Special Series
Climate Fairness
06
In a Series
Taking Charge of Energy Prices
Posted by
Alan Durning
02/13/2008 01:00 PM
Our chance to escape the tightening fossil fuel vise.
With or without climate policies, energy prices seem set to rise. The question is, Who will get the money? Auctioned Cap and Trade gives us the opportunity to take charge of price increases and share the benefits widely—even while we safeguard the climate and stimulate local jobs. Big chances like this don’t come along often!
To see what a golden opportunity this is, we’ve got to briefly review recent fossil fuel price increases.
Energy prices have been rising for a decade, as this chart from the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) shows. Working families have been taking it on the chin all along, as energy takes a growing share of their budgets.
