James Hansen proposes "People’s Climate Stewardship / Carbon Fee and Dividend Act of 2010"

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2010/20100425_PeoplesBill.pdf

People’s Climate Stewardship / Carbon Fee and Dividend Act of 2010:

...

Therefore, we propose the People’s Climate Stewardship Act:

1. Collection of Carbon Fees/Carbon Fee Trust Fund: Beginning on July 1, 2011, a carbon fee of $15 per ton of CO2 equivalent emissions will be imposed on all fossil fuels at the point of first sale in the U.S. economy. CO2 equivalent fees shall also be imposed for other greenhouse gases including methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) emitted as byproducts, perfluorocarbons, and nitrogen trifluoride. All fees are to be returned to American households as outlined below.


2. Steady step-up of CC2 Fees, Ensuring Replacement of Fossil Fuels with Low-Carbon Energy: The yearly increase in carbon fees including other greenhouse gasses shall be at least $10 per ton of CO2 equivalent each year, to steadily reduce U.S. CO2-equivalent emissions by 2050 to 10% of the 1990 U.S. CO2-equivalent emissions. EPA and DOE shall annually review greenhouse gas emissions data and determine whether an increase larger than $10 per ton per year is needed to achieve emissions reductions commensurate with that reduction trajectory. If EPA and DOE find that U.S. emissions are not being reduced sufficiently, the CO2 fee shall increase by $15/T CO2 in the following year.


3. Mechanisms for 100% Revenue Return: All revenue from CO2 and CO2 equivalent fees shall be returned to households. Mechanisms include: (1) Equal monthly per-person “dividend” payments made to all U.S. households (1/2 per child under 18 years old, with a limit of 2 children per family) each month beginning on August 28, 2011, (2) Use all carbon fee revenue to reduce payroll taxes for employers and employees. Unemployed persons and Social Security recipients shall receive equivalent distributions.


4. Border Adjustments: To ensure that U.S.-made goods remain competitive abroad and to provide an additional incentive for U.S. trading partners to adopt their own carbon fees, Carbon-Fee-Equivalent Tariffs shall be charged for goods entering the U.S. from countries without comparable Carbon Fees. Carbon-Fee-Equivalent rebates shall reduce the price of exports to such countries and ensure that U.S. goods remain competitive in those countries.

...

(Follow the link for a PDF of the entire proposal.)

[wtmusic]

1. Exactly what the doctor ordered. K&R.

[Statistical]

2. Too easy.

I mean it is simple and would radically change the "playing field" while at the same time being a CO2 ratchet (costs for carbon only go up, emissions only go down).

Hell with a bill like this I would be for ending all non R&D subsidies for all forms of power (not just fossil fuels).

[joshcryer]

3. This is the single payer of climate change.

The best, most economical, most fair approach you can go.

Unfortunately, like single payer, it doesn't have a chance in hell of passing. *sigh*

[Statistical]

6. I like that "single payer of climate change".

Sadly I agree with your assessment.

Congress tends to not like simple, universal, fair ideas. It makes them less iportant.

Congress could pass this, cut all subsidies for all forms of energy (keep a pool of money for energy R&D funding) and the system would take care of its self.

[wtmusic]

7. It would have a chance of passing

if Obama got behind it.

Not the way he got behind healthcare - a pulling-all-stops-out, my-way-or-the-highway effort. No negotiation, but start low with the tax.

Better yet - start with the dividend.

[joshcryer]

9. Like in Canada, it's political suicide to *not* back such a plan.

Too bad we're not that way here. It'd be spun spun spun so badly.

[intheflow]

4. This guy rocks.

If only congress had listened to him in 1988 we could have been well on our way to greatly reducing emissions and increased revenue collection already.

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. If you like his proposal

I suggest you drop a line to your US Representative and Senators.

[wtmusic]

8. Done.

:thumbsup:

[Nihil]

10. That would be so good ...

... wonder if we could get someone to propose a similar thing over here? (UK)

:think:

(Yes, I know that it is an "ideal world" target but without such targets,
what chance do we have at getting there?)