Chris Vance on Energy & Oil

No carbon taxes, but reduce carbon emissions

Chris Vance: There are legitimate reasons to be concerned about climate change. Ocean acidification, for instance, is dramatically affecting Washington's shellfish industry today. We need a balanced energy policy that grows our economy while addressing the issue of climate change. Carbon taxes and cap and trade are not the answer. Raising taxes on energy will hurt our economy, and will not significantly reduce the amount of carbon emitted in America. And raising taxes on Americans will certainly do nothing to reduce carbon emissions in China and the rest of the developing world. We need a technology driven innovation agenda to reduce carbon emissions. The federal government needs to invest heavily in the research and development of new technologies, and work with the private sector and other countries to phase in the required use of new, cleaner technologies.

Cap-and-trade is not the answer; technology is

We need a technology-driven innovation agenda to reduce carbon emissions. The federal government needs to invest heavily in the research and development of new technologies, and work with the private sector and other countries to phase in the required use of new, cleaner technologies. What are these possible new technologies?

• Carbon capture and sequestration for power plants to reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%.
• Low carbon fuels, more efficient cars, and more electric vehicles.
• Air capture of CO2 and ocean fertilization to reduce the effects of climate change and ocean acidification.
• And more progress on wind and solar technology.