[Terrapreta] What fixed "acid rain" is what is working in theKyoto Protocol

[David Yarrow]

becoming carbon negative is a major role reversal for humans and our society and industry.

becoming carbon conscious is the first step, and is just barely underway globally and locally, but fortunately science is way out in front leading, studying, evaluating, debating, teaching, testing....

becoming carbon accountable is going to be difficult -- ie. there will be great resistance, as there always is when any body has to account for disruptive, destructive, dangerous, and excessive behavior.

creating a carbon accountable economy will require a great deal of creative social, financial, legal, scientific, agricultural, industrial -- and yes, philosophical -- change.  humans are inventing this carbon economic system, and no one person, organization, or nation has figured this out yet.  every carbon accounting strategy will be an experiment, and we must learn rapidly from the strengths and weaknesses of each system.  it will be a decade before we can really know what is working best, and how to adapt to varied geographies, cultures and economies.

here in the northeast, a new effort is emerging called "reggie" = RGGI = regional greenhouse gas initiative.  rather than wait for a new president in jan. 2009, nine northeast states are creating emission caps for industries, and a trading scheme for emitters to compensate (pay) for their excesses.  the first RGGI cap & trade guidelines were issued just before christmas last year.

in RGGI's own words, right off their home page:
www.rggi.org
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, is a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions - a greenhouse gas that causes global warming. Climate change is expected to raise sea level, change precipitation and impact other local climate conditions. Changing regional climate could alter forests, crop yields, and water supplies. It could also affect human health, animals, and many types of ecosystems.

To address this important environmental issue, the RGGI participating states will be developing a regional strategy for controlling emissions. This strategy will more effectively control greenhouse gases, which are not bound by state or national borders. Central to this initiative is the implementation of a multi-state cap-and-trade program with a market-based emissions trading system. The proposed program will require electric power generators in participating states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

in the meantime, we have our own work to make the case for TP as a food, fertility and fuel strategy, and to spread the word about how to get involved in the carbon negative revolution.

for a green & peaceful planet,
David Yarrow
44 Gilligan Rd, E Greenbush, NY 12061
www.championtrees.org
www.OnondagaLakePeaceFestival.org
www.farmandfood.org
www.SeaAgri.com

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Mary Lehmann 
    To: Sean K. Barry 
    Cc: terra pretta group ; Gerald Van Koeverden 
    Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 11:53 AM
    Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] What fixed "acid rain" is what is working in the Kyoto Protocol


    Sean,, I thought we paid low carbon emitters so that we could be high carbon emitters.  I really never did understand about carbon caps and credits.  Is there some article I can read that gets down to basics?  It always seemed to me that the people who owned the air commons were the public who had to breathe the air, so that emitting rights should be paid to them (us) but instead of selling them we could tear them up or use them ourselves if we are polluting, say by driving.  I.E. the whole thing seems a mish-mash of distributing ill-defined rights to big pollutors as if they owned the air commons by consent of the government.  Familiar.  Please clear up my confusion if you can. 


    Mary
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