[Publius6961]

Finally, many utilities... know regulators will pass along any CO2 reduction costs to consumers via rate hikes. They also view public support of a CO2 program as a low-risk way of soothing environmental antagonists and "socially conscious" investors.

Fancy words; Total Bullpuckey.

The American public is hopelessly stupid if they fall for this one.

Like the Tobacco "tax" modest at first, unlimited presently, business, when cornered, has no compunction whatsoever with acting as tax collector; taxes without limit, if they can get their percentage.

Great! Stealth (useless) uncontrolled Kyoto!

[Always Right]

We have nothing against companies exploiting the business opportunities that regulation sometimes creates; that's capitalism.

That's capitalism??? Sounds more like socialism to me....

[wu_trax]

A "cap-and-trade" program -- creating a property right in CO2 reductions that can be traded for cash -- would thus allow companies to get paid for simply complying with other air-quality rules....

Other firms will benefit by virtue of their niche markets....

Finally, many utilities... know regulators will pass along any CO2 reduction costs to consumers via rate hikes. They also view public support of a CO2 program as a low-risk way of soothing environmental antagonists and "socially conscious" investors.


To me the whole system sounds perfect, much better that any direct law to reduce pollution: it uses the market forces to reduce the pollution in those industries for which it is easiest and most economic to do so. Generally pollution doesn't create any direct costs for companies, but for society as a whole, so it doesn't sound too unreasonable to create some artificial product to cause some costs for those companies.

Altogether i agree that it is by far not enough to make any real difference, but you have to start somewhere.

[Buckeye McFrog]

if this passes we need a worldwide initiative for private individuals to go out and produce as much CO2 as possible