Cap & Trade

Environmental justice advocates have been able to do in court what oil companies unsuccessfully attempted at the polls in November: deal a severe blow, if only temporarily, to CA's landmark climate law AB 32 by challenging the cap & trade provision.

CA Air Resources Board announced some of the important elements of the carbon trading scheme they developed for the 500 largest stationary emitters in the state. Of course, if Proposition 23 should pass on Nov. 2, forgetaboutit!

In the first major study of how the Senate climate legislation would affect the economy, a non-partisan think tank indicated it would create new jobs and reduce American reliance on oil and coal while increasing usage of both nuclear and renewables.

Having stalled in the state Senate last June, a bill that aims to "reduc(e) governmental or government-required subsidies for parking" passed out of the senate on Jan. 28. Parking strategies would be eligible for cap & trade credits under the bill.

While the Comedy Show's Jon Stewart can't get too excited about "Cap & Trade", Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, does his best to explain the importance of the Waxman-Markey climate legislation to him.

Cap and trade is the topic du jour in climate change circles. A new report from CCAP makes the economic case for using those revenues to promote smart growth that reduces transportation emissions though VMT reductions.