Beam me to Planet Gore !
Posted on 05/21/2008 10:19:04 AM PDT by Bob J
John McCain will establish a market-based system to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mobilize innovative technologies, and strengthen the economy. He will work with our international partners to secure our energy future, to create opportunities for American industry, and to leave a better future for our children.
John McCain's Principles for Climate Policy
• Climate Policy Should Be Built On Scientifically-Sound, Mandatory Emission Reduction Targets And Timetables.
• Climate Policy Should Utilize A Market-Based Cap And Trade System.
• Climate Policy Must Include Mechanisms To Minimize Costs And Work Effectively With Other Markets.
• Climate Policy Must Spur The Development And Deployment Of Advanced Technology.
• Climate Policy Must Facilitate International Efforts To Solve The Problem.
John McCain's Cap and Trade Policy
John McCain Proposes A Cap-And-Trade System That Would Set Limits On Greenhouse Gas Emissions While Encouraging The Development Of Low-Cost Compliance Options. A climate cap-and-trade mechanism would set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions and allow entities to buy and sell rights to emit, similar to the successful acid rain trading program of the early 1990s. The key feature of this mechanism is that it allows the market to decide and encourage the lowest-cost compliance options.
How Does A Cap-And-Trade System Work?
A cap-and-trade system harnesses human ingenuity in the pursuit of alternatives to carbon-based fuels. Market participants are allotted total permits equal to the cap on greenhouse gas emissions. If they can invent, improve, or acquire a way to reduce their emissions, they can sell their extra permits for cash. The profit motive will coordinate the efforts of venture capitalists, corporate planners, entrepreneurs, and environmentalists on the common motive of reducing emissions.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Targets And Timetables
2012: Return Emissions To 2005 Levels (18 Percent Above 1990 Levels)
2020: Return Emissions To 1990 Levels (15 Percent Below 2005 Levels)
2030: 22 Percent Below 1990 Levels (34 Percent Below 2005 Levels)
2050: 60 Percent Below 1990 Levels (66 Percent Below 2005 Levels)
The Cap And Trade System Would Allow For The Gradual Reduction Of Emissions.
The cap and trade system would encompass electric power, transportation fuels, commercial business, and industrial business – sectors responsible for just below 90 percent of all emissions. Small businesses would be exempt. Initially, participants would be allowed to either make their own GHG reductions or purchase "offsets" – financial instruments representing a reduction, avoidance, or sequestration of greenhouse gas emissions practiced by other activities, such as agriculture – to cover 100 percent of their required reductions. Offsets would only be available through a program dedicated to ensure that all offset GHG emission reductions are real, measured and verifiable. The fraction of GHG emission reductions permitted via offsets would decline over time.
Innovating, Developing and Deploying Technologies
To Support The Cap And Trade System, John McCain Will Promote The Innovation, Development And Deployment Of Advanced Technologies. John McCain will reform federal government research funding and infrastructure to support the cap and trade emissions reduction goals and emphasize the commercialization of low-carbon technologies. Under John McCain's plan:
Emissions Permits Will Eventually Be Auctioned To Support The Development Of Advanced Technologies. A portion of the process of these auctions will be used to support a diversified portfolio of research and commercialization challenges, ranging from carbon capture and sequestration, to nuclear power, to battery development. Funds will also be used to provide financial backing for a Green Innovation Financing and Transfer (GIFT) to facilitate commercialization.
John McCain Will Streamline The Process For Deploying New Technologies And Requiring More Accountability From Government Programs To Meet Commercialization Goals And Deadlines.
John McCain Will Ensure Rapid Technology Introduction, Quickly Shifting Research From The Laboratory To The Marketplace.
John McCain Will Employ The Inherent Incentives Provided By A Cap-And-Trade System Along With Government-Led Competitions As Incentives For New Technology Deployment.
