Permit Auctions

Garbage in, garbage out, journalists in between, all but useless

Treasury memo hysteria shows media incapable of screening out junk 0
Posted 2 months ago
Is any piece of nonsense from right-wing opponents of clean energy policy too silly, too outrageous, to get its day in the national press spotlight? It would seem not.

Last week, CBS conservo-blogger Declan McCullagh breathlessly reported: "Obama Admin: Cap And Trade Could Cost Families $1,761 A Year." That figure spread like wildfire through right-wing blogs, then jumped to Glenn Beck, and eventually reached The Washington Post. Now Republican lawmakers are repeating it.

The number is completely and utterly misleading. At least in reference to current policy options, it's a lie. But now it's out there, forever part of conservative mythology and forever a "controversy" in the eyes of the establishment media. Is there any way it could have been stopped? Is there any way the next lie can be stopped?
Plague of economists continues

Martin Feldstein uses Washington Post op-ed page for cap-and-trade scare-mongering 13
Posted 5 months, 4 weeks ago
Harvard economist Martin Feldstein has an op-ed in the Washington Post claiming that cap-and-trade will cost American families $1,600 each. That's only true if you ignore ... oh, so many things!
Poor design creates zero sum game

Waxman-Markey giveaways pit consumer protection against climate protection 3
Posted 6 months ago
Waxman-Markey supposedly requires a large percent of the savings from free permits to be passed along to consumers. The intent is that they act as protection against price increases rather than a source of profits for large companies. Unfortunately, to the extent this works, it is likely to dampen the price signals that are supposed to help emissions. Equally unfortunately, these provisions are much harder to enforce than appears at first glance.
No ponies

Waxman-Markey permit allocation plan: could be worse 4
Posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Reps. Waxman and Markey have released the text of their compromise climate and energy bill, including the proposal for allocating pollution permits. It's not awful.
Waxman and Markey divvy up the goods — I wish my parents had given me allowances like this! 1
Posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Thoughts on how pollution permits are allocated in the just-released Waxman-Markey bill.
What he means when he says 'my friends'

McCain wants a climate policy that benefits the rich 13
Posted 7 months ago
Don't be misled by the rhetoric: John McCain is advocating for a system that primarily benefits the very wealthy.