Senate Momentum Builds for Clean Energy and Jobs, but Not Climate

Senate Momentum Builds for Clean Energy and Jobs, but Not Climate; The New York Times

Here comes the repackaging of the "cap and trade." While it may not be the full Monty, it's incremental like the health care bill, so expect to see some form of global carbon taxation in the near future.

The renewable electricity standard introduced in the Senate yesterday is a key element in most sprawling measures to address climate change. It's designed to rev up renewable electricity -- 15 percent by 2021, including efficiency -- resulting in less fossil fuel use and fewer emissions. That would help utilities cut their carbon output to comply with an emissions cap -- if Congress ever enacts one.


Yet the bill offered by Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) is just one splinter of the comprehensive climate package, the one that included a carbon price, that President Obama promoted at the outset of his term.


The narrow measure would cut emissions, but not with the force of cap and trade, while establishing a national market for renewable energy credits and the nation's first long-term commitment to power made from sources like wind and solar facilities.

Read the rest of the Times article here.

Comment: Let's consider what we know about energy and the environment in our country:

1. There is no such thing as "man-made" climate change;
2. The change in the climate is a naturally occurring cycle; 
3. The earth has more petroleum than we could ever imagine and we are finding new reserves everyday;
4. Like diamonds, petroleum is kept artificially high due to government collusion with energy monopolies and the environmental lobbies;
5. The US has enough energy reserves and capacity (coal, oil, natural gas, wind, solar, geothermal, oil shale and nuclear) that we could be totally self-relevant and secure easily for over 400 years and beyond.
6. As reported from the EPA, air and water quality are at the cleanest levels since 1956, and continue to get better.
7. There are more trees in the US today than when the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth.
8. First world industrial countries have the highest environmental standards and have done more to improve upon environmental qualities.

I imagine there are many more facts that demonstrate the perversion of the energy/environmental argument (and I hope you add to the list in the comments section), so one has to wonder why Congress isn't doing more to deregulate and open up the energy sector to competition, rather than creating more intrusive government laws and regulations that stifle this sector, and worst of all, place a heavy financial burden upon the American people.

The answer is easy...the critters in Congress don't work for us or represent us; they work and represent the special interests groups, be it the energy corporations or the environmental lobbyists, who will reap all of the profits from this noncompetitive sector that is getting smaller everyday. And we will pay for it all.