Scientist: Carbon fee will alter fossil fuel use
By Kathryn Reed
STATELINE – Government won’t solve climate change. And people won’t do anything to change the course of events without a monetary incentive. It is a global crisis. And the solution needs to be implemented worldwide.
Those are the thoughts and concerns of James Hansen, former director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Earth Institute.
He gave the keynote address Jan. 8 during the 17th annual Operation Sierra Storm at Harveys. Once a year meteorologists from around the country gather at Lake Tahoe to talk science, trends and news.
“The bottom line is science tells us we have to phase out fossil fuel emissions and leave what’s remaining in the ground,” Hansen said. “There is a tremendous amount of fossil fuel in the ground. We can’t afford to put it into the air without guaranteeing our children inherit a situation that is out of their control.”
He is dead-set against fracking.
Hansen has been working to stem the effects of climate change since the 1980s. In 2006, Time magazine called him one of the 100 most influential people on Earth.
James Hansen talks about climate change Jan. 8 in Stateline. Photo/Denise Haerr
Not one to mince words, Hansen told Gov. Jerry Brown in person that California’s cap and trade policy is nothing more than a tax that will do little to resolve the larger issue.
With word coming out this week that 2014 was the hottest year on record in the world, Hansen said 2015 is headed to be another record breaker. The U.S., by contrast, was one of the coolest places on Earth. But the United States only represents 1½ percent of the planet’s surface.
“If you add CO2 to the atmosphere, it’s like putting a blanket on the planet,” Hansen explained.
Instead of the heat radiating to space, most of the energy goes into the ocean. This then creates an energy imbalance on Earth. The energy into the ocean each year is the equivalent of the energy from 400,000 Hiroshima bombs a day. That energy contributes to the warming ocean, the loss of Artic ice and the rising seashore water that threatens cities.
Climate change is affecting plant and animal species – some of which are threatened with extinction – like the Eastern monarch butterfly. Some of the stressors on flora and fauna are also the result of herbicides. Agricultural practices – including how the soil is tilled – could be changed to help reduce carbons released into the air.
Getting China onboard to get away from coal will help, Hansen said, as he talked about that major polluter building nuclear plants.
“The only way to solve the problem is to put an across the board fee on carbon. The only way it will work is if the money goes to the public. That would stimulate people to avoid carbon emissions,” Hansen said.
He predicts 70 percent of people would get a dividend back, while 30 percent would have more out of pocket costs with a carbon fee. Hansen said this is a “golden opportunity” with the oil prices so low to implement such a fee.
“If we start adding a carbon fee, it will depress the use of fossil fuels,” Hansen said. “It would rapidly decrease the addiction to fossil fuels.”
Simple redistribution of wealth. Blah, blah.
Sustained tax credits for passive energy might work. If buildings use passive solar heating for space heating at minimum, a huge reduction in carbon emissions should happen. Around 50% of energy in this country is used for buildings. How come there isn’t more smog standards(carbon emmissions) for buildings?
We are already paying a carbon fee. I received my Liberty Entergy bill yesterday and there is a fee of $7.33 for Carbon Pollution Permit Fee. Americans are being taxed to death. NO NEW TAXES! They call it a fee, but it is a tax.
would it hot be better to use this tax money for research and tax credit or interest free loans to businesses that convert to more green energy rather than distributing it to people?
I don’t thinks so, Relo-when Walmart and the Koch brothers are actively trying to limit production and use of solar technology, when aquifer-threatening projects such as Keystone(threat of regular spills, few long term jobs and the oil-the dirtiest there is, goes elsewhere) are being pushed through by politicians who just got off their knees to vote…(um yeah, they were PRAYING in that back room with lobbyists…right) SOMETHING MAJOR meeds to be done.
@Dan-when the money collects at the top it’s called trickle down economics and record profit. When it doesn’t….it’s called socialism. Go figure.
I think Hansen has good points, and understands the global situation well, but an economist he ain’t.
Humans will not likely all cooperate toward a common goal. Never have, never will thereby dooming themselves to a fate definitely less pleasant than the way we live now. Timing of the disaster is clearly unknown, and it looks to me like most, as long as they personally don’t have to see it in their lifetime, they will do nothing.
I think people who don’t have children should get a carbon credit. Time to stop paying people to breed.
Set a base line this year and decrease all subsidies 5% a year until they are all gone. Welfare, earned income tax credits, tax deductions…etc.
So Hmmm, you don’t believe that, paying companies thru tax credits as well as stop taxing them in the first place for excess pollution is not a good carrot and stick way of doing it. You also don’t believe more research that will lower pollution is also not a good way to go for the carbon trade and tax money. What do you think should be done with the money? It seems that Hansen(according to this article) wants to give it to the poor, or am I just reading it wrong.
Cranky. Humans have cooperated to eliminate deadly diseases (common goal) in the past 100 years; ex. polio and smallpox. The basic problem is that we may be beyond the point of no return in 2014. CO2 at 400ppm for an entire month, as occurred in April, has not been seen on our Planet for close to one million years.
It would be interesting to know and maybe someone has the data. What is the impact that we put on society and do the taxes, fees, charges and anything else pay to cover those costs.