THE US REPORT

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) wants an investigation of a report allegedly stymied by the EPA. EPA analyst Alan Carlin submitted data contradicting the agency’s intent to classify carbon dioxide as a pollutant. Carlin is an economist rather than a scientist, but global warming alarmists have also used data from a wide range of experts to make the case for the expensive energy tax bill, also called the American Clean Energy and Security Act or Cap and Trade, passed by the US House.

Fox News said Carlin emailed his agency, declaring his comments “valid, significant” and critical to EPA’s findings. [Story continues below video]

Carlin’s supervisor responded by email, saying, “The administrator and the administration has [sic] decided to move forward on endangerment, and your comments do not help the legal or policy case for this decision…”

Inhofe is one of a small group in Congress who want both sides of the global warming/climate change/little ice age debate aired for the public. Despite EPA and other alarmist claimants’ statements, hundreds of scientists and other experts, many distinguished in their field, do not agree with calculations promoted by pitchmen like Al Gore. Carlin believes global temperatures have in fact declined over the past 11 years.

A problem for those who disagree with the bill stems from hypocrisy of those promoting the bill. Although President Barack Obama is pushing energy-friendly light bulbs, the administration has not reduced travel or placed limits on lifestyles in the White House. Nor has Congress. Nor has Al Gore, who Inhofe said would not sign a pledge stating he would not exceed the average American household in his own energy use. Many see the double standard as a perfect example of the political class retaining benefits the populace will not enjoy.

Conservatives from both parties see the Energy bill as a convenient means of taxing Americans and funding alternative energy speculators. In an Earth Day interview with Fox News, Inhofe called the scheme an “environmental Enron.”

TUSR does not believe the bill will help the environment at all. We also believe it will be difficult to get communities to accept carbon sequestration—the old ‘Not in my Backyard’ dilemma. Europe has already had problems with that in some neighborhoods. Further, we believe the bill will transfer wealth, from America to developing countries who, due to lack of infrastructure and technology, will be eager to get in on carbon credits and sequestration schemes. Many developing countries are convinced developed countries’ carbon emissions cause hurricanes and other natural disasters, despite millennia of evidence to the contrary.

Little discussion has centered on another facet of the bill—channeling funds to community organizations like ACORN. Section 264 (a) states, “The Secretary of Energy is authorized to make grants to private, nonprofit, mission-driven community development organizations including community development corporations and community development financial institutions to provide financing to businesses and projects that improve energy efficiency; identify and develop alternative, renewable, and distributed energy supplies; provide technical assistance and promote job and business opportunities for low-income residents; and increase energy conservation in low income rural and urban communities.”

The final bill pushed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) was more than 1,200 pages, with 300 pages introduced in the wee hours the day the bill was passed. Waxman hired a speed reader because so few were able to read the entire bill. Many members who voted ‘aye’ are clueless as to the scope and real consumer costs embedded in this bill. TUSR has repeatedly called for putting a stop to members' passing bills they have not even read. We question the legality of such actions. We have listed the names of members of the House who voted for this bill in a previous column.

After submitting his report, Carlin was told to “move on to other issues and subjects…until we see what EPA is going to do with climate.”

 Posted by Kay B. Day
June 30, 2009

Update on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 1:28PM by Kay B. Day

Obama's energy czar has not read the cap  and trade bill. Only "vast portions of it."

Tip of the hat to I Hate the Media blog for a fine piece of video. MUST SEE: Energy Czar is also ignorance czar.