Comments on: FT Declares Cap and Trade DOA http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4893 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:36:51 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: BRIANMFLYNN http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4893&cpage=1#comment-11610 BRIANMFLYNN Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:55:08 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4893#comment-11610 Someone should alert Chad's officials that their apparent hopes for a killing in the "hot air" market have dimmed, and that they should now relax the coal restriction to enable their city dwellers to cook their foodstuffs. Someone should alert Chad’s officials that their apparent hopes for a killing in the “hot air” market have dimmed, and that they should now relax the coal restriction to enable their city dwellers to cook their foodstuffs.

]]> By: jblethen http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4893&cpage=1#comment-11609 jblethen Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:49:10 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4893#comment-11609 But EPA will soon make an endangerment finding and will then be legally bound to regulate CO2 (and other GHGs). This will happen unless Congress removes their jurisdiction over GHGs, but enviros will scream bloody murder if it tries to do that. But EPA will soon make an endangerment finding and will then be legally bound to regulate CO2 (and other GHGs). This will happen unless Congress removes their jurisdiction over GHGs, but enviros will scream bloody murder if it tries to do that.

]]> By: bend http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4893&cpage=1#comment-11607 bend Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:14:12 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4893#comment-11607 "Given the short-term contractionary effects of imposing an indirect tax on carbon, it will now almost certainly be shelved." I agree, and yes, it could be a very good thing, for several reasons, that cap and trade is dead. Several things about this sentence in particular. 1) The only reason for cap and trade schemes is to make increased energy prices look like the result of producers instead of public policy. A direct carbon tax would be more transparent and less prone to corruption and manipulation. 2) Of course any tax, direct or indirect, will have contractionary effects. Understandably, this is especially undesirable when the economy is contracting for other reasons. Moreover, there's always a recession somewhere and on some level of the economic ladder. Unless you can convince nations, states, communities and individuals to sacrifice even in times of hardship, no meaningful mitigation will be achieved until we run out of coal, oil, natural gas, etc. “Given the short-term contractionary effects of imposing an indirect tax on carbon, it will now almost certainly be shelved.”

I agree, and yes, it could be a very good thing, for several reasons, that cap and trade is dead. Several things about this sentence in particular.

1) The only reason for cap and trade schemes is to make increased energy prices look like the result of producers instead of public policy. A direct carbon tax would be more transparent and less prone to corruption and manipulation.

2) Of course any tax, direct or indirect, will have contractionary effects. Understandably, this is especially undesirable when the economy is contracting for other reasons. Moreover, there’s always a recession somewhere and on some level of the economic ladder. Unless you can convince nations, states, communities and individuals to sacrifice even in times of hardship, no meaningful mitigation will be achieved until we run out of coal, oil, natural gas, etc.

]]> By: jae http://cstpr.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4893&cpage=1#comment-11606 jae Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:32:30 +0000 http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/prometheus/?p=4893#comment-11606 Great news, if it's true. Gives the public more time to learn about all the tradeoffs and costs. The James Hansen and AlGore types will be very disappointed, indeed. The big problem for them is that we would then have only 3 years left to save Mother Earth! Great news, if it’s true. Gives the public more time to learn about all the tradeoffs and costs. The James Hansen and AlGore types will be very disappointed, indeed. The big problem for them is that we would then have only 3 years left to save Mother Earth!

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