Home > Opinion > Next Bernie Madoff? Emissions Cap-and-Trade Aids the Corrupt, Hurts the Little Guy

Next Bernie Madoff? Emissions Cap-and-Trade Aids the Corrupt, Hurts the Little Guy

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How is it possible that US News & virtually every major media outlet has ignored Cap and Dividend legislation? Check out www.capanddividend.org and http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/policy_library/data/cap_dividend
Our commonly-owned natural resources (like air and water) should not be the gambling chips of the rich and corporations. Cap carbon, charge companies who pollute, and return the money to the American tax payer. Works kind of like Alaska's oil dividend, helping average American families, yet also provides market incentive to corporations to create new technologies to clean up their act. Additionally, if we are charging our own corporations to pollute, we should place a Carbon tax on all imports, which prevents the fear of companies relocating overseas to avoid the the new 'tax'. They would have to still pay in order to sell to the us, the worlds largest consumer population.

Lindsay of OR 3:28PM June 01, 2011

What many people are missing is not just the corruption of CO2 mitigation schemes, but the fact that CO2 based climate change is a fraud that has been based on junk science and wide-spread ignorance over a long period of time. The real science is now overwhelming. An extensive and comprehensive report can be found at: http://www.nipccreport.org/

Richard Wohltmann of PA 5:30PM August 02, 2009

I wonder if this could be the bundle of straw the breaks our economic camel's back. If companies start relocating overseas,losing Americans their jobs, how is the federal income going to stay high enough to do anything besides pay interest on the 10 trillion dollar debt? at least if interest rates rise any. of course they could just print money to pay off the debt and make the US dollar worthless.
--Samuel Peck
www.planotexaspolitics.wordpress.com

Samuel Peck of TX 11:48PM July 01, 2009

Obama's Energy bill is too weak for environmentalists, and has too little of a cost to benefit ratio for Blue- Dog Democrats.The fact that another Enron can make millions on carbon emission permits just adds icing to this spoiled birthday cake, baked in time for the American birthday, July fourth. Looks like the only people coming to the party again are the wealthy and the greedy, while 6.7 million are unemployed, and 1 out of 50 children are homeless. Doesn't Obama understand that we voted him in, to get us out of a recession, and not push us into a depression with another hair- brained scheme that is metaphorically crafted overnight.I have noticed that he doesn't craft or even broadly outline these major pieces of legislation, and there is little or no monitoring of these huge initiatives by him, when he completely delegates them to Congress.Equally disturbing to me is the fact that this Energy bill had a 300 page amendment section added to the 1,200 page docuement,which was placed into the House of Representatives' box at 3 o'clock in the morning on the day the bill was voted on. This is very similar to what happened to the stimulus. With a legal background, it makes me nervous when a situation is artfully designed so that no one can read this bill before it becomes law. This is beginning to be an Obama pattern,and we should start asking about why there is a rush to pass, what in effect, is a contract with the American people, without giving them or Congress enough time, to read it. It's time we began a serious analysis of Obama's legislative products before we sign on the dotted line. We already signed on that line for the stimulus without reading the fine print,and look what we got.In this crisis year of the recession, which is this year, only 25% of the total stimulus was slated,to enter the economy,50% will enter it 2010, and the last 25% in 2011. Why is only 25% slated for this year, and only 5% actually distributed as of today ? And where are the 3 million created or saved jobs? I am beginning to get that same sickening feeling you get when a used car dealer sells you that clunker and rushes you to sign the papers without reading them. We need to really analyze every Obama product from now on before we sign on the dotted line. We must all follow that legal adage which is, "Let the buyer beware."

peggy www.abloggerwithoutablog.com of PA 10:37AM June 29, 2009

We are public sector environmental enforcement attorneys. For those who are interested, we have written an article in our private capacity as parents and citizens on why cap-and-trade is an expensive and ineffective way to attempt to address carbon emissions, and why carbon fees with 100% rebate (monthly to all adults, less for children) would be more effective at creating incentives for conservation and a rapid transition to clean energy technologies as well as being more fair and less costly. You can find our article at http://www.carbonfees.org/home/Cap-and-TradeVsCarbonFees.pdf. We are interested in your questions and feedback. Thank you! Laurie and Allan, Oakland, CA

