Trading on Thin Air

This documentary provides an alternative view on the creation of a carbon credit market. While the presenters clearly have their biases, the carbon trading framework does have its limitations. However the carbon credit model is an exciting innovation that offers the prospect of harnessing the energy of the free market and the spirit of capitalism to create incentives to reduced pollution and increase investment in green projects. Indeed the concept of carbon credits actually creates a new commodity that can be traded and upon which derivative contracts can be designed. This innovative approach to environmental conservation not only promises good environmental outcomes, but can foster and promote a new set of carbon and sustainability industries; carbon traders, carbon investment banks, carbon fund managers, carbon research organisations, carbon auditors, carbon microfinance, carbon private equity, and so-on. The possibilities are there, but so are the doubts and the criticisms - as with any new thing - but challenges are no excuse to forego an opportunity.

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Finance Documentaries: http://www.financedocumentaries.com/2013/04/trading-on-thin-air.html

Pricing Pollution

The idea of carbon markets was steadily gaining momentum prior to the financial crisis, but environmental markets became a sort of casualty of the crisis, with fiscal and sovereign debt crises causing a swift re-prioritisation of spending. But although these concepts have met with some inertia the problem of pollution and climate change remain, and ideas such as using free market forces to change incentives around carbon emission versus storage and sequestration are still very much valid. This documentary from Al Jazeera looks at the pricing of pollution in the context of Australia's scheme; one which could rival that of present largest European emissions trading scheme.

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Finance Documentaries: http://www.financedocumentaries.com/2012/08/pricing-pollution.html

Dispatches - The Great Green Smoke Screen

Climate change, global warming, carbon... hot topics these days, though you wouldn't know it with all the focus on economic and financial crises. But the next crisis or series of crisis could be environmental, and some businesses and entrepreneurs have cottoned onto this; in theory it is possible to solve environmental problems with a market approach, of course you need the right rules in place and enough take-up for it to work, but there are some exciting ideas e.g. carbon offsetting, carbon credits, carbon trading, eco-investment, etc. Of course, with new technologies, and new ways of doing things; and with such radical ideas, there can be the risk that it doesn't quite work, or that perception is greater than reality. This documentary looks specifically at that. For more on eco-finance and eco-investing see also: Bloom or Bust - Ecosystem Investment, and Standing Profits - Forest Conservation

Days after Live Earth partied for the planet, Dispatches reveals how attempts to buy our way out of climate crisis may not be delivering. Channel 4 News' Science Correspondent Tom Clarke dissects the many 'solutions' to global warming - from carbon off-setting to green energy tariffs.



Finance Documentaries: http://www.financedocumentaries.com/2011/08/dispatches-great-green-smoke-screen.html