Travelling business in the aid business

How do you get a public organization to reduce its carbon footprint when 90% of its emissions come from travel. Options include:

1. Changes staff rules and make staff travel economy (less emission per km flown).
- productivity argument: staff will argue that productivity will suffer. Have to compute whether the higher cost of business is compensated by higher productivity on arrival from travelling in greater comfort. Example
Staff salary of USD700. Plus subsistence for day to recover: Lost productivity 1 day each way = 2000 USD. Extra cost of ticket in region of USD 1500 to 3000.
Therefore worth it in some cases.
- consider: travel east -west most lost productivity in subsequent days from jet lag. doesnt matter if business or economy.
- how do you measure lost productivity (minutes slept during meeting with a ministry official?)
problem: private incentives of business great (comforts, personal air miles accrued). considerable staff resistance to overcome.
- moral argument: we are paid to spend money helping the poorest of the poor. Therefore we must demonstrate we are taking all steps to ensure as much $ arrives with them as possible and not making bureaucrats lives easier.

Surfing in Liberia

Surfing in Liberia, via Scarlett Lion

CC and development

Amartya Sen on how climate change changes the development debate (in French)
via Le Monde

Cows under the cosh again

Fun facts of global warming impact of beef production

Waxman cap and trade bill

New cap and trade. Who is for and against

via Greg Mankiw