they're not articulating themselves well, but there is a strain of environmental politics that argues that reconstructing the hierarchical relationships of ownership to a more local-based command structure is the most promising approach in reducing the harmful effects of industry in general, not just reducing carbon emissions. the logic is that the people that live in the community will have a greater level of interest (and, wait, is this basically a property rights argument? from me? never....) in maintaining the health of the community than some disconnected board hundreds or thousands of miles away. it sure sounds like a more effective idea than carbon trading to me...
ultimately, i guess the important thing to realize is that these people aren't idiots in any reflective sense of their politics, but in the reflective sense of their nationality. this is the face of america today, regardless of where the meeting is on the political spectrum.
