I thought Barack Obama was supposed to be a bright guy, Harvard educated and all. Here he is proposing that power companies and "other industries" pay for their pollution, meaning primarily carbon dioxide emissions. This means he accepts the ludicrous idea that this can stop, or control global warming and climate change. I say this destroys his credibility.
Peter
from: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/us/politics/09obama.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
Obama Proposes Capping Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Making Polluters Pay
By JEFF ZELENY
Published: October 9, 2007
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 — Senator Barack Obama presented a plan on Monday to decrease the nation’s dependence on foreign oil and fight global warming by creating an auction system requiring power companies and other industries to pay for their pollution. By the year 2020, he said, emissions would be reduced to levels from 1990.
In a speech in New Hampshire, Mr. Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate from Illinois, called for imposing a national cap on carbon emissions, investing $150 billion over 10 years to develop new energy sources and reducing dependence on foreign oil by 35 percent by 2030.
“No business will be allowed to emit any greenhouse gases for free,” Mr. Obama said in Portsmouth, N.H. “Businesses don’t own the sky, the public does, and if we want them to stop polluting it, we have to put a price on all pollution.”
The energy speech was the latest effort by Mr. Obama to cast himself as a critic of how business has been conducted in Washington. Every president since Gerald R. Ford, Mr. Obama argued, has pledged to curb fossil fuel use, but the United States’ dependence on foreign oil has climbed.
He proposed instituting a mandatory “cap and trade” program across the economy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the level recommended by top scientists, a figure that he did not specify Monday. Under his plan, businesses would be required to buy allowances to pollute, which would create financial incentives to limit energy use or reduce emissions.
Mr. Obama said if he was elected, the government would set a national cap on carbon emissions, which by 2050 would be reduced to 80 percent below the levels in 1990. Though he did not mention his campaign rivals by name, Mr. Obama criticized those who opposed gradual increases in gasoline mileage standards for cars, which included Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.
“When they had the chance to stand up and require automakers to raise their fuel standards, they refused,” Mr. Obama said. “When they had multiple chances to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by investing in renewable fuels that we can literally grow right here in America, they said no.”
Mr. Obama, who had faced criticism from some environmental groups for supporting the Bush administration’s energy bill in 2005 and for pushing legislation to help Illinois’ coal industry, was praised Monday by the League of Conservation Voters, an independent group. The group’s president, Gene Karpinski, said, “By embracing a mandatory cap-and-trade program, the Obama energy plan would provide incentives to cut production of carbon dioxide and other pollutants that cause global warming.”
In Iowa, meanwhile, Mrs. Clinton began a “rebuilding the middle class” bus tour on Monday that included a 50-minute speech on economic prosperity with new proposals to benefit unions and homeowners in particular.
Speaking in Cedar Rapids, she called for reviewing pacts like the North American Free Trade Agreement every five years — not as aggressive a position as John Edwards’s call for renegotiating Nafta or Representative Dennis J. Kucinich’s call for canceling it, but an idea that received applause nonetheless.
And she proposed giving Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac new flexibility to help companies and homeowners replace expiring adjustable-rate mortgages with fixed-rate loans.
Patrick Healy contributed reporting from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Showing posts with label carbon caps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label carbon caps. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Cap-And-Trade Scam
If the global warming issue was only a scientific debate it could easily be dismissed as an intellectual mind game between scientists and computer modelers. It would be comparable to the argument between those who "believe" in evolution, versus those who "believe" in a literal interpretation of the Bible. There would be no end to it and it would not have to be taken seriously.
However, global warming became an emotional, political issue, and now it seems as divisive as the abortion issue, or gun-control, or foreign policy in the Middle East. In other words, it has become a huge issue, one involving enormous power, control, and billions upon billions of dollars. It is past time that rational people take serious notice about what is really going on behind the nightly news and the weather report.
The following article, of which I've posted the majority of, summarizes the idiotic idea of selling or trading carbon caps. It will cost billions and not improve the climate or limit real pollution in any way. In other words, it is a huge SCAM. Yet incomprehensibly, people are falling for it.
Read the original article here: http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCommentary.asp?Page=/Commentary/archive/200705/COM20070514c.html
Peter
The Great Cap-And-Trade Scam
By Alan Caruba
CNSNews.com Commentary from the National Anxiety Center May 14,
Of all the crazed global warming proposals being put forth by the new masters of Congress, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Barbara Boxer, chairperson of the Public Works Committee, by far the worst would be a mandated cap-and-trade program that would supposedly offset carbon dioxide emissions.
