Primitive Accumulation Demonstration

Say what you will about the current administration, but it is trying its best to contribute to our learning experiences in this class. Below is a link to a Wednesday NPR story on the "Cap and Trade" system for controlling and reducing carbon emissions. This is primitive accumulation in action, right before our eyes! One major aspect of the debate, as the news story explains, is whether the national government is going to make corporations pay for the initial carbon credits, or whether the government might just give these away at first. A similar giveaway system in the EU resulted in some major monetary windfalls for some European corporations when they sold their credits to other polluters.

Drat this immaterial labor! I can never get these links to work! Anyway, the story is at www.npr.org. At the "programs" label near the top click on "morning edition." You are looking for the Wed., 12.5.2007 story entitled, "Senate Committee Mulls Cap-and-Trade System."