The latest quarterly auction of carbon dioxide allowances held by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) saw prices continuing to fall as a recession-driven lack of electricity demand reduces the need for them. Further, not all the allowances for the future sold, perhaps indicating uncertainty about what a federal cap-and-trade program (should one ever arise) [...]

Monday mornings are never exactly uplifting, so let’s add this depressing tale: The Globe writes about roughly 500 acres of oaks on Martha’s Vineyard that died off due to insect blight and drought, and quotes researchers fearful that it’s a sign of things to come:

Scientists predict that in a warming world, insects will thrive, and [...]

National Grid, which delivers electricity and natural gas in parts of southeastern New Hampshire and other New England states, has linked up to 5 percent of executive bonuses to meeting carbon-reduction goals, reports the Globe in this piece. And this isn’t an add-on: The piece says that meeting targets will keep bonuses secure; missing targets [...]

One of the most surprising stories in recent days (IMHO, of course) is the way three large utilities have left the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because of its stance over global warming - the utilities think the chamber isn’t taking the problem seriously enough! When electric power companies are acting like environmental activists, the times [...]

The amount of carbon dioxide produced for every dollar of economic output also declined by 3.8 percent, the federal agency said, as industry and motorists became more efficient and frugal and as renewable energy sources gained a slightly larger share of the energy market. That was far greater than the average decline in carbon intensity in previous years.

ADDENDUM A WEEK LATER: The CEO of Exxon-Mobil is cautiously in support of a carbon tax!
Two stories from the Globe today illustrate how complicated it is to use market forces to get a reduction in greenhouse gases. (As a side note, they illustrate why some say straightforward carbon taxes, instead of cap-and-trade mechanisms, is the [...]

I didn’t have time yesterday to look at the latest depressing UNH study about the way climate change is killing traditional New England winters. Here’s the Globe’s take today. Here’s the UNH press release.
There’s nothing really new, if you’ve been following the tale, but more precision and detail. (Which is what the vast majority of [...]

The nation’s first cap-and-trade, greenhouse gas auction produced an “allotment” price of $3.07 per ton of carbon dumped into the air, says RGGI. That’s much lower than anticipated a year ago, but within the 2-to-4-dollar range that had been expected more recently. The higher the price, the more incentive there is for electricity producers to [...]

The auction for carbon credits in 10 northeastern states runs from 9 a.m. to noon today, but we won’t know the results until Monday, because of the complexity of the auction process. Previous large-scale cap-and-trade programs have handed out the carbon credits before trading began; this is the first time some of them have been distributed by auction. Lots of people around the world will be watching carefully.

I’ve got a story, with a long Q&A sidebar, in today’s Telegraph about the upcoming auction of carbon credits in the Northeast region - aka RGGI (”Reggie”) for Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The first quarterly auction is Thursday; New Hampshire state government* isn’t participating yet because it’s still figuring out the rules - it will [...]

If you’ve got opinions about climate change, the governor’s Climate Change Policy Task Force is holding a series of “public listening sessions” around the state starting next week. Show up with ideas, complaints and suggestions - but I wouldn’t bring that zero-point-energy invention which you’re sure will solve the world’s problems.
The task force is especially [...]