Climate Debate: Next Stop is the U.S. Senate

With the House of Representatives now having passed a bill, the debate on a global warming bill now heads to the Senate. The Senate yesterday the Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing in which top administration officials stressed that the goal of legislation is to not only curb greenhouse gas emissions, but to create jobs and boost our economy.

We agree about creating jobs … but we also think that a policy has to protect existing jobs. And the way you do that is be guaranteeing that we take all possible steps to keep energy costs affordable. Energy costs are second only to labor costs in ensuring that businesses can survive in these tough economic times and keep American workers – particularly those in energy intensive sectors like manufacturing – on the job.

Polls show that Americans support the notion of reducing CO2 emissions, but many are concerned about how new measures would affect consumer energy costs. ACCCE supports federal climate legislation as long as it protects American consumers and our economy because we believe the Congress can pass a bill that protects our economy and our environment. There were improvements made in during the House debate on their bill that got us closer to that goal … but there are still additional changes that need to be made to ensure we hit the mark.

In the months ahead, ACCCE looks forward to working with members of Congress and other policymakers to develop reasonable, effective legislative proposals on this important and complex issue.

Comments

[Concerned WV]

The cost of producing electricity via coal fired power plants is approximately $ .06 per kilowatt hour. Any other form of energy besides hydro-electric is $.12 per kilowatt hour. Please tell me, during the most challenging economic times that most of us have ever been a party to, how in God’s creation can we as a country allow this asinine approach to go forward. Please imagine the devastation that will be created when the cost of electricity will increase by 50% for industry and all of the domestic users of same (50% of our electricity is produced by coal).

Granted, the earth is going thru a warming period and some climatologists attribute this change to man but- the planet Mars is also going thru a warming period. Please have those same people explain this situation to a novice like myself.

I ask each and every one of you Americans to contact your publicly elected representatives and express your dismay at this ludicrous back door carbon tax idea. We as a people cannot afford this type of taxation. But, if we as a people do not have the heart to stop this stupid idea, we better hope that the climate warms because we will not be able to afford the cost of heating our homes and businesses.