‘Cap and Trade’ Loses Its Standing as Energy Policy of Choice

New York Times ^ | March 25, 2010 | John M. Broder

[reaganaut1]

Less than a year ago, cap and trade was the policy of choice for tackling climate change.

Environmental groups and their foes in industry joined hands to embrace the approach, a market-driven system that sets a ceiling on global warming pollution while allowing companies to trade permits to meet it. President Obama praised it by name in his first budget, and the authors of the House climate and energy bill passed last June largely built their measure around it.

Today, the concept is in wide disrepute, with opponents effectively branding it “cap and tax,” and Tea Party followers using it as a symbol of much of what they say is wrong with Washington.

Mr. Obama dropped all mention of cap and trade from his current budget. And the sponsors of a Senate climate bill likely to be introduced in April, now that Congress is moving past health care, dare not speak its name.

“I don’t know what ‘cap and trade’ means,” Senator John F. Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, said last fall in introducing his original climate change plan.

Mr. Kerry’s partner in promoting global warming legislation, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, pronounced economywide cap and trade dead last month and has since been working with Mr. Kerry to try to patch together a bill that satisfies the diverse economic, regional and ideological interests of the Senate.

That plan, still being written, will include a cap on greenhouse gas emissions only for utilities, at least at first, with other industries phased in perhaps years later. It is also said to include a modest tax on gasoline, diesel fuel and aviation fuel, accompanied by new incentives for oil and gas drilling, nuclear power plant construction, carbon capture and storage, and renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

[reaganaut1]

The science behind global warming has been challenged (other Freepers will put it more strongly), most people don't see any warming where they live, and when the economy is weak, people prioritize the economy over the environment.

[reaganaut1]

global warming ping

[jessduntno]

“The science behind global warming has been challenged...”

As has been the actual location of the horn on a Unicorn’s head...

[penelopesire]

Here comes an ACORN like name change. (eye roll)

[combat_boots]

But we love the earth. We have nothing but love for those concerned with conservation. We love the hunters and fishermen. We love those who enjoy pure water and fresh air.

We love you, Global Warming believers. Remember, God loves you all.

Use their tactics against them. In spades.

[combat_boots]

Organizing for America?

Or, Community Organizers, Int’l?

THis is beyond America. Their audience isn’t us. We simply have to be silenced or sidestepped.

I wonder how the Chinese Communists, Pakistanis and Indians are going to take to their efforts. Or, the Saudis, Syrians, Iranians and Turks.

[LurkLongley]

What???? THERE’S NO WARMING???? AHHHHHHRRRRGGGHHHHHH

The sky is falling, the sky is falling....

[DManA]

Call me a cynic but I'm betting Lindsey and Johnny come up with something even worse than cap and tax.

Mr. Kerry’s partner in promoting global warming legislation, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, pronounced economywide cap and trade dead last month and has since been working with Mr. Kerry to try to patch together a bill that satisfies the diverse economic, regional and ideological interests of the Senate.

[PaleoBob]

Cap-and-trade should heretofore be called the Democrat Job Killer plan.

[kabar]

It is also said to include a modest tax on gasoline, diesel fuel and aviation fuel,

Modest tax? A rather subjective term.

[givemELL]

www.iceagenow.com follows the issue daily with all the reports exposing the fraud, etc...the site has many current articles and links.

[combat_boots]

Meet the Chinese 'GM' pod car, assisted in development by Segwey:

[combat_boots]

Link to article in re pod car: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/03/gm-rolls-out-segway-pod-concept-with-china-partner/1

[steelyourfaith]

Thanx reaganaut1 !

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[upchuck]

Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, pronounced economywide cap and trade dead last month and has since been working with Mr. Kerry to try to patch together a bill that satisfies the diverse economic, regional and ideological interests of the Senate.

Lindsey, you fool, you should have stopped after "dead."

Uber RINO Lindsey Ping
"Republican by day, Democrat by night."

Want on or off this ping list?
Just FReepmail me.

h/t to martin_fierro for the graphic

[Milton Miteybad]

From the linked article:

Why did cap and trade die? The short answer is that it was done in by the weak economy, the Wall Street meltdown, determined industry opposition and its own complexity.


I suppose that could be one set of explanations, should one choose to believe them.

What really did cap-and-tax in was the revelation that it was a policy borne of a publicly-financed, thoroughgoing media fraud, namely, the myth of anthropogenic global warming. In essence, the very reason for this Enron-esque cap-and-tax scheme was shown to be a huge hoax perpetrated on the taxpaying public (using their own funds, mind you) for the purpose of justifying the creation a "market" for CO2 emissions, which would enrich the political patrons of the perpetrators of said fraud.

All the other explanations are rehetorical window-dressing, more than anything else.

[Brouhaha]

I stopped reading at this sentence.

“Less than a year ago, cap and trade was the policy of choice for tackling climate change.”

What a bunch of frickin’ moon bats! What’s next? A new policy for tackling the Easter Bunny, perhaps?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Now even the NY Times says it is over....Man oh Man....Wonderful!

Got to read more and see if they mention the Global SCAM of the IPCC and Al Gore....that would be known as AGW.

[onyx]

LOL. I love Martin’s art work...lol.

[onyx]

Scamsters need to be prosecuted.