Cap and Trade Policy
One of the things that I have heard over and over again as a PolySci major is the idea of a global cap and trade policy. This is the idea that pollutors across the world would have a pollution cap and those pollutors who came in under the cap coulde sell their polluting rights to thouse who are above. THe idea behind this is that we are giving people economic incentive to cut pollution, i.e. the opportunity to sell any rights not used.
While the idea sounds hunky dory in theory, I have a hard time swallowing what's being sold. Does anybody really expect that all of the industrialized nations are ever going to sign on to such a plan? I think the failed Kyoto Treaty gives plenty of proof to that. In addition, what is to keep any such nation from pulling out of a treaty when it is no longer in their best interest?
This might sound like sacriledge to the tree huggers, but it might be time to accept that, for the moment at least, it is virtually impossible to make global environmental policy. What we should do, however, is view environmental protection and conservation as a quality of life issue here in the United States and focus on policy that can be effective in getting clean water to drink, clean air to breath, and allows for the conservation of the environment for those of us here.
posted by Anonymous @ 9:03 PM
2 Comments:
The Kyoto accords were never anything more than symbolic anyway, just like any international treaty (with the EU as a very debatable exception). For a Cap and Trade system to work, there must be an overarching government to set the limits and decide who has the rights, and then the trading can occur. Property rights were never established (and can't be established). From what I understand, the Kyoto agreement had participants voluntarily reduce their own pollution levels, and trading was not an option. IMHO, Bush pulled out of the treaty for one reason: to increase his support from industrialists in the U.S.
One of the reasons that things like the Kyoto accord won't work is because there are too many people. Like we talked about in class, with lots of people transaction cost rise, and it is harder to get 100 people to agree than to get 5. Likewise, it is hard enough for us to get our government to agree on pollution standards, which makes me believe that it would be extremely difficult to succeed in a worldwide setting. Like we have discussed as well, with an increase in wealth, the awareness of pollution increases. I think it would be more helpful to bring up the quality of life for other nations, which will allow them to make their own pollution desicions.
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