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THE NEW MEXICAN Sunday, May 11, 2014
Climate: Pair see battle as intellectual one Fe merchant, started the ski resort at the top of Albuquerque’s Sandia Mountains and invented the economics of climate change. with a partner built the tram up the cliffs to Bob, 77, a prominent Washington energy get there. A specialist in energy and Native lawyer, wrote an obscure provision in the American law, Robert Nordhaus Sr. won Clean Air Act of 1970 that is now the legal a U.S. Supreme Court case giving Apache basis for a landmark climate change regulatribes the authority to leverage fees on the tion, to be unveiled by the White House oil companies that drilled on their land. next month, that could close hundreds of Like him, both brothers went to Yale, coal-fired power plants and define President where in 1963 Bob graduated from the law Barack Obama’s environmental legacy. school and Bill from Yale College. From Called “the Manning brothers of climate there, Bob headed to Washington for a job in change,” the mild-mannered, dry-witted the House legislative counsel’s office. Nordhauses are scions of a New Mexico He was still there in 1970, working on family long rooted in the land, which powthe bill that would become the Clean Air erfully shaped who the brothers became. Act, when his bosses came to him with an But for the Nordhaus brothers, protecting unusual assignment: The legislation already the Earth depends far more on dispassionincluded language to regulate known pollutate thinking and intellectual rigor than on ants at the time, such as mercury and smog, showy protests outside the White House. but could he write a provision giving the They have neatly divided their world — federal government the authority to regulate Bill is the academic theorist, Bob the legal as-yet-unknown pollutants of the future? mind and political pragmatist — but their Bob wrote the provision — it became Secwork is intertwined. tion 111(d) of the Clean Air Act — at a time “I tend to have lots of crazy ideas, and when carbon dioxide was not considered I run them by Bob first,” said Bill, who harmful. It was not until 2009 that the Envidescribed himself as “an academic econoronmental Protection Agency defined carmist” who has stayed out of policy debates, bon dioxide as a harmful pollutant because although his ideas have not. of its contribution to global warming. Thus Bob agreed. “Bill’s work is about what it falls into the category of an unknown needs to be done and how soon, using the “pollutant of the future.” Section 111(d), after tools of economic analysis,” he said. “My languishing in obscurity for decades, is now work is: How do you convert that into a legal the legal rationale for the Obama adminisand regulatory policy?” tration’s plan to regulate carbon emissions Both brothers believe cutting carbon pol- without a law passed by Congress. lution is crucial to protecting the environWhile Bob began his career in Washingment and the economy from climate change. ton, Bill received a doctorate in economics They also agree on the best way to do it: A from the Massachusetts Institute of TechBill-style carbon tax, they say, would be far nology and began teaching at Yale. By the more effective than a Bob-style regulation. late 1970s, when an increasing number of Their story starts in Albuquerque, where scientists were raising the threat of global their father, the grandson of a wealthy Santa warming, Bill wrote a paper proposing a tax
on industries and businesses based on the amount of carbon they emitted into the air. Cconomists, scientists and many world leaders now say the idea is the best way to stave off the catastrophic impacts of a warming world. Already, more than 30 countries have passed carbon-pricing laws. In the ensuing decades at Yale, Bill developed an economic model that put a price tag on the real-world effects of climate change, like more droughts, flooding and crop failures and stronger hurricanes. He called it the Dynamic Integrated Climate-Economy model, or DICE. DICE significantly changed climate policy. Although the chief political argument against curbing carbon emissions from cars and coal plants has long been that doing so would harm the economy, the DICE models show that one ton of carbon pollution can inflict $20 to $30 in economic damage — a major cost, given that the global economy emits about 36 billion tons of carbon a year. But Bill’s work is, for the time being, politically untenable in the U.S. The conservative Heritage Foundation has called the DICE model “flawed beyond use for policymaking” and warned that it should not be used to justify “trillions of dollars of government policies and burdensome regulations.” Here the work of Bob comes in: Obama tried but failed to push a carbon-pricing bill through Congress in his first term, which is why he has turned to Bob’s section of the Clean Air Act as the legal underpinning for the regulation due out in June. Back in New Mexico, Bob recalled, he and Bill close observed the climate changes and periodic droughts that affected the family ski business and their lives outdoors. “Growing up in New Mexico,” he said, “you’re aware of the very fragile ecosystem.”
