Comments on: “Once the climate tipping point is past …” http://www.carbontax.org/blogarchives/2012/11/14/once-the-climate-tipping-point-is-past/ Pricing carbon efficiently and equitably Thu, 23 May 2013 21:18:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: brian penning http://www.carbontax.org/blogarchives/2012/11/14/once-the-climate-tipping-point-is-past/comment-page-1/#comment-386400 brian penning Sun, 18 Nov 2012 12:51:28 +0000 http://www.carbontax.org/?p=10210#comment-386400 How are so many that are supposedly in the know have missed this? What may of been the main factor in Sandy? The cause of the storm may of just been caused by both parties, democrats and republicans alike. The corn ethanol fiasco. green energy just may of been the real cause. Corn ethanol the boondoggle that just may be what causes the 2nd great depression? Maybe. It was also what caused the first "Great depression" too. When farm land and farm commodities fell like a rock we soon entered the depression. A 80 acre farm just sold for $10,600 a acre!! Do we see another bubble? You bet I do, all induced by our government. Over the last 20-30 years I have really seen the changes in our local climate and no I am not a scientist either. It has been the removal of all our trees. Removed by the growing big farmer, not the small ones. Our main road in town and my road have seen our trees removed. Trees are the air conditioning that cools our soil. Tree lines, woods, and roadways have been cleared for semi trucks and huge irrigation systems that suck our ground water dry. A dry and open ground naturally heats up faster and warmer than normal. Some of the ill affects that our government causes are unintended, or are they? Corn ethanol also has caused unrest around the globe, all for the hidden cause of spreading democracy. Well now that too has backfired. Back in 1980 we had 42 different makes of autos that got 40 or more miles per gallon of gas, really. Those were not profitable enough for the unionized auto makers and all their benefits they received. I have right in front of me a check stub that I have from 2/6/1977, the same year I graduated. I was making $2.30 an hour part time and I worked 30 1/4 hours that week, that is very close to the average hours worked now for full time workers. Back then union factories around here were making 15-17 bucks an hour, but all those factories are closed. Does anyone have to wonder why? Like our trees there gone, but I haven't forgotten their asset to my local climate and a once thriving community. We are now under the illusion that something still goes on here in "Silo City", alias Decatur Michigan. You can see my community that I just hate now and I used to love it so. You tube Mike Stamp Farms and you may see the boondoggle of corn ethanol a green energy gone bad, courtesy of our politicians. Just great..............I do miss all those trees. The ethanol Plant that most of our corn here went to also just filed bankruptcy. The New Energy, ethanol plant in South Bend Indiana. Here we go again. How are so many that are supposedly in the know have missed this? What may of been the main factor in Sandy? The cause of the storm may of just been caused by both parties, democrats and republicans alike. The corn ethanol fiasco. green energy just may of been the real cause. Corn ethanol the boondoggle that just may be what causes the 2nd great depression? Maybe. It was also what caused the first “Great depression” too. When farm land and farm commodities fell like a rock we soon entered the depression. A 80 acre farm just sold for $10,600 a acre!! Do we see another bubble? You bet I do, all induced by our government.

Over the last 20-30 years I have really seen the changes in our local climate and no I am not a scientist either. It has been the removal of all our trees. Removed by the growing big farmer, not the small ones. Our main road in town and my road have seen our trees removed. Trees are the air conditioning that cools our soil. Tree lines, woods, and roadways have been cleared for semi trucks and huge irrigation systems that suck our ground water dry. A dry and open ground naturally heats up faster and warmer than normal. Some of the ill affects that our government causes are unintended, or are they? Corn ethanol also has caused unrest around the globe, all for the hidden cause of spreading democracy. Well now that too has backfired.

Back in 1980 we had 42 different makes of autos that got 40 or more miles per gallon of gas, really. Those were not profitable enough for the unionized auto makers and all their benefits they received. I have right in front of me a check stub that I have from 2/6/1977, the same year I graduated. I was making $2.30 an hour part time and I worked 30 1/4 hours that week, that is very close to the average hours worked now for full time workers. Back then union factories around here were making 15-17 bucks an hour, but all those factories are closed. Does anyone have to wonder why? Like our trees there gone, but I haven’t forgotten their asset to my local climate and a once thriving community. We are now under the illusion that something still goes on here in “Silo City”, alias Decatur Michigan. You can see my community that I just hate now and I used to love it so. You tube Mike Stamp Farms and you may see the boondoggle of corn ethanol a green energy gone bad, courtesy of our politicians. Just great…………..I do miss all those trees. The ethanol Plant that most of our corn here went to also just filed bankruptcy. The New Energy, ethanol plant in South Bend Indiana. Here we go again.

