Ferdinand E. Banks

Will America's Carbon Market Outsize Europe's?

The parasites in Brussels briefly changed into a critical mode, and informed the emissions trading authorities in their kingdom that they don't know what they are doing. Moreover, in Sweden the ignoramus who manages emission certificates has gotten everything wrong, but nobody blames him because this birdbrain is against nuclear. And as if that isn't bad enough, the author of this article talks about a "gas-centric long-term energy policy".

What is it going to be next?

What Does Obama's Cabinet Have in Store for Alternative Energy?

redbaron, I'm in no position to mention the stocks that I own, because if I did many of the persons in this forum would probably sell, and then how would I finance my next trip to Hamburger Heaven.

Self promotion, you betcha. As the leading...well, you know, it's my duty to comment on current energy matters that interest me, rather than to pretend that President Obama's 'environmental team' is up to snuff. This team should never have been mobilized. For example, as Mark Goldes points out, James Hansen prefers carbon taxes instead of cap and trade, and so does the CEO of Exxon-Mobile, and so does the leading...well, you know, but still that team waffles about cap-and-trade.

What Does Obama's Cabinet Have in Store for Alternative Energy?

Let's see now, how would the leading academic energy economist in the world - ME - handle this business.

I would listen very carefully to all of the people mentioned above, giving them as a group about 15 minutes once a week, following which I would smile and thank them for their input on energy matters. After they were out of the room I would arrange to talk to someone who knows something about this topic.

I'm sorry. Tomorrow I will attend a small 'party' at my university in honor of the new president, but if he is really concerned with energy matters, he should be aware that there is a lot of bad advice on energy matters going around, and he should try to avoid receiving too much of it.

How to Trade 'Cap & Trade' Policies - Barron's

I've just written a paper saying that cap-and-trade is a scam. Unfortunately I don't believe it was accepted by SA, but since everything I write is published somewhere, it doesn't make any difference.

Here are two 'bottom line' observations from my article. The CEO of Exxon-Mobile prefers carbon taxes to cap-and-trade, and in the UK emissions from companies that participate in the cap-and-trade farce increased during the first two years of the scheme (and probably the third). What's the point in joining in the promotion of that nonsense?

2009: The Year of the Carbon Market

Carbon trading, cap-and-trade, emissions trading, or whatever else it is called is a scam and goofy. It is also a tax, as can be easily shown. As a result, where this issue is concerned I prefer a straight-out carbon tax - known in economic theory as a Pigou tax, after the Cambridge (UK) economist Arthur Pigou.

Is there really global or climate warming? Personally, I don't know, but both presidential candidates in the US thought that there was, and so there is no point in hopping up on a soapbox and proclaiming that it is nonsense. Instead, for theoretical reasons, I prefer to inform anyone who is interested that the carbon tax is best because it might be possible to eventually get a large part of it back to the people who pay it.

2009: The Year of the Carbon Market

Hmm, Newsweek a few weeks ago said that the new US government want a cap-and-trade (Carbon Trading) arrangement like that which has worked so well in Europe.

Way to go fellas and gals. The European scheme is a distinguished failure, and I am preparing a long article dealing with some of its shortcomings. As a matter of fact one of my New Year's resolutions is to give carbon trading the attention that I gave electric deregulation, which obtained my good self a wonderful visiting professorship in Hong Kong. Of course, my attitude, body language and terminology meant that a return ticket was out of the question, but at least I said what was necessary. The same will be true here. Carbon trading is both a scam and goofy.