Reply To: Fusion Oil

[Rematog]

Tasmo,

To start, I’d read the Wikipedia entry on Cap and Trade. It gives a reasonable description on how this emission control method works.

Cap and Trade is currently in use in the US in regulating NOx and SOx emissions. Generally, when additional reductions are required, the “allowances” held by industry are reduced across the board, say requiring two allowances per ton emitted instead of one allowance, etc. Then, individual plants either install equipment, shut down operations, or buy credits, depending on that sites economics. It works pretty well, really.

As to adding red tape, all regulated emissions, as well as some not yet requiring controls, have to be monitored and reported. So the cap and trade is no more burden than other emissions control regulations.

And yes, complying with governmental regulations is a “burden” on industry. The plant I work at has had to add a second environment engineer to deal with reporting and compliance with the literally dozens of different environment regulations and agencies with jurisdiction over air pollution, water pollution, radiation (we are not a nuclear plant, but have nuclear sources in some instruments, etc) , ground water, noise, toxic chemical usage, zoning, levy boards (we are located on a river), stack lighting (aircraft warning lights), etc.

These real world requirements are one of the reasons I don’t buy into the idea that FF modules will, within a few years of introduction, be allowed to be sited for unattended operation in urban areas.