Schwarzenegger eager for strict emissions cap

February 26, 10:24 PMSacramento Environmental News ExaminerHarry Osibin

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Governor Schwarzenegger Thursday praised (as has become his habit) an initiative from the Obama administration to formulate a "cap-and-trade" program to fight greenhouse gas emissions.

Says the governor, “Fighting climate change is the number one environmental challenge facing this generation, and the only way to realize real reductions in our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions is through a strict cap.  Establishing that cap economy-wide is also the best way to ensure America’s businesses are all competing on a level playing field."

This governor is known for his advocacy in this field and it has isolated him from many including powerful figures within his own GOP.

He continues, “In California, we know that the environment and the economy go hand in hand. For years, we’ve been developing a cap-and-trade program that achieves our environmental goals while also boosting our economy. Our efforts have laid the groundwork for an eventual national climate change program like the one President Obama sets the stage for in his budget."

The yang to this ying comes from a number of quarters including an organization called Downsize DC.  The group has mounted an online petition campaign to demand Congress not authorize any cap-and-trade scheme.

The group has even appealed to those who are not climate change skeptics to oppose strict caps.

From the website of Downsize DC:

"Even if you accept that human CO2 emissions are causing problematic global warming, a government run "cap and trade" system is not the way to deal with this problem. There is a better way. Here are some points to consider . . .

• Fossil fuels create massive amounts of air pollution, quite apart from CO2.
• This pollution causes health problems, none of which are reflected in the price of fossil fuels.
• Fossil fuels enjoy a "free ride" in terms of pollution costs that make it hard for alternative sources of energy to compete.
• Air pollution is a form of trespass, and a case can certainly be made that dealing with such trespasses is a legitimate function of government.

The federal government could do this by . . .

• Taxing fossil fuels
• Cutting other taxes so that your overall financial burden would remain unchanged

Your energy costs would rise, but your taxes would fall by an equal amount. Doing this would . . .

• Eliminate the justification for a "cap and trade" boondoggle
• Make fossil fuels reflect more of their true costs
• Provide an incentive for everyone to reduce their use of fossil fuels
• Make other sources of energy cost competitive
• Limit the financial impact on you and the economy
• Help reduce air pollution, including CO2 emissions

We know that most Americans are concerned about pollution and the environment, and for those who feel this way, a carbon tax combined with tax cuts in other areas would be a better approach. But THIS CAMPAIGN is about stopping the "cap and trade" boondoggle, because if you really care about the environment, this proposal has only symbolic value."

One could sum up such a platform as a plan that would move Americans closer to paying the true cost of fossil-fuel comsumption coupled with tax reductions in other areas.

Fuel for thought.  Learn more at the website. 

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