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Politics : Politics of Energy -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Brumar89 who wrote (74788)	2/9/2017 11:07:22 AM
From: Eric	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 86355

Carbon tax Republican elders call for new national carbon tax to replace federal regulations GOP elder statesmen urge Donald Trump’s administration to impose a ‘free market, limited government’ response to rising global temperatures The Republican group’s plan outlines a carbon tax of $40 for each ton emitted. Photograph: Jim Cole/AP Oliver Milman @olliemilman Wednesday 8 February 2017 16.50 GMT Last modified on Wednesday 8 February 2017 16.56 GMT A group of senior Republicans will meet with White House officials on Wednesday to call for a new national carbon tax to replace federal regulations as a way to combat climate change. The GOP elder statesmen – which include former secretaries of state James Baker and George Shultz, and ex-treasury secretary Hank Paulson – will urge Donald Trump’s administration to impose a “free market, limited government” response to rising global temperatures. Trump interior secretary pick on climate change: 'I don’t believe it’s a hoax' Read more theguardian.com The group’s plan outlines a carbon tax of $40 for each ton emitted, which would increase steadily over time. In an attempt to appeal to Republicans wary of new taxes, the plan stipulates that income from this levy would be distributed to the American public on a quarterly basis. “Mounting evidence of climate change is growing too strong to ignore,” the group states. “For too long, many Republicans have looked the other way, forfeiting the policy initiative to those who favor growth-inhibiting command-and-control regulations.” The plan would also sweep away federal regulations limiting carbon dioxide emissions. Barack Obama, faced by stiff Republican opposition to a similar market-based carbon plan, deployed the Environmental Protection Agency to draw up rules the directly curb emissions via the clean power plan. This new proposal estimates that a family of four would receive about $2,000 a year in dividends, offsetting any increase in fuel costs that would occur as a result of the tax. “Carbon dividends would increase the disposable income of the majority of Americans while disproportionately helping those struggling to make ends meet,” the report states. “Yet these dividends are not giveaways; they would be earned based on the good behavior of minimizing our carbon footprints.” Trump’s antipathy towards climate science, which he has previously called a “hoax” and mere ploy to impose new taxes, suggests that the group of Republicans will struggle to win the president over. Obama’s clean power plan is already slated for abolition, with Trump suggesting the US could also retreat from the international effort to tackle climate change. Congressional Republicans, too, have voiced doubts over the validity of the science and have consistently opposed any new taxes and any restrictions upon greenhouse gas emissions. Baker, who was secretary of state under George HW Bush, conceded his group faces an “uphill slog” that may not be successful. “We may not convince the president, but it’s a good plan because it’s a conservative, free market and limited government approach to the problem,” he told CNN. “Republicans have not been at the table because we are skeptics or deniers. But if you see what’s happening to the environment, even if it’s happened before 10,000 years ago, that’s a risk we shouldn’t have to take.” Support for a carbon tax has support in diverse places, including ExxonMobil, the world’s largest oil company, former vice-president Al Gore and James Hansen, the former Nasa scientist-turned-climate campaigner. Proponents argue the most efficient way to cut emissions would be a tax that spurs large greenhouse gas emitters to switch to cleaner sources of energy. Rex Tillerson, the former ExxonMobile chief executive and Trump’s pick for secretary of state, has said he supports a “revenue neutral” carbon fee. The idea of a carbon tax will also garner support among progressives who were left deflated after Obama’s initial attempts to institute a national cap-and-trade carbon system were scuppered by Republican opposition. Trump and the GOP may be trying to kneecap climate research Read more theguardian.com “It’s a sensible alternative and this group is probably the best possible messengers for this particular president and Congress,” said Andrew Light, a former senior climate negotiator at the department of state during Obama’s administration. “The structure of this plan should appeal to Republicans because it returns the money from the tax to citizens. We need some action, we need to get to the emissions cuts. This could help us get there.” Environmental groups were cautiously supportive but warned that the tax shouldn’t come at the cost of rolling back clean air laws. “We have a moral obligation to protect future generations from the growing dangers of climate change,” said Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Effective action means building on the progress we’re already making, not sacrificing those gains by weakening the laws Congress has already passed.” theguardian.com