]]> By: bevis longstreth http://www.carbontax.org/blogarchives/2012/11/14/once-the-climate-tipping-point-is-past/comment-page-1/#comment-386175 bevis longstreth Sat, 17 Nov 2012 23:50:49 +0000 http://www.carbontax.org/?p=10210#comment-386175 Hi Charlie. Congratulations on a terrific piece. And more generally for your work on a carbon tax. Its time must come soon. Bevis Hi Charlie. Congratulations on a terrific piece. And more generally for your work on a carbon tax. Its time must come soon. Bevis

]]> By: David F Collins http://www.carbontax.org/blogarchives/2012/11/14/once-the-climate-tipping-point-is-past/comment-page-1/#comment-386157 David F Collins Sat, 17 Nov 2012 22:42:34 +0000 http://www.carbontax.org/?p=10210#comment-386157 Mr Komanoff: Thanks for keeping up the good fight. And thank you for delivering aid by bicycle! "Be the change you want to see in the world." Mr Komanoff: Thanks for keeping up the good fight. And thank you for delivering aid by bicycle! “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

]]> By: Richard Ottinger http://www.carbontax.org/blogarchives/2012/11/14/once-the-climate-tipping-point-is-past/comment-page-1/#comment-386051 Richard Ottinger Sat, 17 Nov 2012 16:38:28 +0000 http://www.carbontax.org/?p=10210#comment-386051 You are so right on the mark, Charlie,as you have been for the many years we have collaborated. The missing link that seems to be unattainable, is convincing majorities in Congress to take the required actions and and enough of the pubic that doing so is a sound investment essential to their future and that of their projeny. If Hurricane Sandy can't do that, or the droughts, floods and wildfires that have proliferated, I don't know how it can be done. The human species just seems so short-sighted that they are willing to trade away overwhelming costs in the future for relatively minor costs today. And those of who can afford it should be the ones held responsible. Instead of a carbon tax that seems beyond our reach, the developed world or UN should issue "Survivor Bonds" allocated on the basis of national income,on which the return could be based on the costs to society saved by mitigation and adaptation, with a heavy penalty for non-participants. That's the best alternative I can conjure. But since the world seems to turn on monitary returns these days, it might be worth a try. I recognize that it would be a carbon tax equivilant, but the idea of a return might just make it feasible. Best. Dick Ottinger You are so right on the mark, Charlie,as you have been for the many years we have collaborated. The missing link that seems to be unattainable, is convincing majorities in Congress to take the required actions and and enough of the pubic that doing so is a sound investment essential to their future and that of their projeny. If Hurricane Sandy can’t do that, or the droughts, floods and wildfires that have proliferated, I don’t know how it can be done. The human species just seems so short-sighted that they are willing to trade away overwhelming costs in the future for relatively minor costs today. And those of who can afford it should be the ones held responsible.

Instead of a carbon tax that seems beyond our reach, the developed world or UN should issue “Survivor Bonds” allocated on the basis of national income,on which the return could be based on the costs to society saved by mitigation and adaptation, with a heavy penalty for non-participants. That’s the best alternative I can conjure. But since the world seems to turn on monitary returns these days, it might be worth a try. I recognize that it would be a carbon tax equivilant, but the idea of a return might just make it feasible. Best. Dick Ottinger

]]> By: Counterparties: When climate change gets fiscal | Felix Salmon http://www.carbontax.org/blogarchives/2012/11/14/once-the-climate-tipping-point-is-past/comment-page-1/#comment-385239 Counterparties: When climate change gets fiscal | Felix Salmon Thu, 15 Nov 2012 22:44:54 +0000 http://www.carbontax.org/?p=10210#comment-385239 [...] Neither candidate paid much attention to climate change during the presidential election: it wasn’t so much as mentioned in any of the three debates. Then came Superstorm Sandy, Mayor Bloomberg’s climate-motivated endorsement of President Obama, and Businesweek’s mince-no-words cover. There’s also the fiscal cliff (or austerity bomb, if you prefer). What better time to start taxing carbon? [...] [...] Neither candidate paid much attention to climate change during the presidential election: it wasn’t so much as mentioned in any of the three debates. Then came Superstorm Sandy, Mayor Bloomberg’s climate-motivated endorsement of President Obama, and Businesweek’s mince-no-words cover. There’s also the fiscal cliff (or austerity bomb, if you prefer). What better time to start taxing carbon? [...]

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