Antinuclear

Climate change denial lobbying in force in America

 in the United States, the forces of greed, profit, and power are at work with no regard to the consequences of their actions.

Conservatives in U.S. trying to reverse renewable energy standards in the states, Examiner, NOVEMBER 25, 2012 BY: ROBERT BOWEN   As world leaders begin discussions in Qatar Monday on an agreement to reduce carbon pollution, oil companies in the United States are out to repeal the renewable energy standards in the 29 states that have them. They are funding conservative groups to do their dirty work according to an article published Saturday in the Washington Post.

The Heartland Institute, a libertarian think tank that denies climate change science, has joined with the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to write model legislation aimed at reversing state renewable energy mandates across the country. The Electricity Freedom Act, adopted by ALEC’s board of directors in October, would repeal state renewable energy standards (RES) which require utilities to get a portion of their electricity from renewable sources. ALEC and Heartland are using a tried and true tactic calling it “essentially a tax on consumers of electricity’ and bringing in “freedom.”

Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have binding RES laws. There is no federal standard because fossil fuel lobbyists have blocked all attempts to enact them in Congress. Despite intense political battles, however some states have actually managed to increase the percentages of renewable energy required recently usually by a vote of the people.

ALEC has sought to roll back climate regulation in the past. The group lost some corporate sponsors early this year because of its role promoting “stand your ground” laws in the various states.

Heartland Institute is the outfit that posted a billboard in May comparing those who believe in global warming to domestic terrorist Theodore Kaczynski. The Heartland Institute received more than $7.3 million from Exxon Mobil between 1998 and 2010, and nearly $14.4 million between 1986 and 2010 from foundations affiliated with Charles and David Koch, whose firm Koch Industries has substantial oil and energy holdings according to The Washington Post.

James Taylor, the Heartland Institute’s senior fellow for environmental policy, said he was able to persuade most of ALEC’s state legislators and corporate members to push for a repeal of laws requiring more solar and wind power use on the basis of “economics.”….

Renewable Energy only seems more expensive because energy generated by fossil fuels gets a free ride when it comes to paying the true costs of its production, and bearing any responsibility whatsoever for the costs to society from the pollution it generates. A free ride is what big money buys in Washington.

The oil companies that seek to repeal the RES hit it on two fronts. One, they fund “scientists” to come up with faux science that denies global warming and finds so-called flaws in the real science used by the states to enact the RES. They, they lobby state legislators armed with their phony science and trunks full of campaign contributions and perks galore…..

n the past efforts to repeal the RES have failed in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon and Washington. With the exception of Kansas and Ohio, Democrats control the legislatures in the other states so repeal is not likely.

Perhaps something will come out of the Qatar Conference to address this issue globally. Meanwhile, in the United States, the forces of greed, profit, and power are at work with no regard to the consequences of their actions. http://www.examiner.com/article/conservatives-u-s-trying-to-reverse-renewable-energy-standards-the-states

November 26, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized