States Want Cap-and-Trade Added to U.S. Carbon Rules

[ProSense]

Source: Bloomberg

U.S. states with cap-and-trade laws want the Obama administration to add their carbon markets into new federal greenhouse-gas regulations, a California environmental official said.

State-run carbon-trading programs should be “treated as equivalents or substitutes” for Environmental Protection Agency regulations for emissions tied to global warming from power plants, oil refineries and factories, Mary Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board, said yesterday in a telephone interview.

“It would be a way to make sure that industries in our state are not being penalized by being regulated by EPA on top of what the state is doing,” Nichols said.

California plans to start a cap-and-trade program in 2012 and it may be expanded into a regional carbon market that includes New Mexico and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. A group of 10 Northeastern U.S. states already has such a trading program for power plants.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-02/states-want-cap-and-trade-added-to-u-s-epa-s-carbon-regulations.html

[howaboutme]

1. Carbon tax...but no cap and trade

Cap and trade is but another perverted scam intended to enrich the financiers of Wall Street alone, while putting the burden and costs on every American. Screw these greedy bastards who have already raped our country and robbed our Treasury and who get paid 1000x what they are actually worth, only because they selectively choose who should be in their elitist club and how much they alone should be rewarded.

In case it isn't obvious, my opinion of the Wall Street financial markets and the players who are overpaid and who rig and benefit from them do not now and never will gain my respect.

[underpants]

2. California, 6th largest economy in the world, is key

as we all heard when we were growing up watching the Price is Right "California emissions" became the standard due to the number of cars sold in Cali.

The market does rule.

California could have created the electric car but (see the documentary) one guy got bought off.

[bluestateguy]

3. Cap and trade is a stupid scheme invented by think tank economists

nt

[ProSense]

4. No

it isn't

[ProudDad]

5. Yes, cap and trade IS the product of dismal think tank economists...!

The link you post is irrelevant to that fact...

And is one person's opinion...

And carries this caveat:

"Of course, as with any policy, cap-and-trade’s success will ultimately depend on strong oversight, transparency, and vigorous enforcement."

I would add that unless the cap is set low enough, the GHG emission reductions that the Earth NEEDS to SURVIVE cannot be accomplished.

For USAmerica to be in compliance we would have to cut GHG emissions to 20% of 1990 levels by 2050. So far, at Copenhagen, USAmerica proposed (in a closed meeting with other major polluters) to "voluntarily" cut GHG emissions by 7% of 1990 levels.

NO CAP, NO TRADE, just a "promise" that if it won't hurt the USAmerican "economy" (think stock market and banksters) then the US "might" cut their emissions to 93% of 1990 levels by 2050... Big Whoop!!! :puke:

And the Earth still becomes an inhospitable environment for most of her creatures...

So to recap;

First, the USAmerican Empire has refused to even consider cutting GHG enough...

2nd, this is a fucking country that can't even regulate spinach, drug manufacturers or banksters. What possible delusion could convince us that they will exercise "strong oversight, transparency, and vigorous enforcement" over a cap and trade Ponzi scheme...

Cap and Trade as currently proposed in Congress (and filibustered by the repubs in the Senate) IS NOT ENOUGH and wouldn't be enforced...

It's a scam to replace derivatives and credit default swaps as the latest hairbrained scheme to make a shit load of money for the few while destroying the Earth...


We will have to power down ourselves because the corporate capitalist masters won't let the government do it...