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Carbon credits can be purchased directly at the point of sale. ... A carbon quota will promote reliance on mass transit, hybrid cars, and renewable energy. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: by Kurt Rempe kurtrempe@yahoo.com


1
by Kurt Rempekurtrempe_at_yahoo.com
Domestic
2
The progressive approach to curbing greenhouse
gas emissions
3
What are domestic tradable carbon quotas?
  • Domestic tradable carbon quotas (DTQs) or
    personal carbon trading is a cap and trade
    system for the reduction of greenhouse gas
    emissions from individual consumers.
  • It is similar to the EU emissions trading scheme
    for corporations or the voluntary Chicago Climate
    Exchange.

4
How does it works?
  • A federal agency will set an annual carbon budget
    based upon an international treaty.
  • global problem global solution
  • Individuals receive a free and equal per capita
    annual carbon allowance loaded onto debit cards.

5
Using carbon credits
  • Carbon credits are subtracted from the debit card
    when the individual makes a carbon energy
    purchase.
  • 1. at the pump 2. when purchasing airline
    tickets (public ground transport is
    excluded)
  • 3. when paying 4. and for any other
    activity which involves
  • utility bills fossil fuels

6
  • Power and fuel created by fossil fuels are
    assigned a carbon rating.
  • Fuel that creates less quantities of ghg
    emissions will require less carbon credits.
  • Promotes clean coal technology
  • Promotes natural gas, biodiesel and ethanol
  • In addition, companies which off set their carbon
    emissions can sell a less carbon costly product
    to consumers.
  • Promotes carbon sequestration
  • Promotes reforestation

7
Selling carbon credits
  • Individuals who exceed their carbon credits must
    purchase additional credits on the carbon market.
  • Carbon cutter can sell unused credits to carbon
    guzzler.

8
Purchasing Carbon Credits
  • Carbon credits can be purchased directly at the
    point of sale.
  • The cost-per-credit is determined by the going
    per credit rate on the carbon market.
  • Similar to exchange rates for foreign currencies.
  • Allowing customers to purchase carbon credits at
    the point of sale allows visitors to the U.S.,
    who do not have a carbon debit card, to purchase
    airline tickets, and fuel.

9
Trading carbon credits
  • Individuals who have excess carbon credits may
    trade them on the carbon market.
  • Carbon credits may be traded
  • Online
  • Over the phone
  • Automated trading at the point of sale

10
Questions?
  • Is it necessary to implement a personal carbon
    trading system?
  • Are there other less intrusive options?
  • Is it possible to implement a personal carbon
    trading system?
  • Political problems
  • Practical problems

11
Can technology solve the problem?
  • Is this really an economic problem?
  • Is it foolish to focus on carbon trading or
    carbon tax schemes?
  • Can we solve this problem through technology?
  • Are people simply unwilling to cut-back on carbon
    usage?
  • Why should they if technology can make the
    necessary carbon cuts for us.

12
Ari Fleischer's words in May 2001, explaining the
president's view that our energy needs should be
addressed by expanding supply, not by managing
demand
  • The president believes that high energy
    consumption is an American way of life, and that
    it should be the goal of policy makers to protect
    the American way of life. The American way of
    life is a blessed one, he said.

13
Technology alone cannot solve the climate change
problem it created?
  • In contradiction to what environmental skeptics
    often say, technology alone will not solve all
    problems. says Prof. Jacqueline McGlade,
    Executive Director of the European Environment
    Agency
  • Are there technologies that we can implement in
    the near term to power our cars, and fuel our
    jets?
  • Will these technologies be cost prohibitive for
    consumers?

14
Why should we implement a carbon trading system?
15
  • Effective
  • Guarantees necessary carbon emission cuts.
  • Equity
  • Everyone is given an equal carbon share.
  • Those who have a small carbon foot prints can
    benefit financially.
  • Appeals to people not only as consumers but as
    citizens as well.