To: Brumar89 who wrote (74788)	2/9/2017 11:07:41 AM
From: Brumar89	Respond to of 86355

The New Maunder Minimum? Vegetable Shortages Strike London Eric Worrall / 13 hours ago February 7, 2017 Farmers’ market in a warehouse in Major Draper Street, Woolwich Royal Arsenal, southeast London, UK. By Kleon3 (Own work) [ CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons Guest essay by Eric Worrall The Sun reports that in London, some supermarkets are rationing purchases of vegetables like lettuce, which is in short supply due to Southern European crop failures. SALAD SHORTAGE What is the 2017 vegetable shortage, which supermarkets are rationing broccoli and lettuce and what’s the cause of the crisis? Tesco and Sainsbury’s are rationing iceburg lettuces and broccoli as cold weather in the Med causes a vegetable shortage. BY ELLIE FLYNN 4th February 2017, 2:29 pm THESE are dark times times for British vegetable lovers. A veggie shortage plaguing UK supermarkets has worsened – with Tesco and Sainsbury’s now forced to ration iceburg lettuces and broccoli. Customers will only be allowed a maximum of three lettuces per visit after poor growing conditions in Europe caused a shortage. Why is there a vegetable shortage? Poor growing conditions in Europe – mostly Italy and Spain – has meant there is a lack of vegetable stock. This comes from a combination of flooding, cold weather and poor light levels. In winter months Spain’s Murcia region supplies 80 per cent of Europe’s fresh produce. But the area has suffered its heaviest rainfall in 30 years – meaning 70 per cent of the growing fields are unuseable. Italy has also suffered a cold snap – meaning the region is having to import vegetables they usually export at this time of year. The effects of shortages are particularly notable in Britain, which imports an estimated 50 per cent of its vegetables and 90 per cent of its fruit. … Read more: thesun.co.uk Why do I describe this as a possible early taste of Maunder Minimum like conditions? As WUWT has reported, solar activity has been unusually low this cycle, and appears to be trending downwards, leading to predictions we are entering a new solar grand minimum. While the connection between solar activity and weather is controversial, in Europe, Solar Grand Minima appear to be associated with cold, rainy weather, and growing season difficulties. Consider this description of the Little Ice Age, one of the most brutal periods of which coincided with the Maunder Minimum (1645 – 1715). The description is from Hubert Lamb, founded of the Climatic Research Unit. Hubert Lamb said that in many years, “snowfall was much heavier than recorded before or since, and the snow lay on the ground for many months longer than it does today.” In Lisbon, Portugal, snowstorms were much more frequent than today; one winter in the 17th century produced eight snowstorms. Many springs and summers were cold and wet but with great variability between years and groups of years. Crop practices throughout Europe had to be altered to adapt to the shortened, less reliable growing season, and there were many years of dearth and famine (such as the Great Famine of 1315–1317, but that may have been before the Little Ice Age). Read More: en.wikipedia.org Obviously in today’s connected world high speed transport will soon solve the shortage in England. It is possible to fly or ship vast quantities of food from other regions to make up for any lack. However this unexpected food shortage should be a wakeup call to Europe and the world, that there are potential climate problems other than global warming which should occupy some of their attention. If current conditions worsen, and crop losses in Europe and other Northern growing regions become the norm, at the very least poor people will begin to suffer from the impact of rising prices. wattsupwiththat.com visionar2013 February 7, 2017 at 7:01 pm In the 1680s 25% of all Scots died from cold impacted harvests Reply Dr K.A. Rodgers February 7, 2017 at 7:20 pm The Great Famine of 1695–97 affected present Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway and Sweden as a result of cold impacted harvests. Some 30-35% of Finns died.