Advanced Strategies to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Post-Oil Energy Technology After the Age of Fossil Fuels 

It is debatable what the emission rate is that would stabilize the atmospheric C02 concentration at an acceptable level. Similarly, it is not known how much the emission charge should be to reach that target rate. According to an MIT study released in March 2007, if a global carbon emission charge of 25/ton was applied, this would result in stabilizing the global C02 emission at today s rate of 28 billion tons per year by 2050. 

Other estimates suggest that in order to lower C02 emission by 2030 to the level it was in 2000, the carbon emission charge should be 50- 100. Robert Stavins of Harvard University estimates that a 100/ton fee would increase the cost of coal-based electricity by 400% and natural gas-based electricity by 100%. Such increases would make the cost of solar, wind, or other alternative sources of electricity more than competitive. 

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