JOHN MCCAIN
- The [Annotated] McCain Climate Speech
For the market to do more, government must do more by opening new paths of invention and ingenuity. And we must do this in a way that gives American businesses new incentives and new rewards to seek, instead of just giving them new taxes to pay and new orders to follow. The most direct way to achieve this is through a system that sets clear limits on all greenhouse gases, while also allowing the sale of rights to excess emissions. And this is the proposal I will submit to the Congress if I am elected president — a cap-and-trade system to change the dynamic of our energy economy.
- WSJ Blog: Green Ink: McCain’s Climate Offensive
John McCain will now attempt to woo Democrats with a big climate-change initiative, reports the WSJ (sub reqd.) after tying up the base with speeches on Iraq and judges. He’ll start today in Oregon, detailing his plans to curb emissions, notes USA Today, after appearing to endorse the Lieberman-Warner bill over the weekend, notes Grist. While McCain is distancing himself from Bush—with the help of surrogates like Carly Fiorina, at Wired—his climate proposals are still a far cry from Democratic proposals, notes Grist. And from others: Bloomberg reports Japan will ask for 80% emissions cuts by 2050 at the next G-8 meeting.
- Bloomberg: McCain Says China Must Play Equal Role on Emissions
“No nation should be exempted from its obligations,” McCain said in a speech today in Portland, Oregon. “Least of all should we make exceptions for the very countries that are accelerating carbon emissions while the rest of us seek to reduce emissions.”
- Washington Post: McCain Breaks with Bush on Climate Change
Standing beside Oregon’s Democratic governor Ted Kulongoski, McCain made a sharp break with President Bush and argued the U.S. should adopt mandatory curbs on greenhouse gas emissions and issue emissions credits to polluters that they can trade in order to spur technological innovation.
- NY Times: McCain Differs With Bush on Climate Change
Mr. McCain added pointedly: “I will not shirk the mantle of leadership that the United States bears. I will not permit eight long years to pass without serious action on serious challenges.”
The senator’s remarks were a direct criticism of Mr. Bush, who in his first term questioned the scientific basis for global warming and has remained adamantly opposed to mandatory caps on emissions as bad for the American economy.
CARBON INVESTMENTS
- SF Gate: Interview with VC
Enter Vinod Khosla, one of green tech’s most prominent investors. He has funded entrepreneurs building solar power plants that will dwarf football fields and companies that will make ethanol from wood chips.
Khosla met recently with a group of Chronicle reporters to talk about the future of green tech and discuss which technologies will thrive while others die. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
JAPAN
- AFP: Govt to seek ‘up to 80%’ emissions cut by 2050
In its measures against global warming, which are expected to be unveiled in June, the government may call for a 60-percent to 80-percent cut in domestic greenhouse gas emissions from current levels by 2050, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned Sunday.
The government wants to promote the development of new energy sources and the practical application of new technologies to achieve this goal. It also will consider the introduction of an emissions quota trading scheme along the lines of the system already introduced in Europe.
- Reuters: Japan eyes new emissions cut goal for 2050
CANADA
- National Post: The Post Editorial Board on Stéphane Dion’s Proposed Carbon Tax: Integrity alone doesn’t make good policy
- Canada.com: After 10 years, Liberals pondering carbon tax … again
CARBON TRADING
- EC backs Kyoto CO2 trading reform
Reuters reported that the European Commission is standing by a call to overhaul UN led carbon trading rules to make it more difficult for developing nations to earn offset credits from cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
- Top Japanese official in carbon cap backtrack
A senior Japanese official on Monday criticised calls to introduce a cap-and-trade plan for greenhouse gas emissions, saying that the country’s own “sectoral” approach was gaining support.
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