Carbon Credits

I solved both our environmental and economic issues with one blow. Expand the carbon credit scheme. Yep, polluters in this country buy credits to compensate for their pollution (even without the environmental concerns, polluters are making our friends and family sick). The money goes to renewables, new technologies, loans to green startups, credit enforcement and, of course, to companies that produce the same products with no pollution (whether the product is energy or a car).

Now, you extend the program to our imports. Countries that import goods made with huge amounts of pollution must buy carbon offsets proportionately -- not just for the manufacture but the shipping (cargo ships are monster polluters). This keeps green US companies competitive, encourages foreign companies to manufacture goods in the US and encourages US made products, which creates jobs. Imagine the economic boost if we had to make most of our own products.