Earlier this week, behind closed doors, top aides to members of the House energy and Senate environment committees met with industry lobbyists to ask for a favor.
For what you ask? Helping the struggling middle class? Improving public education in our schools? Helping families facing foreclosure stay in their homes?
No, the request was not about any of these issues. These lawmakers had other things on their mind; specifically, they wanted help in threatening public health and safety.
No, this wasn't a typo. Let me explain.
Recently, aides to Congressman Fred Upton, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Senator Jim Inhofe, ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, met with representatives of the energy industry -- reportedly, big players like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Petroleum Institute.
According to reports, aides of these two public officials asked the energy representatives for their support in launching a legislative and public relations war against measures to protect and enhance our environment. The beginning of this effort is to handcuff the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gases. Their ultimate goal is to prevent ALL federal and state bodies from having this authority.
To no one's surprise, the energy industry agreed to support this attack on our environment. In some ways, it's fitting that this deal was done behind closed doors because, if this group had their way, the open air wouldn't be safe enough to breathe anyway.
Naturally, such backroom deals raise questions. Are these lawmakers hearing from the other side: the communities who live near toxic and hazardous conditions?
While they focus on the short-term interests of their friends, are they at all considering the long-term impact that their actions will have on our entire nation? It doesn't seem like it.
The shame of it all is that they are doing it under the guise of "saving jobs." The truth is that what's good for the environment isn't bad for the economy. In fact, the growth of the clean energy sector, which makes our communities more sustainable, is also creating good-paying jobs that put people to work.
At Green For All, we look at the big picture and see that it is in the nation's environmental and economic interests to build a green economy. We believe that America must make a serious commitment to this industry now; otherwise we'll fall further behind China and, eventually, the rest of the world. Such a commitment would be good for the public and economic health of our country.
When elected officials refuse to see this -- is it because seeing clearly isn't good for their friends? (Or is the air too smoggy to see through?)
It's appalling that the special interests continue to undermine the public interest, and an issue as important as climate change has become the subject of petty political games.
As a result, all of us will suffer at the hands of lawmakers and lobbyists who want to help each other, even if it means hurting everyone else.
Follow Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins on Twitter: www.twitter.com/phaedraEL
I bet Fox News was involved too!
The very best we can do about the climate change would be to completely get off of fossil fuels. However the damage we have already done is unchangeable. So whether you "believe" in it or not doesn't matter. It is like not "believing" you are pregnant, you will still have a child. So, don't believe if you don't want to. It is very unlikely what you believe will make any difference.
While what the Repubs you mention want to do is probably not the best of plans, it is justifiable from a scientific point of view. You are apparently unaware that the CRU's climate models that supposedly "prove" AGW are biased(See
beforeitsnews.com/story/0/554/Climategate_Fudged_Climate_Change_Models_from_CRU_also_Released.html). An article will very soon be published in Nature inwhich Mann et al's model was reviewed by a group of statisticians ( whom he did not consult for initial peer review) who applied several sets of random data to his computer model and every time it shows warming ! Further according to the Climategate emails Dr Mann admits that he intentionally used datasets that showed warming(as opposed to a more accurate data set that did not show significant warming). In other words, the data and models that demonstrate AGW were all "fudged". Wait, let me explain that in language that even a liberal arts basket weaving journalist major can comprehend. They falsified their results ! The motive ? Likely to keep research $ flowing.
The EPA were all too eager to accept these faked results(rather than doing their jobs and critically reviewing it). But then, they too stand to benefit from an AGW crisis.
So, is AGW really happening ? We really don't know. Perhaps so, perhaps not. An impartial review is needed. But given these FACTS, can you really condemn them for these actions ?
No more "impartial reviews" of AGW are needed. The science is conclusive and all you have left are lies from right wing blogs to try to discredit some of the finest scientists on the planet. These men and women are patriots who have been thanklessly laboring for modest salaries to uncover the greatest danger humanity has ever faced. Rather than have right wing thugs in Congress vilifying them we should be giving them medals and listening to their advice on how to save ourselves from global warming.
Grow America, two words that should be shouted every time you talk about unemployment. Grow America, to day we have millions of strong, able, trained Americans and we also have vast needs that have been ignored for decades. To day America needs seven new atomic, seven new coal/gas fired power plants and an equal amount in green energy. Instead of unemployment why not employment checks for jobs we need for today to grow America for tomorrow. Today we need new transmission lines to carry this power, two new oil refineries, and countless water treatment systems across the USA all needing funding to put Americans back to work and to grow America. Today in every mega city are huge areas that need to be rebuilt for this and the next century, again growing America for the future.
Grow America is needed today. Grow America is needed to rebuild, retool and educate America. Grow America will become the battle cry for the next two years from the American Party.
Grow America, pass it along, let your voice be heard and the cry grow over this land. Lets change unemployment to employment and do the jobs this country needs now.
Casey
Wanna know what else? Interior Sec. Ken Salazar did the exact same thing with environmental interests. He asked them what changes these major conservation organizations (Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, etc) would like to see out of the Dept of Interior. One by one, he's going down their wish list: Oil and gas leasing policy. Check. Wild Lands policy. Check. We’re seeing organized environmental interests calling policy shots in the Interior Dept.
I was jaded and thought maybe the Obama Admin wouldn't cater so much to special interests. I thought maybe he would let us normal people influence policy. I was wrong. I happen to agree more with the enviro's recommendations, but it's really the same as what the Repugnants are doing.
All special interests are NOT equally toxic to Americans
My point is not that a bunch of enviros telling this administration what to is as bad as a bunch of oil execs telling the last administration what to do. But I'm being impartial. It is the same, or worse, to other people. I keep an open mind and have concluded that both are special interests. Sure, conservation NGOs represent the views of some Americans. But so do oil execs.
The electrical grid can't handle electric cars if demand goes up. The electrical grid can't handle the additional windmill producing energy on the gride. Need to improve the electrical grid prior to electric working.
Fanned for being part of the solution.