Should countries be allowed to buy TPQ's... (Full question below)?

Question

Should countries be allowed to buy greenhouse gas quotas from other countries and so, in effect, pay for the right to pollute more? Or should polluters simply be heavily taxed if they exceed their own quotas?

Answer 1

sadly the world is at war with climate

when the world wars were going on food and commodities were rationed and people could not trade rations with each other?

why should we be able to trade our rations of carbon with other so we can have more...

its a flawed system unless it is enforced, money shouldn't be introduced to the system either.

a ration is a ration, live with it

Answer 2

Every country should be responsible for their own pollution.  No "cheating" by buying the ones that other counties don't use because they are either not as developed, or more ecologically conscience.

Answer 3

I don't think there should be quotas by country.  For instance, if the world is going to make a billion tons of steel per year, that steel should be made where it emits the least CO2.  It makes no sense for Country A to push steel production to Country B when Country A is more efficient just because Country B hasn't used its quota; it means emitting more CO2 overall.

This is a real problem; I've read that China emits 3x as much CO2 per ton of steel than Germany does, but China is the one making all the steel for export.

We should just have high taxes on GHGs.  Countries should be forbidden to offer rebates on these taxes, so that the price of the goods and services reflects the GHG emissions.  People would seek to cut their costs, which would mean cutting their GHG contributions (direct and indirect).  Since governments would have to tax something anyway, this would not have to create problems.

Answer 4

You people seem to think AL GORE and Leonardo can buy Carbon credits to offset their extravagant lifestyles and stay "carbon neutral" so why can companies?  

I have never heard of such a silly notion as being carbon neutral or reducing my carbon foot print by buying carbon credits.  You know what, you pollute you pollute, doesn't matter how you sell it to your loyal followers, the result is still the same, more pollution than was needed!!!!