In a time ï¬lled with economic uncertainty, many of the green programs designed to reduce our environmental footprint have lost momentum as we try to revive our economy.
However, one of these green programs—Cap and Trade policies—have not lost wind in nation-wide acceptance. Yet it is a policy that we should scrap for the sake of our economy and our environment.
Cap and Trade policies set a limit to which an organization can pollute, most notably with carbon-based pollutants like carbon dioxide. These limits take the form of carbon credits. Companies trade the credits when they produce less carbon dioxide emissions than credits allocated to them. They sell these surplus credits on exchanges across the country.
In Wisconsin we produce much CO2, as most of our energy is produced in coal power plants. We import $16 billion worth of coal annually. A cap and trade policy would directly add cost to the production of our electricity. Not only would it add cost to consumers but it would cost millions to implement.
Switching to green energies still has its setbacks. Transmission of power from wind farms to consumers have large costs and require batteries with nasty acids in them.
Hydropower disrupts ecological systems and solar power is inefficient. If we want to be practical about our pocketbooks and the environment, we would switch to nuclear power.
Nuclear power has become considerably safer. For instance, in countries like France, which permit the building of new nuclear power plants, have ï¬gured out ways to recycle spent rods.
The best part is that they produce about as much CO2 as many renewable sources.
If we want to encourage a way to improve our economy and reduce CO2 we will pressure our elected officials to remove Cap and Trade polices and permit the construction of new nuclear power plants.
—Sam Allen
University of Wisconsin
B.A. 2011
