Debating time’s over, cap-and-trade on its way?
January 12, 2010 by Tom GuayPosted in: Latest News & Views, News
Seems it’s time to end the debate about whether or not climate change is a problem.
That’s certainly the point of view making headlines in West Virginia following a Legislative Lookahead forum organized by the Associated Press.
The debate is over. It’s just a question of when cap-and-trade legislation to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be a reality, not if.
The nation’s largest buyer of coal — American Electric Power (AEP) — expects Congress to approve national cap-and-trade legislation.
Addressing the forum, AEP’s environmental manager Tim Mallen says mandatory GHG rules are on their way, “whether it comes this year or next year is not really that big a deal. It’s coming.”
Many in West Virginia are fearful that regulating GHG emissions will reduce coal mining jobs. But the United Mine Workers of America also thinks a cap-and-trade bill is inevitable.
However, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) wasn’t ready to end the rhetoric. He told the conference that he opposes cap-and-trade as well as upcoming EPA plans to regulate GHG emissions from power plants when a final rule is released this spring.
AEP’s now focused on figuring out how to operate in a carbon-regulated world, as are other power companies.
GreenandMore.com
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January 14th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
We certainly hate to see the AEP, among others, throw up their hands in surrender to a really bad piece of legislation backed by no real evidence. Now is the time to remind the Senators that they are part of a government that was designed to be of, by and for the people. Clearly the Senators (of both parties) have abandoned that document they swore to uphold and the people who vote them in office. While it may be inevitable that cap and trade be passed, we should not assume it is. And while AEP and others are looking at how to comply in case it is, we should not surrender to such a horrible (and certainly unconstitutional) power and money grab by the federal government and the elite who will be the only benefactors of such legislation. Indeed, this legislation DOES NOT solve a problem but rather transfers money ultimately from the average citizen through the hands of the carbon trading outfits like Al Gore’s who cut out a percentage of the money as brokers, and pass it off to corrupt regimes as compensation for our generation of so much carbon while those same countries are exempt from the same carbon generation limits. This is a scheme to level the average person to the lowest common denominator while the elite gain more wealth and more control. It is one of the goals of the global governance agenda.
January 14th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Philip,
I could not agree more. Its a money grab perpetuted by those who have self interests.
January 15th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Totally agree with philip and matt. We have done quite well over the last number of years at reducing pollution…cleaning up waterways, etc. but this one is over the top. How much can our economy and we as a nation stand? We are already rapidly approaching the point of no return as far as the national debt is concerned…if we don’t start SOON being fiscally responsible the nation will be bankrupt and there won’t be anything to pay the taxes with anyway. Tax and trade (did I say that?) is another huge burden we can’t bear.