American cap and trade--it's alive, unless it's dead already

Cap and trade, a way for polluters to reduce pollution and make even more money. A way to put a price tag on carbon emissions. A way for government to use money to increase industrial anti-pollution measures. Take you pick, or else just take it away. Cap is trade is dead, or like Mark Twain, it's death is a premature rumor. Clearly it's aswirl with rumor and wishful thinking on all sides.

It's alive, says this report.

This commentator, clearly not a fan of the "NYTimes", says Cap and Trade is DOA in D.C.

Even in Texas, a leading oil state, they're able to ponder the cap and trade option vs. a direct carbon emission tax.

And here's a Midwestern view of the issue. This is going to be a divisive issue depending on the local industries of a particular region of the country. If you use lots of solar or wind energy, no big deal. If you are in the solar industry, bring it on. Coal and oil rich and dependent areas: huge deal.

Europe's cap and trade system found prices on carbon emissions collpasing as industries have cutback and shut down during this recession. Nobody needs to buy emissions permits when production is low. And perhaps the E.U. was just soft on polluters and set the admissable levels too high to begin with. But it turns out a crappy economy is good for the atmosphere all around. [poll id="112"]