The US mechanism Cap & Dividend is very similar to Cap and Share, developed by Feasta. The difference between the two mechanisms lies purely in method that the ‘commons share’ of the atmospheric sink or ‘right to pollute’ is distributed to commoner owners. In Cap and Share, a permit is distributed to each adult resident who can then sell the permits to fossil fuel importers and producers for money. In Cap and Dividend a central authority simply auctions the permits to fossil fuel importers and producers and distributes the income equally to all adult residents.
Published on Saturday, December 12, 2009 by YES! Magazine
Cap & Dividend: A Clear Winner
by Sarah van Gelder
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced a bill today that is a much better approach to reducing climate change than the cap and trade bill circulating in the Senate. Her bill, which she co-sponsored with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), uses cap and dividend to reduce climate emissions and avoids the pitfalls and boom-and-bust cycles inherent in carbon trading. (Peter Barnes proposed this idea in YES! Magazine in 2001). (link to article)