16
  • Efficiency
  • Promotes efficient energy consumption through
    market pressures.
  • Promotes carbon literacy among the population
    and a demand for low carbon alternatives.
  • Gives incentives to creative ways to reduce
    carbon emissions.

17
A personal carbon trading system is needed now!
18
  • World energy demand is rising.

19
U.S. energy demand is high and continuing to rise.
Oil consumption per capita per barrel of oil each
day (darker color more oil consumption)
20
The majority of ghg emissions come from
residential energy use and personal
transportation.
21
(No Transcript)
22
The number of households in the U.S. is
increasing.
  • The size of U.S. homes is growing.
  • New construction of single family homes has grown
    consistently since WWII
  • The size, in square footage terms, of home in the
    U.S. in growing.
  • Americans are using more air conditioning.
  • The number of homes in the U.S. with air
    conditioning has tripled in the past 25 years.
  • Americans are using more and larger appliances.

23
Personal carbon use is the main factor in causing
global warming.
  • Personal carbon use makes up over half of all ghg
    emissions
  • Personal carbon consumption is outpacing
    industrial carbon consumption 2 to 1.

24
Global warming is causing major environmental
problems.
25
The proof is indisputable
85 of Americans believe global warming is
occurring
26
High carbon usage is causing other major
environmental problems besides global warming.
  • Air pollution
  • Air pollution from electric generation and
    automobile emissions
  • Water pollution
  • Acid rain from electric generation

27
High carbon usage is leading to a lower quality
of life.
  • Traffic congestion
  • Urban sprawl and leap frog development
  • Loss of wildlife habitat

28
High carbon consumption and reliance on the
automobile is leading to a loss of community and
destroying scenic areas.
29
Energy dependence is forcing us to look for
energy in pristine environmentally sensitive
locations.
Artic National Wildlife Refuge
30
Reliance on fossil fuels supports countries which
fund terrorists!
31
The U.S. has strained relations with almost all
the countries which control international oil
prices.
OPEC MEMBERSHIP COUNTRIES
32
High carbon dependence is leading the U.S. into
wars we cant win.
33
Barriers to implementing a personal carbon
trading program
34
Is there the political will to implement any
carbon reduction scheme?
  • Participation in the Kyoto Protocol (non
    participating countries are in red).

35
Is there the political will to implement a
personal carbon trading scheme in the U.S.?
  • .

VS
36
Attitudes are changing, people want action on
climate change from their elected officials.
  • Al Gores documentary the Inconvenient Truth was
    widely popular and spurred public debate.
  • Evangelical Christians, which form a significant
    part of the Republican base are demanding
    government action to protect the environment.
  • Democrats are poised to take back the White House
    in 2008.

37
Does it even matter?
Developing countries are increasing their carbon
output and unwilling to cut back on carbon usage.
38
It may be too late to reverse the damage already
done.
39
Should we give up now?
40
Why we need DTQs
  • To tackle climate change we need a major
    transformation in the way we think about energy.
  • There are limitations in the ability of renewable
    energy sources to make needed CO² cuts.

41
Guarantee
  • A Carbon tax does not give a guarantee that a
    particular reduction will occur, a carbon quota
    does.
  • To avoid catastrophic climate change ghg
    emissions must be reduced between 60 - 80

42
The domino effect through the supply chain
  • Carbon quotas forces consumers to make needed
    changes
  • Hybrid cars
  • Public transportation
  • Green roofs
  • Better insulation
  • Energy efficient appliances
  • Renewable power
  • Car pooling

43
A carbon quota will promote reliance on mass
transit, hybrid cars, and renewable energy.
44
Are the people with the largest carbon footprints
really paying for the damage they are inflicting
on the environment?
  • Heated parking garages
  • Outdoor heated swimming pools
  • Large powerful cars
  • Private jets
  • Large yachts
  • Multiple homes

