Since then, other utilities in Wisconsin, New York, Indiana and Ohio also have experimented with trading air emissions permits. Buy a Better Environment Critics say that clean air and water are not commodities to be sold like pork futures. But others see the ability to buy and trade emissions as an opportunity to fight pollution and, in some cases, benefit worthy causes. Two such trades have occurred in Wisconsin. Light Co. And in yet another trading twist, a Connecticut utility recently retired 7 percent of its SO2 allowances by donating them to the American Lung Association and taking a tax deduction.
Pollution markets can succeed where traditional controls fail.
Laws that force polluters to reduce emissions to certain levels give industry no incentive to do any more than what's required. The seed that Sea Grant planted has kept us in the forefront of innovative pollution control technology and has contributed to the improvement of our environment and our economy.