John McCain Will Foster Rapid and Clean Economic Growth
John McCain Believes An Effective And Sustainable Climate Policy Must Also Support Rapid Economic Growth. John McCain will use a portion of auction proceeds to reduce impacts on low-income American families. The McCain plan will accomplish this in part by incorporating measures to mitigate any economic cost of meeting emission targets, including:
Trading Emission Permits To Find The Lowest-Cost Source Of Emission Reductions.
Permitting "Banking" And "Borrowing" Of Permits So That Emission Reductions May Be Accelerated Or Deferred To More Economically Efficient Periods.
Permitting Unlimited Initial Offsets From Both Domestic And International Sources.
Effectively Integrating U.S. Trading With Other International Markets, Thereby Providing Access To Low-Cost Permit Sources.
Establishing A Strategic Carbon Reserve As A National Source Of Permits During Periods Of Economic Duress.
Early Allocation Of Some Emission Permits On Sound Principles. This will provide significant amount of allowances for auctioning to provide funding for transition assistance for consumers and industry. It will also directly allocate sufficient permits to enable the activities of a Climate Change Credit Corporation, the public-private agency that will oversee the cap and trade program, provide credit to entities for reductions made before 2012, and ease transition for industry with competitiveness concerns and fewer efficiency technology options.
A commission will also be convened to provide recommendations on the percentage of allowances to be provided for free and the percentage of allowances to be auctioned, and develop a schedule for transition from allocated to maximum auctioned allowances. Cap-and-trade system will also work to maximize the amount of allowances that are auctioned off by 2050.
John McCain Will Provide Leadership for Effective International Efforts
John McCain Believes That There Must Be A Global Solution To Global Climate Change. John McCain will engage the international community in a coordinated effort by:
Actively Engaging To Lead United Nations Negotiations.
Permitting America To Lead In Innovation, Capture The Market On Low-Carbon Energy Production, And Export To Developing Countries – Including Government Incentives And Partnerships For Sales Of Clean Tech To Developing Countries.
Provide Incentives For Rapid Participation By India And China, While Negotiating An Agreement With Each.
John McCain Will Develop a Climate Change Adaptation Plan
John McCain Believes A Comprehensive Approach To Addressing Climate Change Includes Adaptation As Well As Mitigation. He believes:
An Adaptation Plan Should Be Based Upon National And Regional Scientific Assessments Of The Impacts Of Climate Change.
An Adaptation Plan Should Focus On Implementation At The Local Level Which Is Where Impacts Will Manifest Themselves.
A Comprehensive Plan Will Address The Full Range Of Issues: Infrastructure, Ecosystems, Resource Planning, And Emergency Preparation.
‘’Every time a cow farts, another polar bear drowns.’’ - John McCain
STEPHANOPOULOS: How about on the issue of climate change? Because you and Sen. [Joe] Lieberman [I-Conn.] have come out for a bill which would have mandatory reductions in greenhouse gases.
MCCAIN: Gradual reductions, yes.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But they are mandatory.
MCCAIN: Yes.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Are you sticking by that?
MCCAIN: What I mean by that is that it's cap-and-trade, that there will be incentives for people to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It's a free-market approach. The Europeans are using it now. We did it in the case of addressing acid rain -- look, if we do that, we stimulate green technologies. I have great faith in the American industry. General Electric, the world's largest corporation, has announced they're dedicated to green technologies. This will be profit-making business.
It won't cost the American taxpayer. It will make profits, because we'll move forward with the innovation and ability of American industry to address this issue.
How much digging have you done to damage or slow down the candidacy of Barak Obama?
I'm NOT accusing you of being for Barak. I am alleging that Bush Derangement Syndrome of the left has morphed somewhat into McCain Derangement Syndrome of many on the right.
Obama is such a threat to the conservative cause and the nations well being and so many on the right are doing NOTHING to stop his ascent. Why? Because they are so consumed with the failures of John McCain.
I suggest you get up to speed on things. I’ve been battling the Anti-McCainians for months. Not that I love McCain but that I am shocked at their propagandist tactics and intimidation of those who would vote for McCain as a vote against Barack.
