> Given that to first order, the carbon problem is cumulative
Yes, considering the 21st century, I believe it doesn't matter too much
when the carbon is emitted, the peak concentratation and temperature is
mostly a matter of cumulative carbon emissions.
> Should other fossil resources be left in the ground and an equivalent
> amount of coal recovered? This makes little sense in a global
> perspective, because the amount of energy released per unit of
> environmental damage is dramatically worse for coal than elsewhere.
There is carbon sequestration as an option.
Also, there is a reason to use discount rates other than zero. As long
as a range of investments are available, money saved by cheap coal
today could be invested (say in education in India), and the return
(educated engineers) could then be used to displace another fossil fuel
in a few decades time (say by having Indian engineers construct hybrids
and wind turbines).
I take India as an example, because that's one country with a large
human potential that is still far from realised.
>I don't know how
> existing political structures can accommodate this, but an increasing
> per-unit carbon tax seems best simply because it is the simplest
> representation of the damage. Policies that promote coal or
> differentially discourage other carbon sources are shortsighted and in
> my opinion erroneous.
As I've said before in this thread, the various considerations can be
added up in the tax/subsidy decision. You start by reducing the net
subsidy and then slowly ramp up taxation.
> I am, frankly, surprised to find us in agreement regarding the
> near-term prescription.
I think there's a lot of rhetorical heat that does not correspond to
that massive a difference for actual policy action.
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