Greenpeace

At our meeting today in Austin Texas 3-23-07, I proposed a framework to enable everyone to profit from reducing CO2 in our atmosphere. Called the Carbon Standard, and based on the Gold Standard, it would create a new global currency based on a 1 pound reduction in CO2 emissions being pegged to an exchange rate of $1.00.

Gold became perceived as very valuable in ancient times due to its qualities and its beauty, and the ease with which it could be traded for other items of value. Likewise, CO2 emissions reductions have become increasingly valuable as people begin to understand how important such an action is for the long term viability of our climate as a life sustaining system.

Global Warming can be a global opportunity to walk civilization into a new era, a new energy paradigm, and a new environmental paradigm. With a basis for everyone to profit from making our world a better place, then the stage is set for rapid positive innovation.

A carbon standard would enable a new currency, tentatively labeled a CarbonUnit. This legal tender would be exchangeable into any currency in the world at present exchange rates, given its initial marking of $1.00 value for a one pound reduction in CO2 emissions.

many details still need to be worked out, however, as an example, buying a regular gasoline driven car would generate zero CarbonUnits for the buyer, buying a hybrid would generate around 5000CU and a fully electric vehicle would bring 10000CU to the buyer. Literally millions of examples can be thought of.

A second important feature of a CarbonUnit (CU) would be that its value would increase as measured levels of CO2 in the atmosphere decrease, bringing incentive to the table for people to continue their CO2 reductions strategies. As an example, buying a small tree at the nursery would be free, since CarbonUnits would be issued equal to the amount paid to the nursery in dollars (or whatever currency). with incentive described above the individual would be likely to plant and nurture the tree, thereby letting its growth bring further decreases in atmospheric CO2 with corresponding value increases to the individual for their efforts.

Once atmospheric CO2 reaches a historical low point around 180ppm, then the CU's would be revalued such that CU's would have no value below 180ppm and no value above 280ppm, thus ensuring we have an incentive, as a civilization, to manage CO2 in the atmosphere in a range formerly managed by the earth.

 We would hope,, that in time, we could have a civilization that is not affecting CO2 levels in the atmosphere, and the Carbon Standard could be abandoned as having served its purpose. However, that is not the case now. 

Best Regards,

James Danforth, CEO
Workinout.com