Comment Log Display

Dear California Air Resources Board,

The upcoming decision on Cap and Trade rules is critical to our
future both for air quality and climate mitigation.  The two facts
of life are so closely linked to both our physical health and the
future lives of our children. 

Compromise or weakening of rules at this stage is life threatening
first to the poor and later to our children as seas rise, droughts
lengthen and more taxes to combat climate change are required.  I
am writing to urge CARB to protect the health of our communities by
implementing strong rules for Californias historic cap-and-trade
program. 

As we have chosen to regulate by market forces you must stand firm
to create market rules that are equitable and do the job of
limiting carbon emissions. We need market rules that will result in
the real pollution reductions we need in order to hit our climate
targets. That means eliminating excess allowances from the market
and maintaining, not increasing, current industrial assistance
factors.

Without fair accounting for how many pollution permits should be
made available, our cap-and-trade program will be a Potemkin
village of false promises.  Despite receiving an overwhelming
number of pollution permits for free, and a cap-and-trade market
that currently issues far too many permits, the fossil fuel
industry is asking for additional giveaways at the expense of
Californias taxpayers and the climate. This is unacceptable.

The fossil fuel industrys demand for a $365 million giveaway over
the next three years is indefensible, and their request that CARB
offer pollution permits well in excess of what is needed puts our
2030 climate goals at grave risk. California should be holding
polluters accountable and investing in clean energy, not caving
into the never-ending series of demands from corporations that
pollute our air.

To stay true to CARBs mission, you have a responsibility to
safeguard the health of the communities hit hardest by air
pollution caused by oil refineries. 

Sincerely, Harold  Thomas