Climate Solutions: A Citizen's Guide

by Peter Barnes, Bill McKibben (Foreword by)

Millions of Americans are demanding that all levels of government—local, state, and federal—take immediate and effective action to fight climate change. But there’s a big problem. Hundreds of policy ideas are floating about, and many of them aren’t very good. It’s quite possible that bad climate policy will result, and that many years will then be lost before real emission reductions occur. We can’t afford to let that happen. That’s why this citizen’s guide is so important. It explains in clear and simple language what different climate policies will do—and what they won’t do. It tells you who’s behind the policies, who’d pay for them, and who’d profit. It strips away the spin and tells you the key facts you need to know. In a very real sense, this guide ushers in the next stage of the global-warming debate. In the first stage, we discussed the problem. In the next stage, we must choose solutions. Should we adopt a carbon tax? A carbon cap? A trading system that allows companies to “offset” their emissions by paying others to plant trees? This guide examines these proposals and many others. It’s essential reading for anyone who wants to stop climate change before it’s too late.

Genres: Climate Change

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2008

Reviews

[Jared Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, concise, and well-balanced, with a strong "can do" attitude. You'll gain some wisdom about climate and energy politics, as well as a solid sense that something, many things actually, can be done to mitigate environmental catastrophe.

Barnes presents the available options for reducing CO2 emissions and evaluates each according to three core criteria:

1. How effective does the policy solve the problem?
2. Whose interests does the policy serve?
3. What principles does the policy advance?

( I'd say these are necessary criteria for evaluating any government policy, not just environmental policy. )

The problem, as Barnes urges us to consider, is not just anthropogenic climate change due to CO2 emissions. The problem centers on market failure -- a successful free market would price fossil fuel usage in a manner that accounts for carbon-based pollution. As no party lays exclusive claim to the Earth's atmosphere, therefore keeping the atmosphere in commons with all Earth's inhabitants, no obvious transaction takes place when pollutants like CO2, NO2, or SO2 are released. The market fails to price these emissions and, since they damage the atmosphere and climate, everyone suffers.

So a market failure means fundamental changes surrounding the practices involved (eg. burning fossil fuels to sustain human endeavors) must take place. How can we do that in a fair and equitable manner? How can we do that without compromising our principals and way of life?

Barnes gives answers, they make sense, and they do not involve draconian measures even if they require, like all human activities, some compromise.

Read and learn some options!

[Jennifer Tse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great intro book to the current environmental issue of climate change. My environmental economics 102 class covered most of the policies like cap-and-trade, carbon caps, carbon taxes, investments, regulations, etc, but it's nice to read more details about it in this short and easy to understand book. I really like how author Robert Barnes lay out all the pros and cons, as well as adding humor, pictures, and additional resources (like Evangelical Call to Action http://christiansandclimate.org/learn...) to this book. It's also really exciting to see how Obama is greatly supporting climate change policies! I hope he will use the policy author Robert Barnes recommends: cap-and-dividend. I also think cap-and-auction will work. On a side note... I'm really glad President Obama is president now & not Bush! Now we can really get some work done on this climate change issue like Obama's huge support for high-speed rail and declaring this year that June will be Great Outdoors month!

Favorite Quotes: "A leak-proof descending carbon cap will have many positive ripple effects. Higher carbon prices will spur private investment in conservation, efficiency, and non-carbon technologies. Utilities will know what kinds of plants to build - and coal won't be on the list. Automakers will know what kinds of cars to build - and they won't be gas guzzlers. Second, we must also change government priorities. This requires cutting subsidies to fossil fuels and investing in clean energy instead. It also requires higher efficiency standards. The most important measures are:
-A huge investment in mass transit and smart electricity grids;
-Steadily rising efficiency standards for motor vehicles, airplanes, buildings, and appliances (The goal was to raise average new-car efficiency to 27.5 miles per gallon by 1985. This was achieved, but since then - thanks to a loophole for SUVs - average fuel efficiency has declined vs 51/48 to the new Prius/how Obama wants an avg of 35.5 MPG by 2016!);
-Steadily rising renewable energy requirements for electric utilities.
Other helpful policies include:
-Transition assistance to workers, communities, and businesses badly hurt by rising fuel prices.
-Green collar job training.
Of course, legacy industries will resist many of these policies. They'll push for loopholes and giveaways that add emissions and pick our pockets. That's where citizen involvement is critical. Citizens must pressure politicians to hang tough. While it's always tempting to grant concessions to powerful companies, we can't afford to do so this time. The stakes are too high and the margin for error too small. (P. 70-71)