City Club Missoula -Cap And Trade: Is This The Answer To Decreasing Carbon Emissions?, 1/11, Missoula

Whether or not you agree that climate change is caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions, wouldn’t we take the approach that one should ensure the best future for our children and grandchildren? What is the best way to decrease our discharge of carbon into the atmosphere? Many policy experts and economists favor a Cap and Trade system in which release of greenhouse gases, or carbon, into the atmosphere would be capped at an ecologically determined threshold. Once the total emissions are capped, the rights to emit carbon under the cap are bought and sold in a market similar to a commodities exchange. Other experts contend that a direct tax, for all carbon emissions, is a more equitable and rapid system to control greenhouse gas emissions.

Whatever the mechanism, including the cost of dumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, will likely raise the cost of doing business. Who will pay those costs? What environmental impact will there be? How will Montana be affected?

Keegan Eisenstadt, Chief Executive Officer of Clear Sky Climate Solutions http://www.clearskyclimatesolutions.com/, and James Jensen, Executive Director of the Montana Environmental Information Center http://www.meic.org/ , will be the featured speakers.

Please join City Club Missoula for a lively discussion about the basic architecture of a cap and trade market and some of the specifics about the U.S. House and Senate bills currently working their way through congress.

Monday, January 11, 2010 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Holiday Inn Downtown at the Park, 200 S. Pattee St.

Contact: Susan Orr – Vista Americorps CCM Coordinator – 406-541-2489

Reservations for the January 11th City Club Forum can be made by e-mail to [email protected] or by calling 406-541-2489 by noon Friday, January 8th. Please indicate if you want lunch ($11 for members, $16 for nonmembers) or the no-lunch option of forum only for $5. Please cancel if necessary by the reservation deadline. Payment is required for late cancellations and unclaimed reservations. We encourage you to find a substitute to claim your reservation. For more information about City Club Missoula, visit http://www.cityclubmissoula.org or call 541-CITY (2489).

For more information about City Club Missoula, visit http://www.cityclubmissoula.org or call 541-CITY (2489).

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Climate unchanged – University of Montana Professor, Dr. Steven Running says Otter Creek vote signals larger issue
http://matr.net/article-37322.html

Capping Emissions, Trading On The Future http://matr.net/article-37049.html

The cap-and-trade debate http://matr.net/article-36905.html

State proposes trading program to cut emissions http://matr.net/article-36896.html

Walmart, others make money on Oregon’s energy tax credits http://matr.net/article-37312.html

Tom Siebel’s Stealth Carbon Startup C3 Lands $26 Million And Condoleezza Rice On Its Board http://matr.net/article-37309.html

Pay attention to the man behind the curtain: Climate Wizard makes large databases of climate information visual, accessible http://matr.net/article-37155.html

After climate talks, scientists worry about enforcement http://matr.net/article-37078.html

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Photo Contest!

Submission Deadline: January 31, 2010

City Club Missoula is seeking homegrown Missoula-flavored images!

Contest winners’ photos will be featured on the CCM website throughout 2010.

Amateur and professional photographers all welcome!

Visit our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#/cityclubmissoula?ref=profile for more information and to submit.

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City Club Missoula is a nonprofit organization with the mission of bringing together people to inform and inspire citizens on issues vital to the Missoula area community through public forums that encourage the discussion of new ideas and free exchange of thoughts. City Club Missoula welcomes everyone in the greater Missoula community to come to the Forums and participate in the discussions.

City Club Missoula is membership supported with fees on a sliding scale to make it possible for everyone to participate from city leaders and business executives, to students and senior citizens. The strength of the organization is in the volunteers who organize the speakers, arrange the meetings and help maintain the organization’s neutrality and openness.

Become a member of City Club Missoula http://cityclubmissoula.org/

City Club Missoula designs public forums on vital issues and encourages the free exchange of thought. We invite all points of view in a non-partisan setting. Your membership supports this important mission.

Membership Benefits:

* Support civic discourse in our community.

* Network with community leaders and involved citizens.

* Advance notice of upcoming events.

* Member discounts on forums.

Please join us as a member of City Club today. http://www.cityclubmissoula.org/join/index.html

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Future City Club Missoula Forums (Schedule subject to change)

February 8, 2010 – The Importance of Post Secondary Education – Sheila Stearns, Commissioner of Higher Education

March 8, 2010 – Family – School- Community partnerships to support learning.

April 12, 2010 – Social services in Missoula

May 10,2010 – Bikes in Missoula

June 14, 2010 – VISTA Projects in Missoula

Please plan on joining us and contributing to the community dialogue.