I prefer a rational debate on McCains positions and have been individually posting them, from his website, for over a week. Hiding McCains positions on issues such as immigration or globull warming is no better than the ant-McCainiacs trying to misrepresent where he stands onissues we would agree with.
I say get it all out in the open so ignorance can be defeated.
I figure at the very least to get the full blown McCain haters to direct their efforts against Obama and it might be constructive.
I have seen the other position posts but the “BARF alert” made me think this was a knock off post patterned to look like your others but designed to whip up the haters.
Again, I don't think said anything to apologize for but if I did, I am sorry.
You McCainiacs need to keep up. :)
You implied I was “digging”, for what I don’t know, something on McCain. I took that post directly off his website...hardly digging.
You then implied because I wasn’t doing any “digging” on obama I was working against McCain and for obama.
I understand you may be a little quick to pull the trigger after what we have seen from the anti-McCainiacs these last few months, but a little less knee jerking on either side would be good for FR.
How Does A Cap-And-Trade System Work?
Cap prosperity.
Trade-in freedom.
I want someone who believes McCain is acceptable to conservatives to explain to me how this is a “market-based system”.
General Electric, the world's largest corporation, has announced they're dedicated to green technologies. This will be profit-making business.It won't cost the American taxpayer. It will make profits
ROTFLMAO... but then, he admitted that he doesn't know anything about economics.
Wait-a-sec. This really isn't funny. I'm not laughing. I'm crying...
ROTFCMAO
As per your quote - I’m not inclined to vote for a guy stupid enough to believe all of this global warming crap. And you can perhaps get some of the votes from the dumb moderates that believe in it - but sway the conversation to energy independence, lower prices, using new technology, etc.
Of course Obama thinks there are 58 states......
If McCain pushes this issue, i will stay home in November. I cannot in good conscience vote for someone who supports such dangerous policies. Is Obama worse? Of course he is. But this is my last straw. The GOP gets NO MORE $$$$ from me until they understand this.
This environmental activism is based on absolute crap!
I’ve been battling the Anti-McCainians for months. Not that I love McCain but that I am shocked at their propagandist tactics and intimidation of those who would vote for McCain as a vote against Barack.
Hiding McCains positions on issues such as immigration or globull warming is no better than the ant-McCainiacs trying to misrepresent where he stands onissues we would agree with.
I say get it all out in the open so ignorance can be defeated.
—
Kudos. You finally posted it and as always seek to take the high road. We get the choice of the lesser of two poisons offered this go-around and you’re worried about fairness... and somehow managing to claim victimhood for McCain at the same time on some issues, even tho you’re not really for him,, uh huh.
Cumulatively, he sucks, the party sucks, they have inflicted more body shots to their own base than anyone and they know it, more than a few polls reflect it, yet they remain yolked to a millstone that will eventually sink them into anonymity for another 50 years.
btw, I haven’t seen one damn person here who said they would vote FOR Obama.
From aRnie to McCain, the message is clear, Screw you, Conservatives! Talk about your anti- agenda.
Ya reap what ya sow. I guess that’s what we get letting a few seize the reins of the party. More chickens coming home to roost.
Love the continued ‘broad brush’ as well. Fitting of an anti-McCainian (Progre$$ive) crusader.
btw, I’d name some names, call them out, the propagandists and intimidators, that is, if you feel so strongly. Heck, It might be interesting and informative too.
If anything the delegates should consider ditching their nominees for both parties and starting over , this marathon primary season has done little to offer much hope for many , in fact, quite a few have seen what could well lay ahead with either of the presumptive nominees elected.
It’s not too late for sanity to return to the stage ..
Of course it will strengthen the Economy by burdening it with oppressive Emissions payments, just like increasing taxes will stimulate the economy \barf. This is just Clintonomics warmed over.
I was attempting to post them in the order they are on the McCain site but they have been switched around, more than once it appears.
Doesn’t matter, they’ll all go up eventually.
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