Dear Mrs Taylor;

In August of this year, I will be getting married. A few years after that, I plan to have children. Some nights I lie awake and wonder what kind of world they will inherit. For this reason I am strongly in favor of action to reduce carbon emissions and halt the trend of human-induced climate destabilization.

I have followed the debate concerning which is the best strategy: carbon tax or cap and trade. They each have their strengths and weaknesses and, as always, the success of either will come down to the details of implementation. Time is short, we are told, and we must act now – our window is small. 80% by 2050 is the recommended target. Since a cap and trade system is the only option that gives us some certainty we can meet this ambitious timeline, it is my preferred strategy. A carbon tax would, perhaps, be simpler to implement, but there is no way to ensure reduction targets – that part would be left up to the market. Furthermore, taxes are not a permanent structure and are subject to changing politics. Mind you, a cap and trade system as implemented in the EU is an even worse option so let me outline what I believe to be the absolute requirements for an effective cap and trade system.

» More: A letter to Carole Taylor in support of doing something