Laurie Williams of CA 11:25PM April 20, 2009

"There are far better alternatives for dealing with climate change"
I suppose the government can provide more incentives for energy efficiency and clean-tech investment, contribute (like Norway did) to a deforestation prevention fund, or they can impose direct carbon taxes. Can somebody elaborate on these and other alternatives to addressing climate change?
Chris

Chris of AZ 8:12PM April 18, 2009

The real reason Cap & Trade is being foisted on the world is it creates a 3 trillion dollar commodity market for you guessed it: hot air. Finally politicians have found a way to put a price on their most abundant resource! And for politicians there is no downside as nothing has to be actually produced. The real beneficiaries are the rich special interest who will get wealthier setting up and trading in this new commodities market.
The cost will be past to citizens who will pay more taxes to operate new regulatory bureaucracies and more for goods as business passes the cost along to them.
All this based on the premise that operating automobiles is resulting in global warming. Question: did Fred Flintstones truck fleet cause the last period of global warming or is global warming a cyclical event that is more affected by sun spot cycles. The Earth has had multiple tropical and glacial ages over the millennia. The most recent news is that the oceans of the world will be cooling for the next 25-30 years.
Furthermore, it is my understanding that the most prevalent hot house gas is water vapor. Should citizens of earth try to stop the rain cycle?
And if we are going to implement Cap and Trade who will decide what the optimal CO2 carrying capacity of Earth is?
And there are questions about how to implement financial controls and reliably audit such a system. Will every person and business on the planet be issued C02 permits? Is the permit an asset a business can liquidate when it goes out of business? If a business in California goes out of business and sells its CO2 permit to a company in England, will a new company in California have to find another seller to open his business and replace lost jobs? After all, if there is an optimal CO2 carrying capacity then an increasing population of people and businesses means a lower standard of living and reduced CO2 allotment for each new person or business.
Upon their death can Mom and Dad leave their CO2 permits to their children? Should Mom and Dad be limited to having two children?
What about the countries that do not subscribe to Cap & Trade. Will multi-national companies export new construction and jobs to 3rd world non-subscribing countries? And the flipside, will the people of the Amazon miss out on new opportunities because an American company bought 1000s of acres to be left unused to acquire carbon sequestration credits.

BenDoubleCrossed of KY 12:51PM April 18, 2009

Here we have a scam put forward based on the throughly debunked theory of anthropogenic global warming.

Reiko of 10:14PM April 15, 2009

Cap and Trade(TAX) is ENRON forced onto everyone.
Cap and Trade is the most myopic damaging plan for America.
Cap and Trade is not about emissions. It's all about putting the entire U.S. economy
on the shoulders of speculation and manipulation with carbon emissions as a new commodity
to be traded on the Chicago Climate Exchange(CCX) At first politicinas investment funds would be doing well until that ENRON, $150 per barrel oil, sub-prime time comes around again then
we will get the same old story about how we must bail them out. $12 TRILLION later.
It does not matter how painful it is for the people as long as certain New York and California
polititians will be able to divvy up billions amoungst themselves.

Les Horn of GA 6:49PM April 15, 2009

Cap and Trade(TAX) is ENRON forced onto everyone.
Cap and Trade is the most myopic damaging plan for America.
Cap and Trade is not about emissions. It's all about putting the entire U.S. economy
on the shoulders of speculation and manipulation with carbon emissions as a new commodity
to be traded on the Chicago Climate Exchange(CCX) At first politicinas investment funds would be doing well until that ENRON, $150 per barrel oil, sub-prime time comes around again then
we will get the same old story about how we must bail them out. $12 TRILLION later.
It does not matter how painful it is for the people as long as certain New York and California
polititians will be able to divvy up billions amoungst themselves.

Les Horn of GA 6:21PM April 15, 2009