- Social:
Heritage Foundation
Research fellow in Energy Economics and Climate Change at the Heritage Foundation
PROFILE
David Kreutzer
Guest
FROM David Kreutzer
Which Way, L.A.?
California Launches Cap and Trade Program with First Auction Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB 32 , which put California into the cap and trade business. Today for the first time, so called "carbon credits" went on sale to manufacturers, utilities and other polluters, allowing them to continue discharging carbon dioxide into the environment — but for a price. As time goes on, the credits will cost them more, with the goal of reducing emissions back to 1990 levels by the year 2020. Only Europe has a bigger cap and trade program, and California may be out on a limb. At his news conference today, President Obama said he wants a green economy to fight against climate change, but that other priorities are paramount.
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The Big Three and Mileage Standards: Obama and Round Two The auto industry and the cars Americans drive could be radically altered by Obama Administration efforts to increase vehicle mileage standards. To get an 89-billion dollar taxpayer bailout, car-makers went along. Mileage standards of 34.1 miles per gallon by 2016 were part of the deal. Now, during weeks of closed-door negotiations, the Obama Administration has been pushing an average of 56.2 miles per gallon by 2025 but, this time, the industry is pushing back, claiming that smaller, lighter, more efficient cars might not sell. We hear what's at stake.
To the Point
The Big Three and Mileage Standards: Obama and Round Two As the President and Congressional leaders work on possible tax reform and massive cuts in Social Security and Medicare, other changes might be in store. The auto industry and the cars Americans drive could be radically altered by Obama Administration efforts to increase vehicle mileage standards. To get an $89 billion taxpayer bailout, car-makers went along, after decades of losing market share to Europe and Asia. Mileage standards of 34.1 miles per gallon by 2016 were part of the deal. Now, during weeks of closed-door negotiations, the Obama Administration has been pushing an average of 56.2 miles per gallon by 2025 but, this time, the industry has been pushing back, claiming that smaller, lighter, more efficient cars might not sell. Neither side will talk publicly about weeks of secret negotiations. We hear what's at stake.
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The Economics and Politics of Global Warming At the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December, the Kyoto Treaty on Global Warming will be renegotiated. Environmentalists say the US has a responsibility to play a leading role. A House Committee has passed a sweeping measure, the 932-page American Clean Energy and Security Act . It would "raise the cost of life" for all Americans. President Obama says the battle to slow global warming will be good for the US economy. But some environmentalists warn it’s too little, too late. Some conservatives argue it’s not worth the effort. We hear the beginning of the debate will go on for at least the rest of this year
To the Point
The Economics and Politics of Global Warming President Obama says the battle to slow global warming will be good for the US economy. He wants an energy policy in time for the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this coming December. A House committee has passed a sweeping 932-page bill that would re-engineer the production of energy and change the economic behavior of every American. It's expensive, and complicated enough to address the concerns of innumerable interest groups. But some environmentalists warn it's too little, too late. Some conservatives argue it's not worth the effort. The debate will go on for at least the rest of this year. We hear the beginning.
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The Price of Gasoline: Good News and Bad Since a high of $147 a barrel in July, the price of oil has dropped like a stone. It’s now about $45 a barrel. Some oil economists say dollar-a-gallon gasoline is possible in the US some time next year. That sounds like good news, but it’s the product of a global recession, which the World Bank today called the worst since the Great Depression. Would Americans jump back into gas-guzzling SUV’s? What about energy independence and alternative fuels? Should gasoline taxes be increased to combat global warming and promote international stability?
To the Point
The Price of Gasoline: Good News and Bad Since the high of $147 a barrel in July, the price of oil has dropped like a stone, to about $45 a barrel. The Automobile Association of America says gasoline prices have dropped in the US for the eighty-second day in a row, to an average of $1.70 a gallon. Worldwide, the price of oil is dropping so fast that dollar-a-gallon gasoline is possible sometime next year. That sounds like good news, but it's the product of a global recession, which the World Bank is now calling the worst since the Great Depression. Would Americans jump back into gas-guzzling SUV's? What about energy independence and alternative fuels? Should gasoline taxes be increased to combat global warming and promote international stability?
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Regulars at Borderline Bar & Grill reflect on the shooting This year there has been a mass shooting in America on average almost once per day. As you know, the most recent was the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks where 12 people were killed when a gunman opened fire inside a local bar. It was called Borderline Bar & Grill. KCRW’s David Weinberg talked to some of the bar’s regulars about what made the place special.
To the Point
Firestorms, Federal Relief and Climate Change Victims of California’s fires can apply for assistance, but President Trump had a warning for the state’s residents. He wants to see a change in forest management. Scientists tell us the firestorms are are result of climate change--which the president still denies. Should cities still allow for building in firezones? Later, Warren talks to one Malibu resident about his firsthand experience in the Woolsey fire.