The 2000’s were the warmest decade on record according to the National Climate Data Center. Welcome to the new warmest decade.
Harry Reid promises that he will have a climate bill on the floor this year. Here are the cost estimates on the House bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, H.R. 2454:
Congressional Budget Office
$13 Average per Household per month
Energy Information Administration
$12 Average per Household per month
Environmental Protection Agency
$7 Average per Household per month
California is doing it right. 70% of the proceeds from their auction of emission permits will be returned to state residents – roughly $1,000/year for a family of four. Washington State would be doing the same thing today, but none of the representation in Central Washington voted the cap and trade bill out of committee. I think they are all climate deniers. If cap and trade works as well with greenhouse gases as it did with ozone, the proceeds will increase gradually year by year, reach a peak and drop quickly. Washington does not have as many major point sources as California does. I can only think of two big generating plants plus a handful of cement manufacturers and aluminum smelters.
2005 was the warmest year on record, and scientists are already suggesting that record will be broken before 2015.