05.07.2009
The amount of carbon available in the atmosphere and the biosphere. Unlike carbon in fossil fuels, carbon stored in the biosphere can be released very easily into the atmosphere through forest fires, insect outbreaks, decay, logging, land use changes or even the decline of forest ecosystems as a result of climate change.
A colorless, odorless gas formed when carbon in fuel is not burned completely. Motor vehicle exhaust is a major contributor to nationwide CO emissions, followed by nonroad engines and vehicles. CO interferes with the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues and results in numerous adverse health effects
Carbon tax is viewed as an alternative to the cap-and-trade system. One of the reasons is that cap-and-trade system involving plant-by plant-measurements is difficult to administer and can provide incentives for evasion. Under a cap-and-trade system, the government would set an overall limit on emissions and allocate permits to emitters. If one plant reduces its emissions more quickly than another, it can sell its credits to the other emitter. A carbon tax would simply increase the cost of emitting each ton of carbon, which could then be passed on to consumers. A carbon tax offers certainty about the price of polluting, which appeals to many economists and businesses.