You don't get carbon credits for shutting down a plant?
On Sat, Jan 26, 2008 at 09:35:32PM -0500, Max B. Sawicky wrote: > Shutting down a plant doesn't get you any points in a cap and trade > scheme. > If the emissions target is set and enforced, it doesn't matter who shuts > down what > or what equipment they buy. Setting the target in and of itself by the > way is easier > than trying to figure out the tax rate that gets you to the target. > > Of course nobody ever tried to game a tax system, yuk yuk. > > I can't speak on offsets. Don't know anything about them. > > Speaking of emissions, my 1996 car failed our state emissions test > because > some little light on the dashboard won't go off. (It says "service > engine soon," > and I've been ignoring it for years.) If I can't find somebody who can > fix it > for a decent price, I'll have to buy another goddamn car. Wonder how the > working class feels about shit like that. > > > > > >I'd add one more argument against cap and trade: it is easier to game > >than a carbon tax. You already mentioned one example of this: > >companies trying to grandfather in normal upgrades in equipment. > >Another entirely predictable possibility: some idiot on Wall St will > >sooner or later try and corner the market for offsets and increase > >costs for everyone else. > > > >One question to ask ourselves: if indeed offsets and taxes are almost > >equivalent why does Wall St love offsets so much? > >-raghu. > > -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929 Tel. 530-898-5321 E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu michaelperelman.wordpress.com
