Readers React: How to export California’s policy on carbon emissions

To the editor: A recent article on California’s carbon market draws much-needed attention to new loopholes that undermine the state’s flagship climate policy. This otherwise excellent piece falls short, however, in suggesting that the market’s problems were inevitable. (“Despite California climate law, carbon emissions may be a shell game,” Oct. 25)

In fact, the California Air Resources Board rejected viable solutions that would have balanced federal regulators’ concerns while preserving the integrity of the carbon market.

Under one approach, utilities would have remained responsible for climate pollution they send to other states. While California cannot tell Arizona what to do, it can make sure that its own companies are responsible for outsourced pollution.

State leaders can still act to fix the market by shrinking the overall limit on emissions to account for any pollution that “leaks” across the border. But first they must acknowledge the problem.

Danny Cullenward, San Francisco

The writer, a lawyer and an economist, is a UC Berkeley climate policy researcher.

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To the editor: The Times illuminates an environmental shell game, but we might just as easily call it global warming whack-a-mole. We use regulations to drive coal and other fossil fuels out of the California power grid only to see them pop up in other states.

We need a national approach to reducing carbon dioxide emissions — one that taps the power of market incentives to speed our transition to renewable energy. We need Congress to put a price on carbon so we can level the playing field for green-energy producers and set an example for a global solution.

Ann Marshall, Brea

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