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Cap and Trade and Massachusetts

Paul Birkeland | Monday 25th January 2010

So Massachusetts brought the sky down on the Democratic majority in the US Senate. And a body that was at best dysfunctional is now considered non-functional. The gloom-and-doomers are writing the obituary for a cap and trade system in the US. Well, cowboy up! I don't think we should write it off so easily.

First of all, the Obama Administration seems to have gotten its religion back. President Obama won the 2008 election by offering "hope." As the economy cratered in the Fall of 2008, hope became an even more resonant message. But it wasn't hope that we could pull the economy out of a quagmire. It wasn't hope that we could save the automakers. It wasn't hope that we could keep banks from failing. And yet those were the issues forced onto the Administration's plate right off.

But now, people who were hoping to save their homes, people who were hoping to find a job, people who were hoping to put food on the table, are feeling ignored and angry. And nine months of health care debate, however worthy the goal, have totally disgusted everyone. It was a very poorly managed process. But that's another topic.

So recent reports are that the Administration is going back to its campaign roots, and taking a more "populist" stand on things. About time! As I wrote in an earlier post incorporating populist features in a cap and trade system is a way to bring Main Street on board without diminishing the effectiveness of the system. So this is a good thing.

In addition, however, any delay in a Federal cap and trade system leaves the field open to establish and finalize the regional systems that have sprouted spontaneously to fill the vacuum left by the lack of Federal action. The Western Climate Initiative, for example, reaches from Baja California to Alaska, and from British Columbia to Quebec, the Pacific to the Atlantic! The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was formed by 10 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States, and is already operating.

Historically, these kinds of regional efforts are stricter than Federal programs. And historically such initiatives have driven industry to press for a national standard to reduce their compliance issues. This is what happened to motivate the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. States took the lead, industry got upset, and the Feds responded. So we're in good shape there.

And, of course, the US Environmental Protection Agency took authority over greenhouse gasses as a hazard to human health. Even the Supreme Court backed them up on this. A legislated cap and trade program would be better. But the EPA can be quite effective.

So I am not disheartened. Disappointed perhaps. We've missed a great opportunity. But we have other, very effective policy avenues to work.

The time for hand wringing is over. If you are in North America, find out who is working in your state or province to join one of these regional initiatives, and help them out. In the US, get on the EPA's mailing list and comment on the new rules when they come out. And never ever stop pressing your Federal representatives. Cowboy up!

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