Stan Cox’s scientific contributions

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Publications (2)


A strict, falling cap on the extraction and import of each kind of fossil fuel transparently takes climate-harming emissions from using those fuels to zero, as fast as the populace will tolerate.

The Cap & Adapt policy includes a safety-net; two additional features for adapting the economy and society to this cap.
Cap and Adapt: Failsafe Policy for the Climate Emergency
  • Article
  • Full-text available

September 2020

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513 Reads

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2 Citations

Solutions

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Stan Cox

Decades of continuing failures to achieve globally-agreed climate policy that is sufficient and fast enough to solve the climate change emergency is evidence that an additional policy track is needed, while the UNFCCC continues its effort. The article proposes a national-level policy framework that is capable of quickly cutting fossil fuel emissions to zero. If implemented by a major CO2 emitting nation, or better yet a club of a few such nations, a credible attempt could then be made to persuade other nations to follow suit. They could do so individually, or ideally en masse at a UNFCCC Conference of Parties. The article’s proposal could break the global climate policy logjam.

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Cap and Adapt: A Failsafe Approach to the Climate Emergency

August 2019

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518 Reads

[ See also the one-year-later (2020) update of this 2019 article. "Cap and Adapt: Failsafe Policy for the Climate Emergency" Edwards & Cox | Solutions Journal, Vol. 11, Issue 3 | September 2020. 2020 update: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344333610_Cap_and_Adapt_Failsafe_Policy_for_the_Climate_Emergency ] 2019 Abstract: The article explains development of a potential national-level climate policy framework that is capable of quickly eliminating fossil fuels and their emissions, and of accomplishing this with high certainty while also protecting society and the economy. The framework's name is Cap and Adapt. If a wealthy high-emitting nation (or a club of a few such nations) were to adopt this policy framework, it may be able to inspire other nations to follow suit. In this way, the Cap and Adapt framework could begin to break the deadlock the Paris Agreement poses against the deep and rapid mitigation of climate change that the global public is increasingly calling for. Cap and Adapt's policy structure is: (1) a fast-falling cap on a nation's extraction and imports of fossil fuels on a strict, simple schedule to a zero emissions end-date that will be set in the initiating legislation; (2) adaption to the cap via Green New Deal like policy that builds non-fossil fuel energy-source and energy-use infrastructure, improves energy efficiency, reduces demand for energy and provides a just transition; and (3) additional adaptation to the cap when and to the degree necessary, through by-quantity rationing of fossil fuels (and possibly other energy). Rationing will come into play only if the Green New Deal effort does not keep pace with the required, legislatively-set fast decline of fossil fuel extraction, or if an intra-national need for equity arises. We believe policy based on this framework will be as failsafe as humanly possible for meeting a strict national target for climate mitigation and, at the same time, for protecting the function of the nation's society and economy. The article's case study is the United States. It looks ahead to a likely increase in public demand for climate action by the time a potentially new president and more progressive Congress take office in January 2021. Its goal is to inspire full development of an actual Cap and Adapt legislative policy by that time, for consideration if that window of opportunity opens. Windows of opportunity in other nations should be explored as well.