This program is horrid on several counts. First, there is not a scintilla of scientific evidence -- other than disputed and dubious computer models -- to suggest that any significant global warming is occurring. The warming and cooling of the Earth is an entirely natural phenomenon.
Second, carbon dioxide (CO2) plays only a minor role as a so-called greenhouse gas. The predominant greenhouse gas is water vapor produced by the world's oceans. The Earth has been warming since the last Ice Age and, even if a mild warming were to occur, the only result would be an extended period to grow more crops and to enhance the growth of the world's forests that generate the oxygen on which all humans depend for life.
Third, the notion that man-made CO2 emissions -- the result of industrial activity, the use of cars and trucks for transportation, and a host of other things humans do -- is a major contributor to "climate change" is almost too silly to believe. Recently, the European Union identified cow and sheep burping as an even greater threat than human activity, but ruminants have been doing this long before human civilization began.
To get an idea how bogus cap-and-trade emissions credits are, one need only look to see who is behind this spurious campaign. At or near the top of that list is the United Nations for whom global warming has become the Holy Grail. By positioning themselves to save the Earth, the U.N. sets itself up to control all aspects of life upon it. Supporting the U.N. program are the endless non-governmental organizations that benefit from keeping people fearful the Earth will come to an end without their programs to save it.
The adage, however, is "follow the money" and here's where we find the greatest supporters of cap-and-trade emissions credits. Huge financial firms such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are betting they can make billions through government mandated programs in which vast amounts of money move back and forth through "climate exchanges" where companies trade their alleged emissions reduction activities for credits, i.e., real cash.
The absolute worst part of these cap-and-trade emissions programs is the way they will affect the American consumer. A recent report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) delivered a devastating indictment of the proposal.
In brief, the CBO concluded that the CO2 cap-and-trade scheme would increase home energy costs and the price of gas, unfairly punishing the poor while transferring wealth to the rich who have investments in these industries.
Not one of the nations that signed onto the Kyoto Protocol to limit their CO2 emissions has ever met the standards to which they agreed and none ever will. The cap-and-trade scheme is just another version of these meaningless limits, but one that is designed to enrich those who engage in the smoke-and-mirrors trade in such credits.
If a Democrat-controlled Congress permits this to occur, the global warming scam will have been brought to its full culmination and purpose, the enrichment of those who have been perpetrating it and those who seek to benefit from it.
However, global warming became an emotional, political issue, and now it seems as divisive as the abortion issue, or gun-control, or foreign policy in the Middle East. In other words, it has become a huge issue, one involving enormous power, control, and billions upon billions of dollars. It is past time that rational people take serious notice about what is really going on behind the nightly news and the weather report.
The following article, of which I've posted the majority of, summarizes the idiotic idea of selling or trading carbon caps. It will cost billions and not improve the climate or limit real pollution in any way. In other words, it is a huge SCAM. Yet incomprehensibly, people are falling for it.
Read the original article here: http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCommentary.asp?Page=/Commentary/archive/200705/COM20070514c.html
Peter
The Great Cap-And-Trade Scam
By Alan Caruba
CNSNews.com Commentary from the National Anxiety Center May 14,
Of all the crazed global warming proposals being put forth by the new masters of Congress, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Barbara Boxer, chairperson of the Public Works Committee, by far the worst would be a mandated cap-and-trade program that would supposedly offset carbon dioxide emissions.
This program is horrid on several counts. First, there is not a scintilla of scientific evidence -- other than disputed and dubious computer models -- to suggest that any significant global warming is occurring. The warming and cooling of the Earth is an entirely natural phenomenon.
Second, carbon dioxide (CO2) plays only a minor role as a so-called greenhouse gas. The predominant greenhouse gas is water vapor produced by the world's oceans. The Earth has been warming since the last Ice Age and, even if a mild warming were to occur, the only result would be an extended period to grow more crops and to enhance the growth of the world's forests that generate the oxygen on which all humans depend for life.
Third, the notion that man-made CO2 emissions -- the result of industrial activity, the use of cars and trucks for transportation, and a host of other things humans do -- is a major contributor to "climate change" is almost too silly to believe. Recently, the European Union identified cow and sheep burping as an even greater threat than human activity, but ruminants have been doing this long before human civilization began.
