NEWSFLASH: Kochs Cave on Climate
Humans are causing climate change after all. Who knew?
The Kochs believe in climate change, so it seems. Greenwire reports that a Koch spokesman said:
“Charles has said the climate is changing. So, the climate is changing . . . I think he’s also said, and we believe, that humans have a part in that. I think what the real question is … what are we going to do about it?”
Maybe Charles and the company (what about David??) have believed this along and just forgot to mention it. Or maybe it is a concession that the weight of the evidence is simply too strong to make denial a credible long-term strategy.
The Koch spokesman added that the company thinks the government shouldn’t pick winners or losers, so there should be no subsidies or mandates. Instead, the market should decide.
Fine. In that case, they should have no problem with a carbon tax to ensure that fossil fuels pay for their full costs, leaving everything else to the market.
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About Dan
Dan Farber has written and taught on environmental and constitutional law as well as about contracts, jurisprudence and legislation. Currently at Berkeley Law, he has al…
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Likely they have figured out climate change is a business opportunity. A good strategy is to make a fortune creating a problem and then another fortune addressing it, though not necessarily solving it. It’s great while it lasts.
I hope this comment adds clarity and understanding to our discussion. Us deniers know that the climate is changing and that it always has. We also know that climate alarmists tend to be untruthful and waste large sums of public money on so-called “solutions” that don’t work and never will. These alarmists cannot change the climate back to where it was before 1990 nor can they offer any solution that effectively mitigates climate change by actually reducing the average global atmospheric temperature. Therefore, the Koch’s and their supporters are far more credible, reliable and trustworthy than the California Environmental Bar.
Congratulations Dan, the Kochs have just given you and your UC colleagues the opportunity to provide leadership to make the right things happen.
And that would be a Carbon Tax and Revenue Neutral Dividend, starting at $15 for every ton of CO2 emitted and rising by $10 a year, paid by all carbon based fuel extractors at the wellhead, the mine, the port of entry. This would internalize the cost of producing our CO2 energy and level the playing field fowithr all kinds of alternative energy producers–wind, solar, nuclear, wave. Give 100% of the revenue back to U.S. households equally to offset the increased costs of carbon based fuel products and by 2035 a recent Regional Economic Modeling Inc. analysis shows a 2.8M rise in jobs and a reduction in CO2 emissions to 50% of 1990 levels. It’s a completely market based solution and it creates no new government. See citizensclimatelobby.org for lots more info.
A tax on all sources of uncaptured, unburnt methane emissions into the atmosphere should also be included, using a short-term interval methane GWP to calculate the value/ton fee/tax.
The most Inconvenient Truth of all is that the Human Race is committing genocide against itself. All you have to do is read and watch the daily news to prove this fact of life.
We have exceeded 400 ppm with no maximum in sight, climate changes and their destructive consequences are out of control, and all we are proving is that we do not know how to cooperate to save our civilization.
Anthony,
You seem so gloomy about imaginary “destructive consequences” of climate change. It has not happened, now is the time to rejoice and be happy. Count your blessings, don’t worry about the sun and moon and climate. All is well, God is in control.
Be thankful and have a good day.