There are some Republicans who are Believers in anthropogenic climate change, such as Florida’s Matt Gaetz. Lindsay Graham always was a believer. Many others are just following the winds, thinking that this is truly an important issue, so, are pushing some policies to deal with it. Unlike some lunatics like George Schultz, they are not pushing carbon taxes. Instead….
Economic Growth Defines Climate Change Divide Between Republicans And Democrats
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy this week gave a glimpse into Republican plans for addressing climate change and the environment issues.
It is encouraging to see Republicans take on environmental issues since they rank as a top concern for independent and moderate voters who are critical to the GOP this cycle. It’s also refreshing to see Republicans taking a fiscally responsible approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with climate change.
Poll after poll shows voter support for climate change legislation is dependent on its price tag. Americans want policies that are achievable and that protect economic growth and prosperity along with the environment. That’s why Republicans are right to focus on American ingenuity and innovation over government regulation.
Let me point out again that polls show that the majority refuse to pay more than $10 a month. Others show they do not want to pay more than a $1.
On the other side of the political divide, Democrats deserve some credit for recognizing that the $93 trillion Green New Deal promoted by progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) isn’t just dead legislatively, but has become toxic with voters.
Democrats’ second bite at the climate legislation apple, the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act, released earlier this month by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), is closer to the center than previous attempts.
Closer to the center isn’t saying much when the GND is the starting point. The CLEAN Future Act is still very much far left. Or, should we say very far right, because on the political scale Authoritarianism is way to the right, and that’s what they bill is. The only difference between it and the GND is that it doesn’t knock natural gas and nuclear energy out of the picture.
In the House, Republicans are beginning to roll out proposals focused on innovation and nature-based solutions, such as planting 1 trillion trees by 2050 to absorb carbon. Republicans are also working to reduce plastic pollution in the oceans, make our communities more resilient to severe weather activity, and extend tax credits for industrial carbon capture technology.
Republicans also support efforts to expand renewable energy deployment by reducing the regulatory roadblocks that often delay projects to the point where they’re no longer economically viable. Streamlining the regulatory universe is an approach even President Trump supports.
The common denominators among the Republican efforts to address climate change are a faith in competitive free markets, American ingenuity and incentives. Call it a zero-harm approach.
There is nothing wrong with doing R&D, moving technology forward, nor protecting communities. Regardless of your belief in causation of the current warm period, climatic changes can cause issues, so, why not address them? Democrats, on the other hand, are all about Government control. Control of you, control of the economy, control of everything. And taxes and fees. Don’t forget those. One just has to look at the ‘climate change’ plans of all the Democrats running for president, and you see the extremism. The authoritarianism.
Since global warming is a hoax why are Republicans bothering with it?
And why the concern about CO2 which, according to the right, is not even involved? A trillion trees, carbon capture investments? Is the new conservative approach to unnecessarily reduce atmospheric CO2 to ameliorate global warming which is a hoax? That makes no sense.
TEACH’s source is the CEO of Canary, LLC… “We provide comprehensive oilfield drilling and production services for companies of all sizes throughout the United States.”
It’s hardly surprising that an oil company CEO prefers NOT to slow oil and gas consumption, LOL.
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.†― Upton Sinclair,
So Republicans are willing to acknowledge global warming policies just not the man-made crap but instead of extending a welcoming hand Elwood takes the true leftist stand: I want all or nothing! Do it my way or fuk you! What a partisan hack.
If the person making a statement is a CEO of an oil company he’s a hack, but if he’s a paid shill for a government program or some “activist” then his word is honest as the day is long. You’re such a douche. Everybody has an agenda Elwood how about listening to the guy who wants to do the LEAST damage to America, our economy and most importantly our Freedom? Unless your agenda really isn’t the environment but something else much more nefarious. Like communism?
“It’s difficult for a man to understand something when his salary depends on kissing government, academia and activists asses.” Key. You do realize both CEO’s and scientists/activists salary depend on their view, right? Or are you that far down the rabbit hole of corrupt partisanship you can’t see any light at all?
Trump 2020 “The best cure for global warming is technological progression not
political repression.” Another by Kye.
