Comments on: Capping Carbon: Is Nothing Better than Something? http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/ The Latest on Climate Science, Solutions, and Politics Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:53:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: John http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/#comment-5762 John Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:01:11 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/#comment-5762 Bill: I favor holding out for an agressive federal goal (30% or better) while working with states to pursue agressie goals comparable to California's. I believe if Congress passes something, it will be all we get for a long time to come, and people will think the problem's been addressed. The most important thing we can do at this point is to be brutally honest about how serious the challnege is and how dificult it will be to meet it. Half-measures will put the issue on the back burner, something we don't have time for. Ironically, waiting for a serious measure may be the only thing that will save us. that and aggressive state action. Bill:

I favor holding out for an agressive federal goal (30% or better) while working with states to pursue agressie goals comparable to California’s.

I believe if Congress passes something, it will be all we get for a long time to come, and people will think the problem’s been addressed.

The most important thing we can do at this point is to be brutally honest about how serious the challnege is and how dificult it will be to meet it. Half-measures will put the issue on the back burner, something we don’t have time for. Ironically, waiting for a serious measure may be the only thing that will save us. that and aggressive state action.

]]> By: Dan http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/#comment-5763 Dan Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:55:35 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/#comment-5763 Your concern is certainly justified "that once Congress passes a bill — any bill — the political pressure for action will disappear and we’ll be stuck indefinitely with a cap that isn’t worthy of the world’s second-largest carbon polluter?" The last thing we need is a weak cap-and-trade bill with allowances given away based upon past pollution. By waiting for the next Congress, there will be an opportunity to get past the hype and to explore the weaknesses of proposed cap-and-trade legislation. The pressure to do something will be even more intense and we'll have a better chance of obtaining the gold standard of a revenue-neutral carbon tax or, if not that, a cap and auction. Your concern is certainly justified “that once Congress passes a bill — any bill — the political pressure for action will disappear and we’ll be stuck indefinitely with a cap that isn’t worthy of the world’s second-largest carbon polluter?” The last thing we need is a weak cap-and-trade bill with allowances given away based upon past pollution. By waiting for the next Congress, there will be an opportunity to get past the hype and to explore the weaknesses of proposed cap-and-trade legislation. The pressure to do something will be even more intense and we’ll have a better chance of obtaining the gold standard of a revenue-neutral carbon tax or, if not that, a cap and auction.

]]> By: Earl Killian http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/#comment-5765 Earl Killian Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:31:53 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/#comment-5765 I believe Congress passing a strong cap-auction-rebate bill now would make a big difference. Sure, Bush would veto it, but to corporations across the country this would be a wakeup call, initiating change now, because of the likelihood that the next President would sign it. For example, I would expect Wall Street to withdraw funding for many of the coal power plants proposed around the nation if Congress passes a strong bill, even if it is then vetoed. I believe Congress passing a strong cap-auction-rebate bill now would make a big difference. Sure, Bush would veto it, but to corporations across the country this would be a wakeup call, initiating change now, because of the likelihood that the next President would sign it. For example, I would expect Wall Street to withdraw funding for many of the coal power plants proposed around the nation if Congress passes a strong bill, even if it is then vetoed.

]]> By: Shannon http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/#comment-5766 Shannon Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:26:44 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/#comment-5766 I think whatever bill comes first in Congress, it will be just the first in many iterations. As for cap-and-trade or carbon taxation, we need to make sure that the fundamental designs of the systems are robust so that we can tweak things like allocations and prices as we go along without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We also need to have auditing safeguards in place now to protect against the inevitable corruption that will come with the selling of offsets and carbon credits. What needs to be prevented now are subsidies for liquid coal. We also need to prevent corn subsidies for ethanol in the Farm Bill. We need to be preventing more coal burning plants from being built now, which commit our future energy choices. I also think we need to protest now against aspirational targets at the polluter's summit scheduled for September 27-28 because this would put the Bali convention off-track and sabotage the replacement to the Kyoto Protocol, which will have an impact for many years. I think whatever bill comes first in Congress, it will be just the first in many iterations. As for cap-and-trade or carbon taxation, we need to make sure that the fundamental designs of the systems are robust so that we can tweak things like allocations and prices as we go along without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We also need to have auditing safeguards in place now to protect against the inevitable corruption that will come with the selling of offsets and carbon credits.

What needs to be prevented now are subsidies for liquid coal. We also need to prevent corn subsidies for ethanol in the Farm Bill. We need to be preventing more coal burning plants from being built now, which commit our future energy choices. I also think we need to protest now against aspirational targets at the polluter’s summit scheduled for September 27-28 because this would put the Bali convention off-track and sabotage the replacement to the Kyoto Protocol, which will have an impact for many years.

]]> By: Steve http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/#comment-5785 Steve Sun, 23 Sep 2007 17:17:43 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/#comment-5785 To your always helpful analysis and call to action.... http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/20/climate-news-recap-7/#respond I meant to say "fully occupy the legislative field." To your always helpful analysis and call to action….

http://climateprogress.org/ 2007/ 09/ 20/ climate-news-recap-7/ #respond

I meant to say “fully occupy the legislative field.”

]]> By: Bill Becker http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/#comment-5792 Bill Becker Sun, 23 Sep 2007 17:50:56 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2007/09/21/capping-carbon-is-nothing-better-than-something/#comment-5792 Shannon: I'm less confident than you that Congress will be willing to take up carbon trading more than once in the next decade. But you're absolutely right about adaptability in whatever legislation passes. Congress should put a provision in the legislation that allows the President to tweak a bill in stronger directions -- for example, moving an upstream bill farther downstream, removing or changing safety valves, etc. -- if the regime isn't performing well enough to meet targets. Legislative changes would take forever, and giving the president some authority would take political pressure off the Hill. Congress also should impose safety valves for the climate. For example, I think the president should direct EPA to begin regulating all GHGs under the Clean Air Act. That would help us get immediate reductions until carbon trading takes effect and serve as a fallback if it doesn't work well. When we try unproven approaches, we need to build redundancy into the law, just as aircraft designers build redundancy into their critical systems. But that's just me. I'm on record about coal. Don't need it. Shouldn't use it. Thanks for your response. Bill Becker Shannon:

I’m less confident than you that Congress will be willing to take up carbon trading more than once in the next decade. But you’re absolutely right about adaptability in whatever legislation passes. Congress should put a provision in the legislation that allows the President to tweak a bill in stronger directions — for example, moving an upstream bill farther downstream, removing or changing safety valves, etc. — if the regime isn’t performing well enough to meet targets. Legislative changes would take forever, and giving the president some authority would take political pressure off the Hill. Congress also should impose safety valves for the climate. For example, I think the president should direct EPA to begin regulating all GHGs under the Clean Air Act. That would help us get immediate reductions until carbon trading takes effect and serve as a fallback if it doesn’t work well. When we try unproven approaches, we need to build redundancy into the law, just as aircraft designers build redundancy into their critical systems. But that’s just me. I’m on record about coal. Don’t need it. Shouldn’t use it.

Thanks for your response.

Bill Becker

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