Making Emissions Personal

U.S. EPA may have set the process in motion for establishing a federal carbon market when it proposed a national greenhouse gas reporting framework. About 13,000 facilities emitting over 25,000 metric tpy must submit emissions data beginning in 2011. So large industrial emitters will be accounted for. What about you and me? Imposing a personal emissions reduction target of 10 tpy on people in both developing and industrial states who emit more by virtue of lifestyle and wealth is proposed to keep emission targets fair. Does this seem fair or a personal affront?

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