Emissions trading (or emission trading) is an administrative approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants. It is sometimes called cap and trade. A coal power plant in Germany. Due to emissions trading, coal may become less competitive as a fuel.
A central authority (usually a government or international body) sets a limit or cap on the amount of a pollutant that can be emitted. Companies or other groups are issued emission permits and are required to hold an equivalent number of allowances (or credits) which represent the right to emit a specific amount. The total amount of allowances and credits cannot exceed the cap, limiting total emissions to that level. Companies that need to increase their emission allowance must buy credits from those who pollute less. The transfer of allowances is referred to as a trade. In effect, the buyer is paying a charge for polluting, while the seller is being rewarded for having reduced emissions by more than was needed. Thus, in theory, those who can easily reduce emissions most cheaply will do so, achieving the pollution reduction at the lowest possible cost to society.[1]
There are active trading programs in several pollutants. For greenhouse gases the largest is the European Union Emission Trading Scheme.[2] In the United States there is a national market to reduce acid rain and several regional markets in nitrogen oxides.[3] Markets for other pollutants tend to be smaller and more localized.
They should call it what it really is Cap and Tax. When the producer of electricity that supplies your electricity has to buy carbon credits to keep producing electricity who do you think is going to pay for it, that's right you and me. The tax will be passed on to us when we buy gas because of the increased costs of refining the oil, everything made of plastic which is also made from oil will increase in price so we the people should end up paying an increase on many many things that we buy.
Our utility bills will be OUT OF CONTROL! And prices will increase for everything we buy which will reflect the effect of a cap and trade policy!
Our government irresponsibly OVERSPENDS and expects us to just keep coughing up money we don't have anymore. Not to mention the many out of work now and the lack of jobs!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
This will kill us with 3X higher heating bills and higher gas prices. Stops coal burning electric plants. It will do nothing for the environment because India and China will do nothing.
This is a jobs killer nothing more. No politician in the Northeast should support this-and any that do will be removed.
Jun 26 12:03 PM US/Eastern By H. JOSEF HEBERT and DINA CAPPIELLO Associated Press Writers Comments (17) Share on Facebook
WASHINGTON (AP) - House Democrats narrowly won a key test vote Friday on sweeping legislation to combat global warming and usher in a new era of cleaner energy. Republicans said the bill included "the largest tax increase in American history." The vote was 217-205 to advance the White House-backed legislation to the floor, and 30 Democrats defected, a reflection of the controversy the bill sparked.
The legislation would impose limits for the first time on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, factories and refineries. It also would force a shift from coal and other fossil fuels to renewable and more efficient forms of energy. Supporters and opponents agreed the result would be higher energy costs, but disagreed widely on the impact on consumers.
President Barack Obama has made the measure a top priority of his first year in office. The president, along with White House aides and House Democratic leaders, scrambled for the votes to assure passage. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has pledged to get the legislation passed before lawmakers leave on their July 4 vacation.
The Senate has yet to act on the measure, and a major struggle is expected.
In the House, the bill's fate depended on the decisions of a few dozen fence-sitting Democrats, mainly conservatives and moderates from contested districts who feared the political ramifications of siding with the White House and their leadership on the measure.
Democrats left little or nothing to chance. Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., confirmed by the Senate on Thursday to an administration post, put off her resignation from Congress until after the final vote on the climate change bill.
"The bill contains provisions to protect consumers, keep costs low, help sensitive industries transition to a clean energy economy and promote domestic emission reduction efforts," the White House in a statement of support for the legislation.
Republicans saw it differently.
This "amounts to the largest tax increase in American history under the guise of climate change," said Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.
While the bill would impose a "cap-and-trade" system that would force higher energy costs, Republicans for weeks have branded it an energy tax on every American.
But Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said there was a "moral imperative to be good stewards of the earth."
The legislation, totaling about 1,200 pages, would require the U.S. to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and about 80 percent by the next century.
U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are rising at about 1 percent a year and are predicted to continue increasing without mandatory caps.
Under the bill, the government would limit heat-trapping pollution from factories, refineries and power plants. It would distribute pollution allowances that could be bought and sold, depending on whether a facility exceeds the cap or makes greater pollution cuts than are required.
Obama on Thursday called it "a vote of historic proportions ... that will open the door to a clean energy economy" and green jobs. "It will create millions of new jobs," Pelosi insisted.
Both Obama and Pelosi preferred to focus on the economic issues rather than on what environmentalists view as the urgency of reducing carbon emissions blamed for global warming.
The Rust Belt coal-state Democrats who have been sitting on the fence worry about how to explain their vote for higher energy prices to people back home—and how the vote might play out in elections next year.
Republicans have been quick to exploit those concerns.
