Top climate scientist, Dr, James Hansen of the NASA, is perhaps best known for bringing global warming to the world’s attention in the 1980s, when he first testified before Congress.to sound the alarm on global warming some 20 years ago. Dr Hansen new book is called ” Storms of my Grandchildren”.
Right now, the policy being pursued by the United States Congress is cap-and-trade. Hansen believes that this will be not only useless but also detrimental.
Instead he supports a fee-and-dividend approach. This entails a rising fee (tax) on carbon-based fuels, uniform across the board. No exceptions.
This policy, in contrast with cap-and-trade, allows proper competition between energy efficiency and alternative carbon-free energy sources such as solar energy, wind, and nuclear power. It also “internalizes” the incentive to reduce the use of carbon fuels, especially coal, in literally billions of decisions ranging from commuting behavior to the design of vehicles, aircraft, cities, and so forth.
His theories are born out by our own Anders Höglund, and the emissions fee simulations we have been running.