the Top”- which stimulates the opportunities and justification for
massive fraud, market manipulation and corruption.

Fraud thrives on uncertainty, unfairness, greed and
ambiguity. Unfortunately the Carbon World has all
the necessary ingredients.

A giant German energy company flooded
the postal services with twelve million
low-energy light bulbs which it sent to
consumers who neither asked for, nor
required, them. The objective of this
largesse was to enable the company to
meet its emission targets which otherwise
would have resulted in fines of more than
£40 million. Government agencies over-
estimated the carbon savings, assuming
that every bulb received would be fitted
without delay by the grateful recipients.
This was not the case.

A UK Museum, offered visitors a “Climate
Relief Gift Pack” that included a certificate,
bought from a carbon broker, offsetting a
minimum of 100 kg of carbon that would
“instantly reduce global pollution”. The
Museum priced the credits at £30 per
tonne. The scheme was based on retiring
EU carbon credits which, because of excessive
free issues to operators, could be bought
at 19 pence a tonne. When the facts were
bought to the attention of the Museum,
the scheme was withdrawn, but only after
the backers had trousered £90,000.

A day in the life of a
"tree hugger"

“ Ignore him. He thinks you're a tree”

© Cobasco Group Limited 2010 - Page 04