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Cap-and-trade is not the way to control carbon emissions.
| Intro | Background | Media | Tools |
"Cap and trade" proposals would . . .
- Place a limitation on the level of CO2 emissions
- Sell permits to businesses that would allow them to emit CO2 in amounts equal to the cap
- Allow businesses to trade and/or sell these permits to each other -- allegedly creating a market to encourage innovations that would reduce CO2 emissions
- Use the proceeds from the sale of these permits to create a vast new research bureaucracy designed to help corporations cope with the cap
As a practical matter, "cap and trade" proposals will result in. . .
- An increase in your electricity and gasoline bills
- New tools for politicians to control the economy, hand out favors, and punish enemies
- Greater levels of inefficient "research," just like the Energy Department has done
- Almost no improvement in reducing overall CO-2 emissions (if the example of Europe is a reliable guide)
Even if you accept that human CO2 emissions are causing problematic global warming, a government run "cap and trade" system is not the way to deal with this problem. There is a better way. Here are some points to consider . . .
- Fossil fuels create massive amounts of air pollution, quite apart from CO2.
- This pollution causes health problems, none of which are reflected in the price of fossil fuels.
- Fossil fuels enjoy a "free ride" in terms of pollution costs that make it hard for alternative sources of energy to compete.
- Air pollution is a form of trespass, and a case can certainly be made that dealing with such trespasses is a legitimate function of government.
- Taxing fossil fuels
- Cutting other taxes so that your overall financial burden would remain unchanged
Your energy costs would rise, but your taxes would fall by an equal amount. Doing this would . . .
- Eliminate the justification for a "cap and trade" boondoggle
- Make fossil fuels reflect more of their true costs
- Provide an incentive for everyone to reduce their use of fossil fuels
- Make other sources of energy cost competitive
- Limit the financial impact on you and the economy
- Help reduce air pollution, including CO2 emissions
We know that most Americans are concerned about pollution and the environment, and for those who feel this way, a carbon tax combined with tax cuts in other areas would be a better approach. But THIS CAMPAIGN is about stopping the "cap and trade" boondoggle, because if you really care about the environment, this proposal has only symbolic value.
Please use the form below to send your Senators a message opposing the so-called "Climate Security Act" and all other "cap and trade" schemes.
Sending a message is easy. You can write as much or as little as you want. And we start with a brief sentence or two for you. We do this so that . . .
- The most important point of this campaign is not lost on the Congressional office.
- No one can hijack our system for a purpose inconsistent with Downsizing DC.
- But you can still personalize the rest of your message — explain why you were motivated to send this message, or what you believe is the most compelling argument in support of your position.
Are these messages read even with so many folks sending a common first line? You bet they are! Congress cannot afford not to pay attention. And many DC Downsizers get responses from their Congressmen. If you receive a letter, feel free to share it with us at comments@DownsizeDC.org.
- If you've used our Educate the Powerful SystemSM before just enter your user email address and password, and hit GO. You'll be taken to a screen where you can add your own comments to the message to your elected representatives.
- If you're using our Educate the Powerful SystemSM for the first time, please fill out the form for new users. This information is used to direct your message to the correct Senators. Please provide your own password. Do not let the system create one for you. Remember your password. It will allow you to use our system easily in the future for other issues.