Cap and Trade, definition of

Cap and Trade is a market-based policy tool for protecting human health and the environment.

A cap and trade program first sets an aggressive cap, or maximum limit, on emissions. Sources covered by the program then receive authorizations to emit in the form of emissions allowances, with the total amount of allowances limited by the cap. Each source can design its own compliance strategy to meet the overall reduction requirement, including sale or purchase of allowances, installation of pollution controls, implementation of efficiency measures, among other options. Individual control requirements are not specified under a cap and trade program, but each emissions source must surrender allowances equal to its actual emissions in order to comply. Sources must also completely and accurately measure and report all emissions in a timely manner to guarantee that the overall cap is achieved.

• Climategate, what is going on?
  Global warming, climate change, greenhouse effect and climategate; how 'valid' is the climate science?

• Carbon Tax does not work
  Carbon Tax has been shown in the US to be totally ineffective; we compare against the situation with Carbon Tax in Australia.
• Free Green Dictionary App updated
  The Free Green Dictionary App has now been updated.
• Green Dictionary App available for Free
  We have taken the definitions off the Ecowho.com online dictionary and made them available for free in a standalone Android app.
• Property Assess App for buying or renting property released.
  We have just completed an application that will assist you with the process of considering properties for sale or to rent. It should take away much of the stress with keep track of notes, photos and key details.
• Cancun Cloud Feedback problems
  It appears that a 'weak' paper has been published supporting the IPCC cloud feedback models to coincide with the last day of Cancun.. hmm..
• Climate models are just wrong..
  In a recent paper climate models were hindcast tested against actual surface observations, and found to be seriously lacking if not totally useless... We provide some more background detail.
• 2010 the warmest ever; we think not
  The UN's WMO (World Meteorological Organisation) is saying 2010 will be warmest ever... The evidence does not back up the claim
• Will Kyoto fall on its own sword?
  It looks like Japan will stop Kyoto being extended and put a big cloud over Cancun.
• Climatic Models incomplete - poor understanding of mid level clouds cited
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• Indonesia to cut down rainforests for $1Bn climate aid
  Indonesia plans to class large areas of its remaining natural forests as "degraded" in order to cut them down and receive nearly $1bn of climate aid for replanting them with palm trees and biofuel crops.
• Climate change is not the long term problem, environmental degradation is.
  We propose that man-made climate change, as a risk to society as we know it, is less of a real risk than current environmental degradation and pollution.
• CO2 global levels rising, is this a problem?
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• Solar Panel Calculator
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• A Rational Discussion of Climate Change: the Science, the Evidence, the Response
  US House of Representatives Science Committee has a meeting today titled 'A Rational Discussion of Climate Change: the Science, the Evidence, the Response' - we give you the details.
• Green Blogging Sites
  if you run a green or eco blog, we would be interested in hearing from you
• Green gardening tips
  Just some simple tips I've found that make it easier to maintain a green garden.
• Plug pulled in French “Super Ministry of Environment”
  Its seems the French have given a big fat 'Nill Points' to the plans to set up a “Super Ministry of Environment” in France.
• ClimateGate Anniversary
  ClimateGate is just about to celebrate being one year old. We look at what has changed over the last year.
• Green Guffs of the week
  Quick summary of some major 'green' snarfs of the week in terms of not really doing the right thing to save the environment.
• Carbon trading is dead
  Carbon trading in the US is dead - the market set up to trade it is about to close down for lack of business.
• Biofuels destroying Rain Forests
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• Surry Hills Library wins Sustainable Architecture Award
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• Ocean acidification $15B NGO cash grab
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• Solar Panels for your home, with the reduced feed-in tariff, are they a sound investment?
  We take a more detailed look at solar panels and help you work out if investing your money in solar is the right thing to do for you and the environment.
• Feed-in tariff for NSW reduced to 20c/kWh
  New South Wales has reviewed its feed-in tariff and reduced it to 20c/kWh, we look at what this means.
• energy efficient homes and energy saving
  Energy saving is something we all want to achieve at home through better efficiency. We look at the options available to you.
• Compost Toilets or Waste processing system?
  If you happen to live 'off grid' you often have to make the choice over what form of human waste disposal system is best suited. We give you some advice on this smelly issue...
• Hebel Wall Systems, what are they..
  CSR Hebel Wall Systems are a class of wall cladding that has some unique properties that makes them useful in certain building situations.
• climate scientists: no consensus
  A post in "The Australian" indicates that the consensus on climate change among climate scientists is a fiction.
• 10:10 - 10 reasons carbon emissions trading does not work
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• resignation from American Physical Society over global warming scam
  Prof Hal Lewis has just resigned from the American Physical Society after 67 years membership in disgust at the corruption around the 'global warming scam'
