- 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.
Which Way, L.A.?
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.
Which Way, L.A.?
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.
Which Way, L.A.?
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?
Recommended
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.