Monday, October 06, 2014

Progress: GOP Senate Candidate Asks About the Price of Carbon

The Huffington Post says that with the primaries over, a few Republican candidates are singing a different tune on climate change,
 Republican Senate candidates Scott Brown and Cory Gardner on Monday embraced the notion that climate change is caused in part by human activity, despite previously expressing skepticism that man-made climate change is real.
They quote Cory Gardner, a Republican running for the Senate seat from Colorado:
There is no doubt that pollution contributes to the climate changing around us, but what I refuse to do is support a climate tax bill like Waxman/Markey put in place, that would have cost farmers and ranchers in the state, that would cost small business the opportunity to grow, that would increase that bills that families pay, $1,700 a year.
Not sure if that number is right, but Gardner went on:
We hear people talk about putting a price on carbon, but they won't talk about how much that price of carbon is. Let's just have an answer: What is the price?
which is an excellent question. But then he asks:
Is it $5 a month, is $10 a month, is it $20 a month? 
Um, it's by the ton, and it depends on how much you use. That's the point.

But this definitely looks like progress -- a debate for a Senate seat in which someone -- and a Republican! -- actually asked about the appropriate price of carbon.

P.S.: "Democrats were quick to point out that in January of this year, Gardner voted against an amendment that would have explicitly stated that climate change is real." That was right before the vote on whether π = 3.

1 comment:

George Montgomery said...

Just a thought, pi-squared is somewhat close to the numerical value of 'g' at the earth's poles i.e. 9.87 vs 9.83.