Comment Log Display

Dear California Air Resources Board:

As a long-time resident of California, I am deeply grateful for
your efforts to forward climate solutions, especially given the
potentially grave consequences of inaction on climate change.

However, I am deeply concerned about efforts to move forward on a
cap-and-trade program. The European Union’s first cap-and-trade
system actually produced windfall profits for polluters, and failed
to seriously reduce emissions! 

We can, and must do better to tackle the challenge at hand. A
stronger plan would combine two key approaches that you and your
colleagues have already identified:

    * Carbon Tax. This is a much more transparent approach to
pricing carbon. Also, the revenues go to the state, which can use
it to close the budget gap, re-fund our public transportation
systems, schools, and social services, and invest in green energy.
We the People need that money more than Chevron does – make
polluters pay!

    * Regulate specific pollution sources. A carbon tax makes it
more expensive to pollute, but does not always guarantee less
pollution. That’s why it’s a good idea to combine this policy with
strict enforcement of clean air laws with the biggest polluters,
such as oil refineries, making sure to clean up the environment for
the communities that live around them.

Again, I appreciate your efforts to forward solutions to the
climate crisis. Let's just be sure to do so in ways that truly
require polluters to pay their share and to encourage the
transition to a clean energy economy.

Sincerely,

Aaron Lehmer
Oakland