A Chinese worker walks past a coal train as smoke is emitted
from cooling towers at a heat power plant in Huaian city,
Jiangsu province, 9 March 2009. "Yes: The Transition Can Be
Gradual—and Affordable" Op-Ed, Wall Street Journal September 21,
2009 Author: Robert N. Stavins, Albert Pratt Professor of
Business and Government; Member of the Board; Director, Harvard
Project on Climate Agreements The world is facing a potential
catastrophe from greenhouse-gas emissions. But nations don't
have to wreck their economies to avert the crisis. The Journal
Report See the complete Environment report. Critics argue that
the legislation passed earlier this year by the U.S. House of
Representatives—to cut U.S. emissions 80% below 2005 levels by
2050—will mean big, disruptive changes to our infrastructure and
untold economic damage. But they make a couple of basic errors.
For one thing, they seem to think we'd have to replace the
entire infrastructure quickly, paying trillions of dollars to
shift to cleaner power. They also