In case you ever wonder why the debate over global warming is important, remember that the left's pushing of this notion has nothing to do with science and has everything to do with the big government expansion for which they need a rationale.
And if you want a look at the real-life effect of this agenda, you can see it right now in the form of the EPA's proposed carbon dioxide limits on new power plants. Not that liberals will listen, but the American Coal Council is doing what it can to
warn of the effects this proposal will have on energy prices and on the larger economy:
In comments to the EPA that were due on Friday, the American Coal Council said the new standards would essentially take coal off the market as a power source for new plants.
"Implementation of the rule will reduce American energy diversity and security, stop the development of cleaner coal technologies, and increase the risk of higher electricity prices to consumers and businesses,” the group said.
Separately, the Chamber of Commerce said the rules would have an effect well beyond the coal industry by leading to job losses in the broader economy.
“EPA should recognize that, beginning with this rulemaking, its greenhouse gas regulatory agenda will reverberate throughout the economy,” the Chamber wrote to EPA.
“The broader business community is increasingly concerned about the potentially enormous harm from these rules. EPA should work cooperatively to ensure all of its [greenhouse gas] regulations are cost-effective, attainable, and avoid harm to American jobs and the economy,” it said.
The new rules, which the EPA plans to put into effect in January 2015, are a key part of President Obama’s climate change initiative and are intended to reduce global warming.
Do not lose sight of the fact that Obama's EPA is attempting to do all this via executive orders, imposing new rules and making no bones about the fact that it is acting without Congress because Congress "refuses to act" or whatever. Obama believes that regardless of what the Constitution says, he has the de facto power to do whatever he wants because no one is in a position to successfully challenge his authority in court.
As a practical matter, this gives Obama the ability to take his ignorance concerning energy markets and the larger economy and codify it into public policy. Obama likes to attack coal because it's "dirty" and green activists hate it. What he either fails or doesn't care to consider is that anything you do to raise the price of fuel sources for power plants will raise the consumer price of energy overall. The plants either have to pay more for coal, which raises your fuel bill and mine, or they have to find a way to operate without coal - which of course destroys the coal industry entirely.
Then again, maybe that is the idea:
.1 percent GDP growth in the first quarter was overstated
What Obama is doing through these new EPA rules is essentially the same thing. The whole game has always been to make it economically prohibitive to operate a coal plant. He doesn't really care how that's done, as long as it's done.
And if your energy bill rises as a result, well you should know that Obama thought it was too low anyway.
Yesterday the
Wall Street Journal reported that, in all likelihood, the reported 0.1 percent GDP growth in the first quarter was overstated, and in reality the economy probably contracted. You think that's bad - and it is - wait until you see what happens when Obama's coal regulations take effect.
