clair031

Summary .   The worldwide need to abate emissions of greenhouse gases is becoming more important with every passing year.   Nevertheless, the U. S. has never enacted federal legislation that would limit its emissions.      This post describes a proposal for a cap-and-trade market mechanism to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the U. S. , presented in a recent op-ed article.   Then cap-and-trade is compared with a direct tax or fee on carbon fuels.   It is concluded that a carbon tax or fee is far more advantageous than a cap-and-trade mechanism, for its effectiveness, efficiency and freedom from the need to create a new bureaucracy to oversee its operation.   The revenues generated can be applied in a variety of ways that would be politically acceptable.   Adoption of a carbon tax or fee in the U. S. is strongly recommended.   Introduction .   The nations of the world are currently on a path of emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs)...

Summary .   Four former Administrators of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, all of whom served under Republican presidents, are urging the members of the U. S. Congress to overcome partisan divisions and pass meaningful legislation to combat global warming.   They state that science clearly shows the planet is warming, and point out that further inaction is harmful because the window of time remaining for action is shrinking.   They observe that President Obama’s Climate Action Plan is noteworthy and should be endorsed by the Congress.   Additionally they propose a fee on use of carbon fuels as an effective means for abating the rate of emissions and consequent worsening of global warming.   Here, we present an example of the effectiveness of a tax on gasoline fuel in reducing consumption. Carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere, once emitted, and remains for very long times without being removed by natural processes or human technology.   Th...

Summary .   The United States has never passed a law enshrining a national policy to combat global warming.   In the absence of Congressional action, President Obama presented his Climate Action Plan in a speech and accompanying written program on June 25, 2013 .   It contains a large number of specific initiatives grouped as cutting carbon pollution, protecting the country from the impacts of global warming, and working internationally to fight global warming. The Action Plan contains many worthy features, some of which can be put into operation by administrative action, and others requiring budgetary action by the Congress.   It complements actions already taken to make cars and electric generating plants operate with greater fuel efficiency. The President has also promoted an “All of the Above” energy policy which includes expanding domestic production of fossil fuels.   New fossil fuel uses make certain that GHG emissions will continue for decades. ...

Summary .   Global warming and cooling cycles over geological time scales are correlated with increasing and decreasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, respectively.   This post documents correlated changes occurring   a) during the recent post-industrial period of global warming, b) over the last one thousand years, and c) over the past 800,000 years.   Except for the industrial period, these changes reflect only global physical processes not involving actions by mankind, showing that the greenhouse effect is an established physical phenomenon.   Each geological warming or cooling trend, coupled with its change in carbon dioxide concentration, occurs very slowly, lasting thousands of years.   The current man-made warming trend, in contrast, is occurring at least 60 times faster, and its pace is accelerating.   Introduction . The previous post   discussed variations over time in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO ...