An Alternative to Cap and Trade (unemployed, Congress, highway, how much)

[mwruckman]

I would like to advance an alternative to Cap and Trade which should gain GOP support because it relies on the famous invisible hand of Adam Smith.
So far we have relied on the free market to guide our choices in energy policy and energy souces. For example, the oil industry has chosen to import 70% of our oil needs mostly from sources in the Western hemisphere because it is cheaper than trying to squeeze a little more out of USA sources. Likewise it makes more sense to refine oil near its sources and ultimate markets than to ship crude oil to the USA for refining. Big oil is building new refineries in places like Mexico, Aruba and China especially China. We don't build nuclear power plants because they are expensive and have poor records for reliability. Like wise wind and solar power will not go anywhere again due to cost and a mismatch beteen where it is produced and where the market is located. Why spend billions on a new grid before even a cent is earned in sales of power. Now how does this have anything to do with carbon output. There is a coorelation between high per capita carbon output and high cost life styles. Adam Smith capitalism corrects the market to minimize costs and increase capital. It rewards efficient use of capital rather than consumption. In otherwords if we can replace high carbon emitters and coincidentally high cost of life style consummers the world will be on its way to a richer and more sustainable future. Americans are the world's highest carbon emitters on a per capita basis. We can either use green technology to achieve this goal or do what we have been doing ever since the 1960s. What we been doing is reducing the number of Americans who are high carbon emitters and consummers of high carbon content products. We can meet our carbon goals by eliminating high carbon emitting jobs like heavy industry. Every unemployed American reduces our carbon footprint because he is not operating the industrial processes that put carbon into the environment. Also if his income is cut by job loss he is less likely to consume those products that promote climate change. He is less likely to travel or buy a house which all have a demonsratble carbon footprint. If America idles 30-40% of its workforce just think how much cleaner our air and water will be. Just think how uncrowded our highways and airports will be! and we can do this with with the Invisible Hand and not need any Congressional action.