• carbon trading does not reduce emissions
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• 10:10 cut carbon emissions video, the links
  A quick summary posting giving links to the coverage so far online and in the media.
• Landfills May Be Greener Than Recycling, finds study
  Recycling plastic bottles might not always be the most environmentally-friendly option for disposal, according to a study by an independent consultancy based near Zurich, Switzerland.
• 10:10 cut carbon emissions viral video nightmare
  The 10:10 global campaign to cut global carbon emissions has demonstrated in a video they just pulled of their website (but has gone viral, so too late) exactly what they think of those who disagree with them...
• Royal Society acknowledges significant uncertainly in climate predictions
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• National Broadband Network - is it really Green?
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• Solar Cells at the nanoscale
  it appears that some recent research is promising to improve the efficiency of solar cell light capture by up to 12 times..
• It does look like the Sun influences climate after all
  The idea that changes in the sun's activity can influence the climate is making a comeback, after years of scientific vilification, thanks to major advances in our understanding of the atmosphere.
• BBC calls for UN climate chief resignation
  As reported by the BBC several environmentalists, UK MPs and scientists has called for the resignation of Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the UN’s climate science body.
• Yahoo's super efficient Data Center
  Yahoo has been able to apply passive cooling and hydro-electricity to a data center to produce massive savings in power usage and environmental foot print.
• Reducing cows' methane production the natural way
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• Climate Disruption
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• WA Greens get evicted a Feedlot Operator for not believing in AGW
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• Passive Solar Design advice
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• EarthCare Centre open day
  The EarthCare Centre in Western Sydney is having an open day on Sustainable House Day
• Sustainable House Day on this weekend
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• Forestry investments have all gone rotten
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• Self-Assembling Solar Cells Recycle Themselves Repeatedly
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• Chicago Climate Exchange drops 50%, new record low
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• Alternative Solar Energy
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• US Thermal Solar Plant approved in California
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• solar power efficiency
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• Special Interest Groups
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• New Rainwater harvesting calculator
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• More Efficient Solar Cells with Selenium
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• Is Cap and Trade really the way to care for the planet?
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• California’s Costly “Cap and Trade” Forest Emission Offsets Program Just Climate Alarmism Incompetence
  This very embarrassing and public dispute came about as a result of a study by a San Francisco nonprofit called CarbonPlan that concluded forest carbon emission credits are actually causing an increase in the state's greenhouse gas emissions.
• Wildfires offsetting California’s expensive cap-and-trade emissions cuts
  California’s failure to manage its forests so as to limit wildfires offset much if not all of the state’s expensive efforts to reduce its greenhouse emissions...
• Ontario greenhouses could lose $10M because of new cap-and-trade rules
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• Cutting Coal Pollution by 20% is Just One Way Obama is Making Climate History
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• South Korea Launches the Word’s Most Aggressive Carbon Market
  Photo via Shutterstock South Korea has made clear their intent to become one of the world's leading warriors against climate change, and they are willing to back up their assertions with cold, hard, cash...
• Why Is Congress Lethargic about Energy?
  This week National Journal’s Energy Experts Blog poses the question: “What’s holding back energy & climate policy.” So far 13 wonks have posted comments including yours truly. What I propose to do here is ‘revise and...
• China Announces Plans to Tax Carbon Emissions and Clean up Air Pollution!
  Image: © John E. Williamson Not long after reports of China’s unearthly pollution dominated headline news, the Ministry of Finance has published plans to tax carbon emissions. The idea of a carbon tax is not new in China, but the secretary of tax...
• China to Tax Carbon Emissions and Clean up the Sky!
  Image: © John E. Williamson Not long after reports of China’s unearthly pollution dominated headline news, the Ministry of Finance has published plans to tax carbon emissions. The idea of a carbon tax is not new in China, but the secretary of tax...
• EU Still Groping for Carbon Price Sweet Spot
  In a post last September, I observed that carbon prices in the EU’s emission trading system (ETS) were so low they failed to incentivize hoped-for technology innovation, yet so high EU governments had to establish a “carbon compensation...
• Why Courts Should Repeal EPA’s ‘Carbon Pollution’ Standard (and why you should care)
  Note: A nearly identical version of this column appeared last week in Forbes Online. I am reposting it here with many additional hyperlinks so that readers may more easily access the evidence supporting my conclusions. The November 2012 elections...

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