The Washington Post has reported today that Congress will vote Friday on the 1,092-page American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454) to restrict carbon-dioxide emissions in order to fight global warming. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the measure, which is also known as  "cap-and-trade" legislation, would create $846 billion in higher taxes and increase federal “direct spending by about $821 billion.” In addition to the direct tax implications, the bill's extensive new “cap-and-trade” regulations could skyrocket all Americans’ utility bills and create massive job losses.

This legislation, which would give a double-hit to the wallets of consumers, is strongly backed by President Barack Obama. Obama stated in his June 23 press conference that the legislation would create government incentives for private enterprise to create energy-efficient devices. “This legislation is paid for by the polluters who currently emit the dangerous carbon emissions that contaminate the water we drink and pollute the air that we breathe. It also provides assistance to businesses and communities as they make the gradual transition to clean energy technologies.”

That sounds like people who emit carbon are horrible persons and “polluters” deserving of punishment, but the truth is that everyone who has read this article has emitted carbon since they began reading it. People emit carbon whenever they breathe, as does every animal on the planet.

Here are some other ordinary ways to emit carbon: bake a pie or a loaf of bread, drive your car anywhere, turn on your summer grill for some barbeque, have a campfire or even use a stove to heat your house with wood in the winter. All of these activities emit carbon dioxide — which, by the way, trees and all other plants need for photosynthesis. The more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the faster plants can grow. In other words, more carbon dioxide means more plants and more food.

If the power plants are emitting a dangerous pollutant into the atmosphere when they emit carbon dioxide, then you are too are polluting the atmosphere when you exhale. Yet energy companies would be restricted in how much carbon they can emit, or face punishing taxes and fines.

The Washington Post has reported that the legislation has “tweaks benefiting a range of companies, including algae-based biofuel producers and major petroleum refiners.” But it should be noted that these biofuels would be carbon-based. This means that when they burn, they won’t emit any less carbon into the atmosphere than petroleum products.

Obama sold the legislation as a “private sector” solution to the global warming issue: “These incentives will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy. And that will lead to the development of new technologies that lead to new industries that could create millions of new jobs in America — jobs that can't be shipped overseas.”

The “clean energy” promoted by this bill would only be “profitable" with substantial federal subsidies, including creation of a Clean Energy Deployment Administration to loan businesses money for what federal bureaucrats deem “clean” energy. It would also double the current $25 billion loan subsidy program for electric vehicles and include the essence of the “cash for clunkers” bill where auto dealers are subsidized up to $4,500 for selling more fuel efficient cars (but is in reality little more than another bailout for auto manufacturers).

The Republican minority complained in the House Energy and Commerce Committee report that the bill, if enacted, “would impose major new costs and expansive regulatory controls over a weak and struggling U.S. economy.” They’re right. They have some other complaints about the legislation that are also worth noting:

Rising Utility Bills: “The bill would impose enormous new direct and indirect costs on U.S. consumers and would have major implications for financial markets and international trade and commerce.”

Full Costs Of Bill Unknown: “The full costs of implementing the bill are not known and the bill was considered and reported by the Committee before cost estimates of all the titles were prepared or made available. While prices for energy and goods and services would rise for virtually all Americans, certain regions of the country will be particularly adversely affected by the legislation.”

More Job Losses: “Enactment of this legislation will unquestionably cause job losses in the U.S. in the manufacturing, industrial and other energy-intensive sectors.”

More Unfunded Mandates: “Upon the date of enactment of this bill, a 30 percent increase in building efficiency is required. Effective January 1, 2014, for residential buildings and January 1, 2015, for commercial buildings, an additional 50 percent increased efficiency is required. Subsequent three-year targets of additional five percent increases in efficiency are mandated through January 2030. These targets and deadlines were established with no concern for cost and with no assessment of feasibility.”

If enacted, the so-called “American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009” would cause job losses for unknown thousands of Americans, increase taxes on all Americans, and increase all Americans’ utility bills by what even authors of the bill admit is an unknown level.

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AntonioSosa said:

Cap and trade will kill the U.S. economy Obama’s ACES Act (cap and trade) will cost many of us our businesses. It will cost many of us our jobs. It will cost all of us our freedoms and our future. Cap and Trade “would be the equivalent of an atomic bomb directed at the U.S. economy—all without any scientific justification,” says famed climatologist Dr. S. Fred Singer. It would significantly increase taxes and the cost of energy, forcing many companies to close, thus increasing unemployment, poverty and dependence. Cap and trade represents huge taxes and cost increases, which will hurt mostly the poor and the middle class. Cap and trade will give dictatorial powers to Obama and will further enrich his billionaire friends (Gore, Soros, Goldman Sachs, Obama’s Chicago Climate Exchange friends, GE, the United Nations, etc.) -- all at our expense and at the expense of our children and grandchildren. Please do what you can to defend your family and your country. Write to your Representative -- https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

June 24, 2009

AntonioSosa said:

Cap and trade is a hoax There is NO global warming and CO2 is NOT a pullutant. More than 700 international scientists dissent over man-made global warming claims. They are now more than 13 times the number of UN scientists (52) who authored the media-hyped IPCC 2007 Summary for Policymakers. http://www.climatechangefraud..../3562/218/ Additionally, more than 30,000 American scientists have signed onto a petition that states, "There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate." http://www.petitionproject.org Those brainwashed to the point of wanting to destroy the economy to "prevent global warming" are behaving like the most primitive human beings who were duped into believing that human sacrifices would ensure them good weather. Human beings don't have the power to control climate! And killing the economy will not help the environment. Poor countries can’t protect the environment. Just look at Haiti!

June 24, 2009

Flu-Bird said:

Crap for trade This whole cap and trade is the biggist rip off for americans to be forced to pay for this whole GLOBAL WARMING nonsense based entirly on junk science and politcal dirty work its time for all those pishers of CRAP FOR TRADE to be voted out of office

June 25, 2009

Dennis S. said:

Retired How anyone can say this bill will reduce our dependence on foreign oil when forces us to produce ethanol from corn. If it takes 1.2 gallons of oil produce a gallon of a product (from corn) that produces 75% of the energy of a gallon of oil, where is the logic in that?? Not that but corn is food product that will be in short supply, go figure.

June 25, 2009

Jane M said:

... I hope I am alive in 20 years when people realize that Global Warming was the biggest lie of this century. Although, if Obama has his say in health care, I won't be allowed treatment when I am old. Don't penalize the Energy System. If you feel this is important to create new energy systems, reward them instead of punishing the existing ones. With incentives you could boost the production of new energy sources. I, for one already am sick of paying high energy bills, and you want to add more? This is a bunch of garbage. God is in control of our planet, our lives and has provided all these years. Why not let him take care of us instead of going off half cocked with all of these notions of Global Warming. Who do you think you are?

June 26, 2009

ROBERT ROYS said:

CAP&TRADE SAY HELL NO TO CAP&TRADE WE NEED TO GET THAT SAND****** OUT OF OFFICE.

June 30, 2009

Larry S. Hyatt said:

Owner small grading business Our stupid goverment has gone crazy

July 01, 2009