"The Get America Working! approach would work, in effect, by correcting a major price distortion. The current U.S. Internal Revenue Code taxes employment far more heavily than it does the use of natural resources. This distortion has grown progressively worse as payroll taxes have grown. Revising this distortion would increase employment, equity and overall economic vigor importantly. And it would do so by responding to market price signals, not through clumsy and expensive government interventions."
Engage People, Retire Things
When we think abouat fighting climate change, we naturally focus first on its direct causes. If it is caused by carbon build-up, our first thought is to cut or offset greenhouse gas emissions. Our thnking then glides logically on to finding ways of doing so, especially adopting new energy techonolges and launching carbon trading markets (which are key to stimulating innovative solutions, to lowering cots of abatement, to helping end the north-south impasse).
All this is essential
But it is not enough. Safeguarding hte environent requires other levers, levers that are simple, fast, potentially adept, highly powerful. This power can only come from shifting the balance of forces in the larger society, balances behond the limited circle of the problem's immediate constituents.
For the full 10-page article, click here
Date:
11/24/2009 (All day)
Source:
Innovations Magazine
Summary:
Note: In this special Energy and Climate edition of Innovations magazine, Get America Working! founder Bill Drayton makes the case for a structural change in the U.S. economy that would encourage work and discourage energy waste and consumption of resources. At a time of massive unemployment and focus on upcoming climate negotiations in Copenhagen, he offers a path forward. For the article, click the title above: "Engage People; Retire Things."
