Another alternative may surface from Inglis, a former climate change skeptic. His aides are laying the groundwork for a revenue-neutral carbon tax, an alternative he says is simpler than cap and trade. It would tax users on the carbon content of their fuels, giving them an incentive to change to greener energy sources.
“The attitude needs to be how can we conservatives contribute to this process and make it better than what the Democrats alone can come up with,” Inglis said. “We need to be driven by the consensus position. That position may turn out to be wrong someday. But we can always change the policy.”