Cap-n-Trade

John Whitehead clarifies the state of the Carbon Emissions debate in Congress, identifying the fact the current trend is more Loophole than Cage in the Cap-n-Trade legislation. A Carbon Tax remains the most effective means to reduce Carbon emissions, because a Tax is an immediate action which must be paid on-site, while Cap-n-Trade always stands on future Targets (which can always be extended with political pressure) and Permits (which can be conveniently increased with political pressure). John also provides this link about Safety Values and compliance Costs.

What angers me no end consists of the confusing garbage put forth throughout the Carbon Emissions argument. Today, and Exercise partner repeated a Claim heard on TV that Cattle were the third worst Emitters of Carbon emissions. I never witnessed the TV discussion, but likely the Order proposed was Industry, Vehicles, and Cattle. No One ever evaluates Household Residence emissions, Restaurant emissions, or even human Open-Air walking. The second element holding precedence states that Volume of Carbon emissions is important; One Morning Rush Hour across the Country probably produces three times the amount in total monthly Carbon Emissions of Cattle in this Country. The last thing to be mentioned is Cattle consume surface Carbon, and emit surface Carbon; my favorite Meat animal, and most Profitable to myself, can only truly be vilified as a Carbon de-Sequestration Agent.

Now it is time for One of my crackpot ideas: The current Trend is for Carbon permits, so how do We make them as effective as actual Carbon taxation? The idea is to go straight to the Source, and tie the Whole to Consumer preference. How can this be done? The simplest way is to only sell Carbon permits to Heads of Households. How would it work? Set a limit on how many Carbon Permit dollars could be purchased per month, with a new Currency issued in Dollar denominations. Businesses would be prohibited from purchase of these Carbon Dollars, but must receive them by Sale of Goods and Services to Consumers–the Price of these Goods set in both regular Dollars plus Carbon Dollars; I would suggest an effective Price would be $.12 per Carbon dollars sold by the Government. Business must pay for their Carbon emissions in Carbon dollars or curtail Production, with the only avenue for their acquisition coming from Consumer Sales. Consumer preference would set the Buying patterns of Consumers, who would be constrained not only by the Price of the Good, but also by their own limited supply of purchasable Carbon dollars. This remains the only effective Cap-n-Trade system, and even here, there would be intense political pressure to increase the monthly purchasable Carbon dollar allowance per Household. lgl