Issue Areas

Environmental Issues > Global Warming Main Page > All Global Warming Documents

Why Cap and Invest is Better Than a Carbon Tax

While there is widespread support for the goal of reducing our emission of global warming pollution by 80 percent by 2050, there is a vigorous debate about the best means for reaching that goal. Advocates for a carbon tax suggest that it would be simpler and more transparent than a cap and invest system, but such arguments often compare a “real-world” cap and invest design with an idealized carbon tax. When factoring in the pressure for special accommodations in the legislative process that will undoubtedly face either system, a cap and invest program is preferable to implementing a carbon tax. The following list offers five reasons, including greater certainty where it counts and more flexibility where it is needed, why a cap and invest system will best help us meet the urgent goal of reducing global warming pollution.

last revised 1/30/2009

Get document in pdf

Popular Tags [ View All Tags ]:: causes; consequences; solutions; what you can do; wildlife; energy efficiency; renewable energy; global warming and health; global warming legislation

All Tags [ View Popular Tags ]:: AB 1493; AB 32; ACES; agriculture; air pollution; Alaska; algae; Arctic; Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; asthma; automakers; biodiesel; biofuels; cabon; California; cap 2.0; cap and trade; carbon; carbon assessment; carbon capture and storage; carbon dioxide; carbon emissions; carbon offsets; caribou; cars; causes of global warming; CCS; china; Clean air; Clean Air Act; clean energy; clean energy economy; climate; climate change; climate disruption; climate disruption tax; climate legislation; Climate Security Act; coal; coal plants; coal-fired power plants; consequences; coral; dirty fuels; drilling; drought; earth day; economy; Elizabeth Kolbert; emissions; endangered species; endangered species protection; energy; energy efficiency; energy policy; energy security; environmental protection agency; EPA; extreme weather; farming; fish & fishing; flooding; floods; florida; food; Forests; fuel; fuel efficiency standards; fuel savings; Gary Braasch; gas prices; global warming and health; global warming and the economy; global warming emissions; global warming emissions copenhagen accord; global warming legislation; global warming treaties; Great Lakes; Great Lakes National Parks; green buildings; green jobs; green sports; greenhouse gas; greenhouse gas regulations; greenhouse gases; grizzly bear; growing green awards; habitat loss; Harmful Algal Blooms; health; health effects; health effects of pollution; heat; heat wave; heat waves; holiday; hurricane; hurricane Irene; Hurricane Katrina; Hurricane Sandy; hurricanes; hybrid; hybrid vehicles; India; India Initiative; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; International; international agreements; interviews; IPCC; Kyoto protocol; legislation; liquid coal; livestock; marine conservation; Massachussetts v EPA; mccain leiberman; mccain-leiberman bill; McKinsey; melting ice and glaciers; Montreal Protocol; mortality; mountain pine beetle; mountaintop removal mining; national parks; natural gas; new energy economy; nuclear energy; ocean acidification; ocean policy; ocean pollution; oil; oil shale; oil shale development; oil shale development in colorado river basin; oil shale impact on water; ozone; photos; polar bears; polar ice cap; policy; pollution; power plants; public transportation; record-high temperatures; renewable energy; renewable energy/clean energy; renewables; respiratory illness; Rocky Mountains; salmon; sb375; science; sea levels; sea-level rise; ski; smart growth; smog air pollution; solar power; solutions; species protection; sprawl; storms; Supreme Court; sustainable communities; tar sands; tennessee; testimony; tourism; toxic waste; transportation; transportation bill; trout; U.S.; VEETC; vehicle emissions; vehicles; water; water supply; water sustainability; weather; Western Arctic; what you can do; white bark pine; whitebark pine; Wilderness Preservation; wildfires; wildlife; winter sports; Yellowstone

Sign up for NRDC's online newsletter

See the latest issue >

This Is Global Warming

Watch the Video »

Our new video shows the effects of global warming in the world today.

Give the Gift That Will Make a Difference: Clean Energy Boost

NRDC Gets Top Ratings from the Charity Watchdogs

: Charity Navigator awards NRDC its 4-star top rating.
: Worth magazine named NRDC one of America's 100 best charities.
: NRDC meets the highest standards of the Wise Giving Alliance of the Better Business Bureau.

Donate now >

Switchboard Blogs

New Xbox One: Good for Gaming and Voice Recognition, But Maybe Not the Environment?: posted by Noah Horowitz, 5/24/13
GAO says we'll pay a high price for lack of climate preparedness: posted by Aliya Haq, 5/16/13
How Are California's Existing Water Management Issues Impacted by Climate Change?: posted by Ben Chou, 5/15/13

Issue Areas

Why Cap and Invest is Better Than a Carbon Tax

Sign up for NRDC's online newsletter

This Is Global Warming

NRDC Gets Top Ratings from the Charity Watchdogs

Switchboard Blogs

Tell your friends you're making a difference:

Take Action Now

Issue Areas

Why Cap and Invest is Better Than a Carbon Tax

Sign up for NRDC's online newsletter

This Is Global Warming

NRDC Gets Top Ratings from the Charity Watchdogs

Switchboard Blogs

Popular Issues

Tell your friends you're making a difference:

Take Action Now