What a timely topic! With the Paris UN Climate Summit under way, I'm glad that this topic became one of our case studies. Reading over the material on this topic, I was surprised at how nimble some of the software and internet giants of the world were when making changes to embrace zero-carbon energy. I'm thinking about the example given in the Time magazine piece were Facebook's decision to run its new data centre on 100% wind power spurred the largest single purchase of wind turbines in the history of the world. Other cyberspace companies may be more reluctant to embrace clean energy, but if their colleagues are able to do so with such ease, it indicates that the entire sector could do so if given the proper incentives. This example made me wonder if, perhaps, the best way to a low-carbon economy is not to cap and regulate emissions country by country, but industry sector by industry sector. By regulating first the industries that could make the change most easily (the technology sector, for example) this would spur growth in the clean energy industry, drive down costs, and thus make things easier (and cheaper) for industries that would have a harder time adapting and need more time, heavy manufacturing and agriculture for example. I'm sure this policy has been at least explored or proposed by climate policy negotiators at some level. I can't be the first person to think of this... Can I? Anyone care to burst my thought bubble here?
--Brandon Kidd
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