"Democratic leaders are poised to march many moderate Democrats over a cliff ... by forcing them to vote for a national energy tax that is unpopular throughout the heartland," Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said.
There was widespread agreement that under this cap-and-trade system, the cost of energy would almost certainly increase. But Democrats argued that much of the impact on taxpayers would be offset by other provisions in the bill. Low-income consumers would qualify for credits and rebates to cushion the impact on their energy bills.
Two reports issued this week—one from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and the other from the Environmental Protection Agency—seemed to support that argument.
The CBO analysis estimated that the bill would cost an average household $175 a year; the EPA put it at between $80 and $110 a year.
Republicans questioned the validity of the CBO study and noted that even that analysis showed actual energy production costs increasing $770 per household. Industry groups have cited other studies showing much higher cost to the economy and to individuals.
What a slap in the face to anyone not living in a teepee or a cave.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Republican accused the Democrats of ramming the bill through the House. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) asked repeatedly if there was even a copy of the current version of the bill anywhere in the House chamber. Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher – sitting in the speaker’s chair although she’s already been confirmed as Obama’s undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security — repeatedly dodged the question.
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), one of the bill’s sponsors, finally rose to say that a single copy of the current version of the bill was available at the speaker’s desk – and on the Internet, which members would have to leave the floor to access.
There goes those damn tree huggers again! We can all say bye-bye to whatever businesses and jobs we have left in this country. They will surely move their businesses to countries like China and India where they don't have such stiff regulation.
Let's give the tree huggers and our government a big hand for being the best idiots on the face of the earth..... shall we???? >
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
What do all those who are on this site who are running for positions this November think about this bill? How do you specifically think this will work and affect the people of the U.S. Would you support or be against this bill? Why?
If they answer this question incorrectly Kevin, it will end their political career in a hurry. It will be interesting to see if any of the candidates will even answer the question.
Robbing Peter to pay Paul because Aunt Sally farted......WTH.......it's a squeeze and a dog and pony show at best...... an old wet washcloth just sitting in the corner.......THAT'S WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME.........DORKS......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
What do all those who are on this site who are running for positions this November think about this bill? How do you specifically think this will work and affect the people of the U.S. Would you support or be against this bill? Why?
It would be political suicide for anyone to answer this! They will take the middle road at best!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Why would ANYONE support this crap? IT IS A HUGE TAX INCREASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Quoted from Kevin March: What do all those who are on this site who are running for positions this November think about this bill? How do you specifically think this will work and affect the people of the U.S. Would you support or be against this bill? Why?
Kevin, as you are aware, this is legislation being considered at the federal level. That said, I am against the Markey-Waxman (a.k.a., Cap & Trade) bill for many reasons that I will attempt to address here.
First and most important is the impact of the provisions to the people of our nation. By Obama's own admission, it will lead to significant increases in the cost of energy. Estimates are that the federal tax on the purchase of a gallon of gas will increase by between $1.00 and $1.50. Home utility bills are projected to increase between 90% and 95%. As people continue to lose their jobs and their homes, the government should be lowering taxes to stimulate economic activity, not driving people closer to poverty. The promised new jobs cannot be assured.
As I stated on my campaign web site, I am proposing the elimination of the sales tax being charged in Schenectady County on the sale of home heating fuel. Legislator Santabarbara proposed the same last year to the County Legislature. It was summarily dismissed. When elected, I will team with Angelo to fight for the passage of the resolution.
I view the Cap & Trade legislation as another measure by the government to increase tax revenues so that the receipts can be redistributed to their friends, campaign donors, and special interest groups. This program will fail like most in which the government has involvement. Recall that Biden promised the American public that he would personally watch over the stimulus money and be able to account for every nickel of it. There are questions about where and to who the money was disbursed and the government and some recipients (e.g., banks) of the funds assert that they don't have to disclose the information.
"Green" energy technology exists today. The market, not the government, should dictate the demand and manufacture.
Lastly, scientists disagree over the phenomenon of global warming and, if it exists, its causes. While I encourage the conservation of our planet's natural resources, I believe that the hype created by movies like Algore's "An Inconvenient Truth" needs to be moderated by sound scientific evidence. Further, the United States has among the strictest environmental standards in the world. Countries like China, India, Mexico, etc. should be led to the institution of the regulations that we have in place before we enact greater regulation that will further decrease our ability to compete in the global marketplace.
And, for the record, THIS candidate for office posted to Facebook, called radio talk shows, sent emails to friends and family, and phoned and e-Mailed Gillebrand and Shumer expressing his opposition yesterday morning.
Logged
This will kill us with 3X higher heating bills and higher gas prices. Stops coal burning electric plants. It will do nothing for the environment because India and China will do nothing. 