Kye,
Why not take the best approaches for solving the problem? Trees, carbon capture AM
AND reducing CO2 emissions?
But again, if it’s a hoax, why bother?
Because, trees are a crop that can later be harvested. Investing in the future for a healthy return on investment is a Capitalist virtue.
Professor Hale: Because, trees are a crop that can later be harvested.
That’s right. However, Trump didn’t actually commit to any specific actions. In any case, while trees are an important step, they are not sufficient, and can’t be an excuse to avoid taking other necessary steps to rein in carbon emissions.
Investing in the future for a healthy return on investment is a Capitalist virtue.
The Trillion Tree Initiative attempts to harness both private and public resources.
Again the kiddiez continue with the singular CO2 driven global warming hypothesis (which btw hasn’t been proven).
Lolgf
What problem?
“Democrats, on the other hand, are all about Government control.”
Yep, on everything.
Ingenuity and incentives are important. However, unregulated markets do not respond well to pollution threats because the costs are incurred by others.
“However, unregulated markets do not respond well to pollution threats because the costs are incurred by others.” That’s observably true but then we have no “unregulated markets”.
Good point. Again the kiddiez deal in unfounded generalizations.
Lol
Kye: That’s observably true but then we have no “unregulated marketsâ€.
That’s right! In this case, the regulation has to put the cost of carbon on the products produced by emissions. A gradual process will allow the markets to respond, developing solutions to reduce emissions while continuing to provide products to consumers.
Yet the kiddiez fail to tell us why this is needed.
Typical deflection.
Lolgf
Kye,
We’ve covered this more than once. The societal costs associated with pollution are typically pushed from the polluter to society in general. Remember reading about ‘negative externalities’ in economics? Shouldn’t the polluter be responsible for these costs? If not, we have what economists refer to as “market failure”.
Unregulated markets end up in monopolies and market failures.
Again with the false assumption that CO2 is pollution.
Lolgf Jeffery
If we turn full blown socialist and the government pays for all of this?
WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM TO PAY FOR THIS?
Huh Elwood and Zach? WHO PAYS FOR ANYTHING THE GOVERNMENT OR BUSINESSES DOES?
But don’t worry. They are going to Impeach Trump over a tweet this time. They will investigate for a couple weeks and vote and send it to the Senate. They want to keep Sanders in the senate and not out spreading his communist ideas.
Then when that fails they will impeach him again, have another couple weeks of hearings and send that one to the Senate. They will do this until Bernie loses the nomination to Bloomberg who spends 10 billion dollars of his own money to buy the White House.
And god forbid if Trump wins and the house is retaken by the GOP. Well, I think Elwood and Zach will be leading a company of Antifa Thugs and go burn down Berkley in California.
AGW is a sham, scam, and Kazaam. The gop is just reading the tea leaves and watching polls so they are breaking out old ideas that if instituted years ago would have mattered.
But DEMS and REPUBS have never been about Solutions….Fixing problems might put them out of a job.
I agree with this. If the Republicans said today we want to pass a Green New Deal that gave the Democrats everything they wanted, I truly believe the left would torpedo it by wanting more. They would start adding measures like free drugs, free housing, Illegal to work. All of course which has nothing to do with Climate change.
They do not appear to want to solve the problem because it is the one thing that keeps the people of this country divided enough to keep them getting votes on election day.
Chumpchange: WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM TO PAY FOR THIS?
Energy infrastructure has to be replaced every generation or so, so the obvious solution is to replace polluting equipment with updated equipment as the old equipment is phased out. Gradually putting the cost of emissions on the products produced with emissions will create the market incentives to reduce emissions.
Chumpchange: Well, I think Elwood and Zach will be leading a company of Antifa Thugs and go burn down Berkley in California.
Burning down cities is not nice, counterproductive, and creates pollution.
Wonderful, Elwood, you managed to stay awake in econ 101. Doesn’t change a thing about what I said. We don’t have any unregulated markets. Except perhaps the ponzi scheme called “Carbon Credits”. All that cash seems to be sucked up by leftist billionaires and leftist governments and of course, the UN.
Have you ever noticed Elwood all your leftist ideas are so fukin’ good they have to be mandatory?
Trump 2020 Let’s regulate the regulators.