[gep-ed] Carbon emissions associated with speculative investments

[Ronnie Lipschutz]

Dear All:

I am seeking some numbers addressing (i) the contribution of the 
financial economy (i.e., investment in non-material paper & such) to 
U.S. & global GDP and (ii) some measurement of the greenhouse gas 
emissions associated with the financial economy (over time).

My hypothesis is that the increase in energy/unit of GDP and decrease in 
carbon intensity/unit of GDP is distorted by exclusion of this source of 
economic "growth" (and, yes, I am also taking into account embedded carbon).

Any ideas or sources?

Thanks,

Ronnie

--
Ronnie D. Lipschutz, Professor of Politics, 234 Crown College                   
UC-Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA  95064  USA     
Phone: (831) 459-3275; Email: rlip...@ucsc.edu;                         
Web: http://people.ucsc.edu/~rlipsch    
                        
“All down history nine-tenths of mankind have been grinding corn for the remaining tenth and have been paid with husks and bidden to thank god they had the husks.” 
---David Lloyd George---