To get an idea how bogus cap-and-trade emissions credits are, one need only look to see who is behind this spurious campaign. At or near the top of that list is the United Nations for whom global warming has become the Holy Grail. By positioning themselves to save the Earth, the U.N. sets itself up to control all aspects of life upon it. Supporting the U.N. program are the endless non-governmental organizations that benefit from keeping people fearful the Earth will come to an end without their programs to save it.
The adage, however, is "follow the money" and here's where we find the greatest supporters of cap-and-trade emissions credits. Huge financial firms such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are betting they can make billions through government mandated programs in which vast amounts of money move back and forth through "climate exchanges" where companies trade their alleged emissions reduction activities for credits, i.e., real cash.
The absolute worst part of these cap-and-trade emissions programs is the way they will affect the American consumer. A recent report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) delivered a devastating indictment of the proposal.
In brief, the CBO concluded that the CO2 cap-and-trade scheme would increase home energy costs and the price of gas, unfairly punishing the poor while transferring wealth to the rich who have investments in these industries.
Not one of the nations that signed onto the Kyoto Protocol to limit their CO2 emissions has ever met the standards to which they agreed and none ever will. The cap-and-trade scheme is just another version of these meaningless limits, but one that is designed to enrich those who engage in the smoke-and-mirrors trade in such credits.
If a Democrat-controlled Congress permits this to occur, the global warming scam will have been brought to its full culmination and purpose, the enrichment of those who have been perpetrating it and those who seek to benefit from it.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Democrats Social Engineering: Our Worst Nightmare Coming True
If people think global warming and climate change is a danger, wait until (and if) new legislation intending to control climate change begins to take effect. First of all, be aware that once again, this is about controlling carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Sound, clear, common-sensical scientific studies show that CO2 is not the driving force behind global warming and climate change. Only some computer models, fabricated by scientists with an agenda, based on theory, and manipulated by politicians, suggest CO2 is a pollutant.
Yet is spite of such flimsy evidence, our genius politicians are trying to pass laws that are going to cost us billions of wasted dollars. Somehow, someway, people are going to figure out we're being shafted. Here are some excerpts from the article and a link to it.
Peter
"Two of the frontrunners for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination this week agreed to co-sponsor legislation aimed at curbing global warming by putting caps on carbon emissions. Sen. Barbara Boxer, chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, announced Tuesday that Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois are co-sponsoring the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act.
Clinton and Obama lead the pack of contenders for the Democratic nomination, based on recent polls. Other current senators seeking the nomination, Sens. Joseph Biden of Delaware and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, also support the bill.
The bill crafted by Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders would set carbon emission standards for electricity plants, establish a carbon credit trading program, and set carbon emission standards for automobiles beginning in 2016.
It also expresses the "sense of the Senate that federal funds for clean, low-carbon energy research, development, and deployment should be increased by at least 100 percent each year" for 10 years.
to read the entire article, go here: http://www.cnsnews.com:80/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200705/POL20070510c.html
Sound, clear, common-sensical scientific studies show that CO2 is not the driving force behind global warming and climate change. Only some computer models, fabricated by scientists with an agenda, based on theory, and manipulated by politicians, suggest CO2 is a pollutant.
Yet is spite of such flimsy evidence, our genius politicians are trying to pass laws that are going to cost us billions of wasted dollars. Somehow, someway, people are going to figure out we're being shafted. Here are some excerpts from the article and a link to it.
Peter
"Two of the frontrunners for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination this week agreed to co-sponsor legislation aimed at curbing global warming by putting caps on carbon emissions. Sen. Barbara Boxer, chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, announced Tuesday that Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois are co-sponsoring the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act.
Clinton and Obama lead the pack of contenders for the Democratic nomination, based on recent polls. Other current senators seeking the nomination, Sens. Joseph Biden of Delaware and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, also support the bill.
The bill crafted by Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders would set carbon emission standards for electricity plants, establish a carbon credit trading program, and set carbon emission standards for automobiles beginning in 2016.
It also expresses the "sense of the Senate that federal funds for clean, low-carbon energy research, development, and deployment should be increased by at least 100 percent each year" for 10 years.
to read the entire article, go here: http://www.cnsnews.com:80/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200705/POL20070510c.html
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