, Columnist
The EPA Owes Us a Reason for Killing Clean Power Plan
The Trump administration had a right to scrap Obama's curbs on carbon-dioxide emissions. But it is obligated to tell us why.
Where's the clarity?
Photographer: David McNew/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
When a company emits a ton of carbon dioxide, what damage has it caused, exactly? The answer is called the “social cost of carbon,” which may be the most important number that you’ve never heard of.
If the number is large, regulation of greenhouse gas emissions will be amply justified. If it is small, not so much.