Earth Equity News

"Robert J. Shapiro, Chairman and Founder, Sonecon, U.S. Climate Task Force. 'The landscape for Senate discussion and eventual action on the climate is changing in important ways that are likely to expand the terms of public debate. The first critical shift is the grudging recognition in the White House and across the Senate that cap-and-trade has no better prospect of securing 60 votes this year than it has in the past, when it's failed to come anywhere close. The second crucial change is new pressures building to pass something to preempt direct EPA regulation... And if cap-and-trade can't attract the votes, that suggests we'll hear more this year about a revenue-neutral, carbon-based tax. Two early signs are a new proposal from Maria Cantwell that's a hybrid of a carbon tax and cap-and-trade, and recent favorable comments from Jeff Bingaman, the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker. Carbon taxes are also an approach that's sharply cut emissions in Scandinavia, one that the EU is actively exploring following the disappointments of its cap-and-trade-based European Trading Scheme, and it's even the plan that Al Gore has long favored. A real public discussion and debate about a carbon tax, tied to offsetting cuts in payroll or other taxes, could be the best news for the climate in a very long time.'"