As discussed in the main post, Price signals don’t always work, creating a meaningful connection between energy price signals and consumers is challenged by a number of market barriers. Those market barriers are particularly acute when it comes to energy waste (but are also present for customer-sited renewable energy); overcoming barriers to energy efficiency requires [...]
Bob Inglis’ call to rely on a carbon tax as the main weapon to fight climate change is based on the idea that price signals, or the “power of free markets,” are central to the solution to climate change. Paradoxically, ensuring that price signals connect meaningfully with the energy consumer often requires government regulation, mandates, [...]
This post provides notes and further explanation for the main post, Free market perspective already dominates the climate policy debate. Note 1 (on the equivalence of cap and trade to a carbon tax): Sebastian Rausch and his colleagues at MIT write that, “A cap and trade system with fully auctioned permits is equivalent in impact [...]
As Grist’s David Roberts might remind us, Bob Inglis’ recent climate change commentaries are a throwback to an era when policy and appeals to self interest had a role in national politics. A year after reasoned debate abruptly surrendered to unhinged anti-environmental sentiment, Bob Inglis’ perspective is barely heard by the most vocal members of [...]
Former U.S. Congressman Bob Inglis (R – SC) once again provoked organized climate change denialists with his recent essay, “Conservative Means Standing With Science on Climate” (Bloomberg Businessweek; a similar essay appeared in USAToday). Responses to his essay have been surprisingly muted; energy lobbyist Mark McKenna offered a superficial riposte, ClimateProgress simply re-posted the piece [...]
Each year, starting in 1989, an annual report titled, “Our Changing Planet” has been produced by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and submitted to Congress. The USGCRP also conducts the National Climate Assessment (NCA), which has been previously completed in 2000 and 2009. The assessment serves as a “status report” on the latest [...]
President Obama recently announced the cancellation of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to update weak and scientifically unsupported Bush-era ozone standards. The President based this unfortunate decision on the newly popular idea that protecting human health and the environment is bad for the economy. The President bought into this rhetoric from Tea Party elites despite [...]
Here’s one truth: climate science is real. Here’s another: every one of us contributes to the climate crisis and every one of us has the ability to help solve it. These simple truths inspired the Climate Reality Project: today’s 24 hour, multi-media event developed by former Vice President Al Gore to draw the world’s attention [...]
When Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) tossed his hat in the ring seeking the GOP presidential nomination he made quite a splash. During his first week on the campaign trail, Perry shared his thoughts on evolution vs. creationism, called Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernake’s financial strategy ‘treasonous‘ and made it clear he’s skeptical of climate [...]
President Obama announced today that he is tossing aside a long-anticipated plan to strengthen air quality standards for ozone. In this disappointing move, the Administration claims that rejection of this human health safeguard is an effort to minimize “regulatory costs” and “promote economic growth” according to a letter from the White House to the Environmental Protection [...]
