Does anyone believe "Cap and Trade" will reduce carbon emissions

[FreakinDJ]

Personally I don't think it will do any thing to reduce carbon emissions but perhaps I'm missing some thing here

What is to prevent the same Multinational Corporations (that have spawned the WTO) from setting up subsidiaries in 3rd world countries where they have lots of carbon credits to burn up and paying off corrupt politicians to allow them to burn through all their carbon credits. Coal Fired Iron Smelting with No Pollution Controls such as we have now in China and India.

I do believe Green Technology at a personal level such as electric cars and solar energy homes and offices will offer the greatest reductions.

[FrenchieCat]

1. Is there a choice between Cap and Trade and Green Technology?

I thought it was all going to be getting done at once.....
and that Cap and Trade is a way of getting big business to
do what they need to do without making them go out of business
at this time....considering how fucked up our economy is.....
and the fact that deficits in this country are way up there. :shrug:

[AllentownJake]

3. Congress is not going to look at this next year

They are looking at re-election and the last thing anyone wants to talk about is this in an election year.

You won't hear about this as an agenda item till 2011 maybe 2013.

They might look at an energy bill to invest in Green Technology seperately this year because it doesn't bring the controversy.

[AllentownJake]

2. No, I think it is a scam

Regulation domestically and Tariffs on imports that don't meet standards in their manufacturing process seem like a wiser solution to me, but than no one can create a market selling offsets.

Doesn't matter, you aren't going to be hearing about it till 2011, after Health Care, the congress has no desire to take on a controversial issue such as this right before they run for re-election.

[The Straight Story]

4. The rich will be able to pollute more and the poor less (nt)

[Hannah Bell]

5. no. it won't. it will be another casino for the financial industry to play in.

[Selatius]

6. You mean to say that corporatists can use corrupt third world countries to escape emissions caps?

Who would've thought right wing/pro-corporate oligarchies and dictatorships existed in the third world? :silly:

[Lagomorph]

7. It'll move money around.

The polluters will buy them if they are forced to and keep right on polluting, I would imagine.

Energy costs will be so high, our winters will be unsurvivable north of Virginia and our smaller population will pollute less.

Perhaps I'm being a tad cynical, but rocketing energy costs are what they've promised us.

[WVRICK13]

8. For Cap and Trade

to work we have to figure out a way for cash to sequester co2. Seriously, buying pollution to stop pollution. Am I missing something? It will raise the price on our consumables without affecting the emissions (my theory). It appears to be smoke and mirrors so the powers that be can say they are addressing the problem.

[Imajika]

9. No...

Cap and Trade is not going anywhere till maybe 2011 anyway. Possibly no action on it till 2013. And even then, getting something through the Senate will be extremely difficult.

If it does pass in 2011 or 2013 it will be so diluted and watered down it will have little to no effect. At best, maybe it will have some symbolic importance which I guess is good.

I am of the opinion that the US public will never be willing to sacrifice anything much for the environment. Everyone pays lip service to being "green" till they have to sacrifice something to do it. The majority are not willing to actually pay more for things to reduce green house gas emissions.

On the upside, many of those who take climate change very seriously are willing to invest heavily in nuclear power. The right also supports that for a whole host of reasons other than combating climate change. So we could achieve something in that area since there is probably majority agreement to crank up the building of nuclear powerplants on both sides. It's something I guess.

[Stevenmarc]

10. Mmmm no

[excess_3]

11. California gets to increase pollution, how is that a reduction? .nt

[Odin2005]

12. C&T is a SCAM. We need a CARBON TAX.

[blindpig]

13. No

It is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

But some people will get very rich.....

[ensho]

14. No, its stupid

nt

[Viking12]

15. Nope. A straight forward carbon tax would be a more effective repsonse.