Social Cost of Carbon
The US federal government is now using a higher figure for the social cost of carbon in federal regulations. “Instead of assuming that the harm caused by carbon-dioxide emissions comes to $22 per ton in 2013, regulators are now using a figure of about $36 per ton.”
As part of Considering a Carbon Tax, a research initiative in RFF’s Center for Climate and Electricity Policy, RFF researchers answered frequently asked questions from policymakers and industry leaders. They explained that, “a carbon tax reaching about $30 per ton of carbon dioxide by 2020 would be needed to reduce domestic, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 10 percent.”
Sea Level Rise
A new study co-funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shows that melting ice sheets and glaciers accounted for around 75 percent of sea level rise between 2005 and 2011, resolving a discrepancy in how to measure sea level rise. One glaciologist said that the “findings ‘give us confidence in all the kinds of data’ that are used to assess sea-level change.”
On Wednesday, June 12, RFF will host a First Wednesday Seminar on this topic, where an expert panel will discuss the uncertainties of future sea level rise and the information that policymakers need to understand both the science and the uncertainty. Register now to attend Ice Sheets on the Move or watch live via webcast at www.rff.org/live.
