Advocates of cap-and-trade argue that it is preferable to a simple carbon tax because it fixes a national cap on carbon emissions and it \u201chides the ball\u201d\u009d \u201d\u201d it doesn\u2019t use the word \u201ctax\u201d\u009d \u201d\u201d even though it amounts to one. So it can get through Congress. That was true as long as no one thought cap-and-trade could ever pass, but now that it might under Mr. Obama, opponents are not playing hide the ball anymore.<\/p>\n
In the past two weeks, you could hear a chorus of Republicans, coal-state Democrats, right-wing think tanks and enviro-skeptics all singing the same tune: \u201cCap-and-trade is a tax. Obama is going to raise your taxes and sacrifice U.S. jobs to combat this global-warming charade, which many scientists think is nonsense. Worse, cap-and-trade will be managed by Wall Street. If you liked credit-default swaps, you\u2019re going to love carbon-offset swaps.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Some of the refrains from this song have a very catchy appeal. They could easily kill this effort. So, if the Obama team cares about the \u201cends\u201d\u009d of a stronger America and a more livable planet, as much as the \u201cmeans,\u201d\u009d I hope it will consider an alternative strategy, message and messenger.<\/p>\n