The Oil Industry On Cap And Trade

Posted on | February 19, 2009 | 6 Comments

by Widgette.com

Cap and trade is a government and business plan to help reduce human induced climate change. Under such a plan, polluters are taxed if they go over the cap. Companies that pollute under the cap are given credits that they can trade in the commodities markets.

The system has been in place in the EU for quite some time. Australia will start its cap and trade plan in 2010. After Barack Obama was elected President, Canada announced that they want a North America cap and trade system.

Several of the leaders in the fossil fuel industry have also started pushing for cap and trade.

Chevron says, “Guided by our Seven Principles for Addressing Climate Change, published in 2007, Chevron is working internationally and at the U.S. federal and state levels to build consensus on climate change policy. For example… in Australia, we provided input to the government on the development of a carbon trading program.”

Shell Oil says that cap-and-trade is “a good thing.”

Instead of cap and trade, ExxonMobil has said they would like a US carbon tax so they could gain certainty over how much carbon will cost in the future.

Exxon’s chief executive Rex Tillerson, said that while “it is hard to speak favourably about any new tax”, a carbon tax represents “a more direct, a more transparent and a more effective approach” than cap-and-trade mechanisms.

However, Shell would rather see cap and trade. James Smith, chairman of Shell UK said, “The cap in a cap-and-schemes trade ensures that the environmental objective is met – it works and it is already proven that it works,” he said, adding that any government setting a carbon tax would face the difficult challenge of setting the right price. “Set it too low and you won’t meet the environmental objectives, too high and you cut off economic activity.”

Washington State to “Cap and Trade” Pollution?

Posted on | February 19, 2009 | Comments Off

The state of Washington has introduced House Bill 1819. The Bill intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a cap and trade program. However, the original Bill has had some of the gas let out of it. The cap on pollution is still in the Bill, but the trade part of the Bill has been put on hold.

“That bill getting out of committee means the Legislature is serious about passing something this year,” said Clifford Traisman, of the lobbyist group the Washington Environmental Council. “It still includes key language setting deadlines for cutting emissions and clarifying the state’s ability to enforce the emission goals. It’s a significant step forward,”

“This bill isn’t good for Washington,” said Rep. Matt Shea, R-Mead. “This bill is good for China and countries like that, developing third world countries that aren’t controlling their pollution and aren’t doing anything.”

Green Headlines: Meat Defeats

Posted on | February 18, 2009 | Comments Off

There is growing evidence that the production of meat for human consumptioin is a leading cause of global warming.
Article: Hamburgers are the Hummers of Food in Global Warming: Scientists

Article: Holy Cow! (The Poop On Poop)

Widespread Bird Movements Point to Global Warming

Posted on | February 13, 2009 | Comments Off

New Audubon Study Shows Many Birds are Moving North
Birds and Climate Change: On the Move

Nearly 60% of the 305 species found in North America in winter are on the move, shifting their ranges northward by an average of 35 miles. Audubon scientists analyzed 40 years of citizen-science Christmas Bird Count data — and their findings provide new and powerful evidence that global warming is having a serious impact on natural systems. Northward movement was detected among species of every type, including more than 70 percent of highly adaptable forest and feeder birds.

Only grassland species were an exception – with only 38 percent mirroring the northward trend. But far from being good news for species like Eastern Meadowlark and Henslow’s Sparrow, this reflects the grim reality of severely-depleted grassland habitat and suggests that these species now face a double threat from the combined stresses of habitat loss and climate adaptation.

It is the complete picture of widespread movement and the failure of some species to move at all that illustrate the impacts of climate change on birds. They are sending us a powerful signal that we need to 1) take policy action to curb climate change and its impacts, and 2) help wildlife and ecosystems adapt to unavoidable habitat changes, even as we work to curb climate change itself.