Republican and Conservative political analysis and commentary

Activists and alarmists decry the free market as the source of our environmental problems, but they also fail to realize the potential the market has in solving those problems. The thing that will eventually ween us off our dependence on oil and fossil fuels is not the media perpetration of an environmental crisis or the "noble" work of activists, but the average American's pocketbook. 

We will never stop using oil and other fossil fuels until they run out. Period. However, we can begin to balance our usage of fossil fueled power, with alternative sources of power. Hybrid vehicles are the beginning of this realization. Other options are pursuing the expansion of proven alternative energy sources such as solar, hydroelectric, wind, and nuclear. 

Another potential solution is the implementation of a Pigovian tax on pollution, notably gas. Greg Mankiw, noted economist and Republican, is a big proponent of this tax and blogs about it often. Tax revenues could in turn be used to subsidize research to spur technological advancement in the development of alternative fuels.  

Another program which shows promise is tradeable pollution permits; essentially selling the right to pollute. Pollution permits work by allowing a company to pollute a certain amount for a set cost. If said company comes in under that amount, then they can sell off some of their "right to pollute" to other polluters who would then be allowed to pollute more. This works because it provides an incentive for a company to reduce its pollution costs; to essentially "clean up" so that it can sell off its remaining pollution permits. And eventually, methods developed for reducing pollution by one company will be widely implemented by all companies. 

Getting into a mindset of an eminent environmental crisis is dangerous because it encourages impulsive action. It makes us believe in solutions of promise, rather than solutions of proof. 

JX

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