The "cash for clunkers" programme has been an outstanding success and has exceeded the Obama Administration's expectations. Owners of old and generally fuel inefficient cars have been ablle to trade their cars for a new car and receive up to $4,500 in cash. Often the cars had a market value which was much, much less.
The success of the programme has kicked started car sales in the US and created a market where there wasn't one. If this programme worked for cars, might there be other programmes that could be introduced for products that energy inefficient and emit too much carbon dioxide in their use. For example in the residental sector certain types of white goods (fridges and washing machines) and heating systems
should be replaced to get emissions and energy use down. Take heating and power into the home. Here combined heat power systems, now readily available, could reduce energy comsumption by more than 40 per cent. A reduction in emissions follows.
These initiatives would help create markets, stimulate the econmony and move the population on towards the use of more energy efficient goods. Better, these initiatives might benefit most the laggards in the move to low carbon producing products, low income earners.
Given that household appliances are heavy users of energy, and governments are beginning to set targets now, a more rapid introduction of low carbon emitting appliances effectively subsidised by government, might be a win, win. Money spent little and often here, might even be better spent than on a carbon trading scheme. It is certainly worth a thought.