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Artist Geneva Shabi weaves on a loom at her Indian Market booth last year. The market, held every August on the Plaza, generates some $140 million in sales of art, food, hotel rooms, meals and gasoline. NEW MEXICAN FILE PHOTO
SWAIA: Group trying to recover from ‘hits’ Legislature had set aside for advertising the Santa Fe Indian in 2012. He works for the pueblo Market. But the money remains as a tribal historic preservation in the New Mexico Department officer. of Tourism’s Co-op Marketing Rivera said he didn’t hear Grant pool. back. And last week, the organiBefore he resigned, Torres zation announced it had hired Nez told The New Mexican in Dallin Maybee, an attorney and March that in 2011 and 2012, a artist, to replace Torres Nez. total of $75,000 the Indian Mar“Our perspective is that it is ket had expected from the state important for Indian Market departments of Cultural Affairs to be as successful as it can and Tourism never materialized. be,” Rivera said. And it should The Tourism Department has remain on the Plaza, he said, no record of SWAIA applying because “that’s the best place for for grants during the past three Indian Market.” years. Some business owners are “We checked our records, and wondering why SWAIA hasn’t the current batch of co-op grant reached out to them as well in applications, and SWAIA has not recent years if their finances are applied,” said Jolene Mauer, a so rocky. Tourism spokeswoman. John Dressman, a member SWAIA received between and longtime downtown busi$8,000 and $12,000 annually nessman (Santa Fe Indian Trad- from Tourism between fiscal ing Co.), said, “In terms of funyears 2005 and 2010, however. draising, I don’t believe SWAIA Charlene Porsild, the organizahas approached it as strongly as tion’s chief development officer, they should.” said Friday that SWAIA has Dressman said he has strong applied for a matching grant in ties to Indian Market because the next funding cycle. he’s lived here all his life, but he She also said she has started a still feels he has to be “wakened big push to gain business memup” to its needs every year. Mail berships in SWAIA. Jason Rodrisolicitations are not enough. guez’s printmaking firm, SerigraYou have to ask, he said. And he fix, is one of the new members, hasn’t been. she said, adding, “My goal since I “Santa Fe is that kind of interviewed for this job [in 2013] town,” Dressman said. Fiesta has been to put the push there. de Santa Fe, for example, used “That’s our focus right now,” to have a person who came to she said Friday, and “we’re visit people like him every year excited.” and ask for a donation. “That She said she can’t speak to kind of personal touch is what why businesses were overlooked is going to be required,” he said. in the past, but “we are asking “I seriously think it’s a matter of right now, and we would love for approach.” [them] to support us.” Bronwyn Fox-Bern, owner One of the other things she of the gallery Keshi and also a would like to do is write a grant member of SWAIA, said she’s that would allow SWAIA to been struck by the same thing in collect hard data on its true ecothe last couple of years. “I was nomic impact. ready to give auction donations, Randy Randall, director of the more money for awards, and city’s Convention and Visitors nobody ever approached me,” Bureau, doesn’t know exactly she said. “I thought there were how big the Indian Market weeksome wasted opportunities.” end is, but he said, “I don’t think Her gallery has in the past there’s anything that touches it. given money for awards, in addi- It’s the highest demand period of tion to its general membership the year.” fees. The visitors who come for Fox-Bern added that she’s market, for example, spend always felt like she would like more time here than other tourto be able to do more for Indian ists. The average visitor spends Market because “they do so money on 2.6 days of lodging much for this community. It’s during the rest of the year, but our biggest weekend of the during Indian Market, he said, year, and I would imagine that’s that number increases to four true for lots of downtown busidays in hotels and other accomnesses.” modations. Although some businesses He estimated that about have complained in the past $20 million of the sales during that tourists have trouble findIndian Market are director ing their stores during Indian vendor sales, while the other Market because of the crowds, $120 million is everything else. Rivera said, “Everybody gets the Meanwhile, SWAIA has benefit. It’s hard to say local busi- reserved the ballroom at the nesses aren’t making any money city’s downtown convention off Indian Market.” center for judging market Yet, he said he’s been told that entries. Randall said the organimany local vendors figure the zation has paid a $3,500 deposit market is going to happen anyon the room. way so, “Why put their money Porsild said Friday that in it?” SWAIA’s treasury is “getting betRivera suggested that if every ter every day.” store within a couple blocks of “We typically have a dry the Plaza gave SWAIA $1,000 or cash flow between January and $2,000, that would sustain the March. We’ve made no secret organization. of that,” she said. “And we’ve Dressman, who said he moved depleted our reserves over the up his donation this year after last couple of bad [economic] reading about the financial years. We took some big hits. It’s problems at SWAIA, said Indian going to take a couple of years Market weekend is good for his [to recover.]” business. While visitors come for Proceeds from last year’s the Indian art — some 150,000 of auction and gala, which were them — that doesn’t mean they supposed to tide SWAIA over don’t buy other things, including through the winter, were disapother kinds of art. “Those compointing. But new pieces are ing to Indian Market are not just arriving daily, including a pot here for Native American merdelivered by Jonathan Loretto, chandise,” he said. a Jemez and Cochiti potter, at Other market watchers say 8 a.m. Friday. there are more stones unturned. “You should see the stuff walkWhy, for example, has SWAIA ing in for the auction,” Porsild not applied for grants to cover said. direct marketing costs from the Patrick Malone contributed to state Tourism Department’s this story. Co-Op Marketing Grant Program in recent years? Contact Anne Constable This year, Gov. Susana Marat 986-3022 or aconstable@ tinez vetoed $25,000 that the sfnewmexican.com.
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