Energy, Climate Bill Stalled in the Senate

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If there's a silver lining, it's that this gives us the opportunity to go back to the drawing board and take a serious look at a revenue-neutral carbon tax--the alternative that the overwhelming majority of the world's leading scientists and economists agree is best. A carbon tax would benefit the environment measurably more than cap and trade, incentivize green R&D AND return the revenue to the people. It's a win for the environment, a win for the economy and a win for the American family.

ClimateTF of DC 12:55PM May 04, 2010

A climate deal presumes there are effective alternatives.
Many 'green' energy devices require rare earth elements (REE) which are monopolized by China. China in 2012 no longer will export many REEs, including neodymium, which is required to make the permanent formable magnets for windmills, electric cars, generators, hard drives, etc. But they'll sell us the finished components. So much for US job creation. To understand why ‘green’ technology is held hostage by China, read: China’s Rare Earth Elements Industry: What Can the West Learn, a report by the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security (IAGS) www.iags.org/rareeartIAGSh0310hurst.pdf.
Also, requiring 'green' devices must take into consideration the extremely toxic manner in which China mines and processes REEs (unlike how America did it). The report describes how the vast quantity of toxic chemicals get into the Yellow River, and thus into the Pacific, and how much air pollution is emitted. And we're only a few days downwind from China.
Another alternative 'green' energy product that has gone astray is ethanol. Too many politicians continue to push ethanol as a replacement or additive to gasoline, but fail to understand the economic and environmental ramifications. Read the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute report on ethanol www.opei.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/1926, and understand just how damaging ethanol is to the 300 million open cycle engines in America. Valued on average at $500, that is $1.5 trillion at risk. An MSNBC poll found that 40% of all small engine repairs were because of ethanol in the fuel, and many politicians want to raise the percentage.
Read the biofuel industry newsletter and see why many are getting out of ethanol and into other fuels that don't create such problems. But the politicians, who don't understand economics or science, continue to push it with taxpayer subsidies.
Ethanol also increases ground level ozone (according to WA State Dept of Ecology, any more than 2% ethanol means Seattle exceeds EPA ozone attainment goals).
Read the Top 20 quotes from Toyota and Honda executives criticizing plug-in battery cars www.h2carblog.com/?p=577 and see why pushing the widespread use of electric cars may backfire. These cars also require much more resources to manufacturer.
The point is, the ecopoliticians are making our situation worse, not better.
Why isn't the press covering the other side of the green equation?

randydutton of WA 5:04PM May 03, 2010