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Less grift, more grist?

Charles Komanoff's refutation of Bill Chameides's tirade against carbon taxes does not require repetition by me. However, there is one point I can add detail to -- that a carbon tax is more transparent than emissions trading.

This is not just an abstract point. Consider in the Kyoto carbon trading scheme how most carbon credits were given at no cost to major polluters. That is not a necessary part of emissions trading. You could auction off 100 percent of the credits. For that matter, you could rebate carbon taxes to major polluters if you want. The difference lies in how obvious it is -- how transparent such schemes are.

Damn I hate that show

For the first few seasons of 24, I kept trying to get into it — I’d watch the first three or four episodes and give up. I dropped by for an episode or two this season, and it confirmed my initial impression, which is: 24 reflects a warped, adolescent view of violence and human nature. […]

Q&A with Grist donor and electric-bike winner Tommaso Boggia

Remember back in 2006 when we asked you to help support our solutions-based coverage for the new year? And we promised to hand out cool prizes like a spiffy electric Schwinn? Well, y'all followed through! And so did we.

Who's the lucky soon-to-be coolest biker on the block? A college student named Tommaso Boggia who made a donation using the birthday and Christmas money his grandmother had given him. Nope, he wasn't cherry-picked -- his name was drawn out of a (very large) hat. Apparently, a little good karma goes a long way.

So in an effort to continue the karmic cycle, and -- dare we say it -- perhaps inspire you to cash in on some karma of your own, we asked Boggia to share his plans for the bike, his plans for the future, and his glowing opinion of Grist (we couldn't resist!).

He’s fer it

Andrew and I have a story coming out later today on the whole brouhaha around AEI allegedly offering scientists $10,000 to undermine the IPCC report (turns out there’s a lot more smoke than fire). In the process of putting it together we’ve been in email contact with Steve Hayward at AEI. In passing, he said […]

Y’all Go Away Now, Y’Hear?

Texans rally to stop coal-fired power plants Some 1,000 fired-up citizens gathered at the Texas Capitol on Sunday to oppose proposals for up to 18 new coal-fired power plants in the state. The protest, organized by about 40 environmental and health groups, attracted greens, businessfolk, and people who like breathing. Much ire has been focused […]

Why carbon taxes trump cap-and-trade

Yesterday Gristmill ran a curious article by Bill Chameides of Environmental Defense, attacking a carbon tax strawman that no one is advocating, least of all the Carbon Tax Center (CTC).

Chameides stated that the "government would use additional tax dollars to subsidize the development of selected low-carbon technologies." We invite him to look at CTC's proposed carbon tax, which is revenue-neutral. Revenues will go to reduce regressive taxes or to finance progressive, equal rebates to all U.S. residents. Contrary to Chameides' charge, we have never advocated targeting tax revenues to any technology, privileged or otherwise. Nor, to our knowledge, have the Washington Post's Anne Applebaum, whom he also took to task, or the dozens of columnists, economists, scientists, and other public figures who support taxing carbon.

Ha x 2

Not his best work, but pretty funny:

Energy Dept. gets solar system on roof

From a press release out of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee: Today, the House of Representatives approved by voice vote legislation calling for the installation of a solar energy system at the Department of Energy building in Washington, D.C. The bill had been marked up and reported by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure […]

Who could forget Obama?

… here’s Barack Obama’s announcement speech:

It’s bad for the planet, we’re afraid

I wish that I had something nice to report on rugby, because the one game I’ve watched was fascinating. But alas, Brits with too much time on their hands have crunched numbers for the 2006 Six Nations match between Wales and Scotland, and found it alarmingly eco-unfriendly. And they didn’t even account for the face […]