Video Break

• CCL: https://citizensclimatelobby.org/ 1:56• Oregon Climate: http://www.oregonclimate.org/act_now 4:48• CCL Robert Reich: https://vimeo.com/105254387 3:04

A Fee on Atmospheric Pollution: Exploring

the Options

March 31st 2015

Alan Journet SOCANSherrill Rinehart: Southern Oregon CCL

Sam Becker Oregon ClimateDavid Beale SOCAN

Tom Bowerman: Policy Interactive

We have regulations and controls about this….

and this….

But why not this…?

NASA –GISS including 2014

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs_v3/Fig.A2.gif

2014

http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/uploads/WGIAR5_WGI-12Doc2b_FinalDraft_Chapter12.pdf

Future Temperature Range (2100 and beyond)

3.6⁰F7.2⁰F

10.8⁰F14.4⁰F18.0⁰F21.6⁰F

Unavoidable

Unmanageable

The Main Greenhouse Gases

Nitrous oxide

WaterDihydrogen monoxide

Longevity ≈ centuries

Carbon dioxide100 year GWP = 1

Methane

100 year GWP = 3420 GWP = 84-86

Longevity ≈ decade

Longevity ≈ century

100 year GWP = 298

Longevity ≈ 250 years

CFC / HCFC

100 year GWP = 15,000

Longevity ≈ 10 Days

Trends in Major Greenhouse Gases to 2014CO2 CH4 N2O

https://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/documents/1002_GHG_Bulletin.pdf

2 C = 3.6 F⁰ ⁰

KEEP IT IN THE GROUND!

A Fee on Atmospheric

PollutionSOCAN Positions:

1 SOCAN supports reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.2 SOCAN recognizes that carbon pollution imposes a social cost

through the consequences of heat waves, droughts, floods, severe weather, etc. and supports eliminating subsidies for carbon intensive energy producers and imposing fees for using the atmosphere as a deposit for carbon pollution thus allowing low carbon energy resources an improved competitive economic opportunity.

A Fee on Atmospheric

Pollution

• The primary culprit is Carbon dioxide.• A rising star is methane (= natural gas).• Principle of externalities - fossil fuel users dump polluting by-products into

our atmosphere free – and we all pay the price in climate chaos• Yes! That includes us!• Primary techniques to redress this oversight:

• Tax / Fee, • Cap.

Main Differences

Tax / Fee – Charges for the right to emitPolluters buy rights at this predetermined price

Cap – Limits the allowable total of emissionsPolluters buy allowances at predetermined price or through auction

A Fee on Atmospheric

Pollution

• What do we do with the funds raised?• Use them for other socially valuable activities.• Decrease other taxes commensurately – Revenue Neutral Tax• Return them to citizens as a Dividend. CCL and Oregon Climate Bill

A Fee on Atmospheric

Pollution

• Key Questions:1 Does the proposal address all greenhouse gas emissions or only some - usually carbon (as a surrogate for carbon dioxide)?

• If latter, will it encourage natural gas? • Because of methane leakage, shale-fracked natural gas is worse than

coal.• If a Tax or Fee, is it progressive or regressive?• If a Revenue Neutral Tax or Fee, where are taxes lowered, or are funds

returned as a Dividend?2 Is the proposal politically feasible?3 Will the proposal survive as a Ballot Measure?

Dirty

A Fee on Atmospheric

Pollution• Tax/Fee

• Impose a fee on fossil fuels as they enter economy based on their GHG emissions at combustion.

• This levels playing field for renewable energy production.• Fee is passed along to consumers.• Encourages us to be GHG pollution conscious when we buy – avoiding GHG intensive

products.• Tax rises until emissions are reduced sufficiently.• National focus of Citizens Climate Lobby.• British Columbia.• No U.S. states.

Tax / Fee

• Sherrill Rinehart – the CCL approach• David Beale HB 2082, HB 2159

A Fee on Atmospheric

Pollution

• Key Questions:1 Does the proposal address all greenhouse gas emissions or only some - usually carbon (as a surrogate for carbon dioxide)?

• If latter, will it encourage natural gas? • Because of methane leakage, shale-fracked natural gas is worse than

coal.• If a Tax or Fee, is it progressive or regressive?• If a Revenue Neutral Tax or Fee, where are taxes lowered or are funds

returned as a Dividend?2 Is the proposal politically feasible?3 Will the proposal survive as a Ballot Measure?

Dirty

A Fee on Atmospheric

Pollution• Cap

• Cap emissions by decree.• Issue permits up to that limit.• Polluters buy permits and pollute up to their limit.• Permits may be sold or auctioned (The Trade). • If they pollute less, they can trade permits on open market.• Emissions cap is lowered annually to ultimate target.• May include ‘Carbon Offsets/Credits’ provision.• Neighbors – California (AB32) & Washington• Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland,

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont• (http://rggi.org)

Cap & ….

• Tom Bowerman – HB3470• Sam Becker HB3250 (Fee an Dividend); HB 3176 (Cap & Dividend)

Oregon Straw Ballot

Please Rank from 5 (most preferred) to 1 (least preferred)Tax/ Fee BillsHB2082 Conventional Carbon Tax Bill (with HJM resolutions)HB2159 Conventional Carbon Tax Bill (without HJM resolutions)HB3250 Carbon Fee and Dividend (Oregon Climate)Cap BillsHB3470 CA style Cap and Allocation (Tom Bowerman)HB3176 Cap and Dividend (Oregon Climate)

Take Action• Visit http://socan.info• Click ‘Act Now’• Select ‘Political Action’• Select ‘State Political Action’ List of local and House E&E Committee

representatives• Select ‘Political Action Update’ for summary of legislative items• Contact local representatives to urge support• Contact members of House Energy and Environment Committee to urge support.• YOUR CONTACT COUNTS!!!!

Individual Action is a necessary but insufficient responseIt’s about Inter-generational Justice