45
Discourage wasteful consumption
High carbon usage will be frowned upon with a
carbon quota.
46
Personal Carbon Trading is not a gimmick
Problems with carbon-offset programs
1. unregulated 2. do not require any
meaningful sacrifice 3. allow wealthy
consumers to sacrifice dollars for deeds
4. do not guarantee actual carbon cuts
5. unregulated
47
Practical problems with personal carbon trading.
48
  • Problems
  • The rural population is poorer and needs more
    carbon credits.
  • Should the rural population receive carbon
    subsidizes?
  • States with extreme climates need greater carbon
    allowances.
  • Should citizens of Alaska receive a larger carbon
    allowance?
  • Will carbon quotas discourage growth and harm the
    economies of Las Vegas and Phoenix?
  • Public resentment to the program.
  • Scheme must be simple to use and understand, and
    be perceived as fair and necessary.

49
  • Problems
  • Costs to implement the system.
  • Who is going to pay for?
  • Carbon debit card readers
  • Carbon statements
  • Carbon gas pumps
  • Will retailers and consumers except higher
    transaction costs to comply with the carbon quota
    system?
  • Smart receipts - carbon advertising
  • Smart bills - carbon-rated homes
  • Carbon labels - Carbon-ometers
  • Are countries without quota systems going to be
    at a competitive advantage?

50
  • And more problems
  • Is Personal Carbon Trading too difficult to
    understand?
  • Over time people will learn-by-doing.
  • Those that find the system too difficult,
    frustrating, or simply do not want to take part
    can sell all their carbon credits immediately
    upon receipt and purchase all carbon units at the
    point of sale.
  • Will people make a genuine effort to learn and
    participate in the system because they feel
    empowered by a system that gives them autonomy,
    and appreciate a system that places the onus on
    the person best situated to act?

51
Is it legal?
  • Do carbon quotas infringe upon civil liberties?
  • Is there a disparate impact on carbon hungry
    consumers?
  • Rural vs. Urban
  • Do DTQs infringe on peoples privacy
  • Will the quota scheme be successfully challenged
    in court?
  • Is the quota scheme any different than a carbon
    tax?
  • Is the quota scheme un-American?

52
Is personal carbon trading fair?
53
Equity
  • Personal carbon trading is fair.
  • Everyone gets an equal share.
  • Children get their own share to start thinking
    about climate change early and so that families
    are not carbon poor.
  • Not everyone can afford to pay a carbon tax.
  • People with higher incomes tend to use more
    energy, so they can afford to pay for it.
  • People in rural areas have more access to
    alternative sources of energy.
  • Older people can sell credits they dont use
    source of retirement income.

54
Additional practical problems
  • Technical feasibility
  • Is it possible to enroll 300 million people into
    personal carbon trading system?
  • Is it cost prohibitive to maintain a central data
    base that holds carbon accounts and tracks carbon
    unit transactions?
  • Potential for carbon debit card fraud
  • What to do when foreign visitors (who do not have
    a carbon debit card) wish to purchase gas in the
    U.S.
  • What happens to people who go over their carbon
    allowance and cannot afford to purchase carbon
    credits at the market rate? Do they go without
    heat?

55
Danger of carbon speculation on the carbon market
lead?
Will individuals and corporations manipulate the
fledging carbon trading market?
56
The future of personal carbon trading?
Is personal carbon trading a genuine possibility?
57
The future of personal carbon trading.
  • British Secretary of the Environment David
    Miliband has endorsed a carbon trading program.
  • The European Union has started a mandatory cap
    and trade carbon cutting scheme for corporations.
  • The Chicago Climate Exchange has started a
    voluntary cap and trade system for corporations.

58
What do you think?
  • ?

59
Is there any other way?
60
Further reading
  • "How We Can Save the Planet" by Mayer Hillman,
    with Tina Fawcett, Penguin Books, 2004
  • Domestic Tradable Quotas A policy instrument for
    reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy
    use, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research,
    Richard Starkey and Dr. Kevin Anderson
  • Taxing and Trading Debating Options for Carbon
    Reductions (2005) http//www.ukerc.ac.uk/content/v
    iew/110/57
  • The Suicidal Planet our last chance to prevent
    climate catastrophe. Thomas Dunne, St. Martins
    Press

61
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