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> From: Center for Economic and Policy Research <[email protected]> > Subject: New Paper Projects Significant Carbon Emission Reductions by > Reducing Work Hours > Date: February 4, 2013 8:13:49 AM PST > To: [email protected] > Reply-To: [email protected] > > > New Paper Projects Significant Carbon Emission Reductions with Fewer Work > Hours > > Adoption of “European Model” of “More Time Off, Less Stuff” Could Help > Mitigate Climate Change > > For Immediate Release: February 4, 2013 > Contact: Dan Beeton, 202-239-1460 > > Washington, D.C.- A new paper finds that significant reductions in carbon > emissions are possible through reducing work hours, and could help to reduce > climate change. The paper, “Reduced Work Hours as a Means of Slowing Climate > Change,” by David Rosnick of the Center for Economic and Policy Research > (CEPR), finds that 8 - 22 percent of every degree of warming through 2100 > would be cut by an annual 0.5 percent reduction in work hours. > > Assuming 40-60 percent of potential global warming is effectively locked-in, > about one-quarter to one-half of the warming that is not already locked in > could be cut through this reduction of work hours. > > “As productivity increases, especially in high income countries, there is a > social choice between taking some of these gains in the form of reduced > hours, or entirely as increased production,” said economist David Rosnick, > author of the paper. “For many years, European countries have been reducing > work hours – including by taking more holidays, vacation, and leave – while > the United States has gone the route of increased production. > > “The calculation is simple: fewer work hours means less carbon emissions, > which means less global warming.” > > The paper estimates the baseline impact from emissions associated with four > different climate change scenarios, using the Model for the Assessment of > Greenhouse-gas Induced Climate Change produced by the University Corporation > for Atmospheric Research. > > The paper notes that the pursuit of reduced work hours as a policy > alternative would be much more difficult in an economy where inequality is > high and/or growing. In the United States, for example, just under > two-thirds of all income gains from 1973–2007 went to the top 1 percent of > households. In this type of economy, the majority of workers would have to > take an absolute reduction in their living standards in order work less. The > analysis of this paper assumes that the gains from productivity growth will > be more broadly shared in the future, as they have been in the past. > > “Increased productivity need not fuel carbon emissions and climate change,” > CEPR Co-Director Mark Weisbrot said. “Increased productivity should allow > workers to have more time off to spend with their families, friends, and > communities. This is positive for society, and is quantifiably better for the > planet as well.” > > ### > > > > View our latest: > Reports > Op-eds & Columns > Data Bytes > Beat the Press > CEPR Blog > Haiti Relief and Reconstruction Watch > Events > > > About > The Center for Economic and Policy Research is an independent, nonpartisan > think tank that was established to promote democratic debate on the most > important economic and social issues that affect people's lives. CEPR's > Advisory Board includes Nobel Laureate economists Robert Solow and Joseph > Stiglitz; Janet Gornick, Professor at the CUNY Graduate Center and Director > of the Luxembourg Income Study; and Richard Freeman, Professor of Economics > at Harvard University. > > > > > > > > > Center for Economic and Policy Research, 1611 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 400, > Washington, DC 20009 > Phone: (202) 293-5380, Fax: (202) 588-1356 > > Subscribe • Update Subscriptions • Unsubscribe > > > >
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