Essay: The Ethics and Financial Disclosure of California’s Cap and Trade Program
Included in the content is the 2019 California Annual Report on Climate Investments; Cap and Trade Dollars at Work and as a link here. https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/auctionproceeds/2019_cci_annual_report.pdf?_ga=2.135257137.1058508118.1586632303-1759449512.1585088404
Following are some other related links for this assignment:
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data (US = 15% of global emissions)
https://www.chooseenergy.com/data-center/carbon-dioxide-by-state/ (361/5161 = 7%, Californias share of US total carbon emissions)(.07x.15=1.05%, Californias share of global carbon emissions).
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/20122018/climate-change-solutions-transportation-cap-and-trade-northeast-states-washington-california-model-rggi (nine states have climate change related cap and trade, including California)
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/09/climate-change-report-card-co2-emissions/ (China is largest at 30% but is making no progress despite agreeing to the Paris accord – Chinas emissions increased by 2.3% in 2019).
Please address the following and consider this is not to be an indictment of climate change science. The underlying issues involve fair and accurate financial disclosure and related ethics, as well as a public policy component regarding should voters have a choice, vis a vis a referendum, in both the application of cap and trade fees at the gasoline pump (current estimates are 57 cents per gallon) and how those fees are spent.
1. Is it ethical that 36.8% of all climate change cap and trade 2018/19 California appropriations are for affordable housing and the high-speed rail? Note: Governor Newsome himself in his 2019 State of The State address stated the rail system cannot be completed and, at best, only a small leg from Merced to Bakersfield may be completed.
2. Have Californias elected representatives, including the current Governor Newsome and prior Governor Brown, adequately represented voter preferences in currently paying 57 cents per gallon of gasoline for climate change mitigation, increasing to as much as $2.00 per gallon by 2030?
3. Has the state of California provided adequate disclosure of the climate change gasoline fees and how the money is spent? In other words does the average resident understand he or she are paying these fees at the pump, and if so, do they have any understanding of how the money is spent? (200-300 words)
4. Is social and/or economic equity achieved for California’s residents as a result of the Cap and Trade gasoline fees and related appropriations? In effect, does the population of households making below the median household income of $71,000 per year directly benefit from this policy/practice or are they disproportionately affected in an adverse manner?
5. One of the line items in the 2018-19 appropriations is $77 million for fire prevention. Try to find out specifically how this money is allocated. In other words, is it just metered out to local government fire departments to blend in with their fire budget; is it going to Cal Fire for specific forest management? Try to do some research and find out if you cannot find anything, just so indicate
Your response must be a minimum of 850 words which does not include any cover page or reference list.
