Wednesday, April 22, 2009

EARTH DAY 2009


From Rasmussen Reports:
Only 31% Believe Americans Environmentally Aware
Wednesday is Earth Day, a day first celebrated 39 years ago to inspire awareness and appreciation of the environment. But, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey, only 31% of American adults believe their fellow countrymen are environmentally aware.

Fifty-three percent (53%) say most Americans are not environmentally aware. Adults under the age of 40 believe this more strongly than their elders.

Seventy-two percent (72%) of Americans think individuals can improve the environment by their actions, and just 15% disagree.

Seventy-four percent (74%) of both Democrats and voters not affiliated with either major party say individuals can improve the environment, compared to 67% of Republicans.

In a separate survey, just 34% of U.S. voters now think global warming is caused by human activity, the lowest finding yet in Rasmussen Reports national surveying. The Obama administration's proposed anti-global warming efforts are predicated on reducing human causes for the problem.
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Americans rate Earth Day as at least somewhat important, including 28% for whom it is Very Important. Women (64%) deem the day more important than men (50%). Thirty-five percent (35%) of all adults say the day is not very or not at all important.

Yet while most Americans value Earth Day, just 21% plan to do something special to celebrate Earth Day. Sixty-eight percent (68%) have no such plans. Younger adults are more likely to celebrate it than older Americans.

The Earth Day findings are largely unchanged from a survey a year ago.

Most (51%) adults are aware that Earth Day takes place in April, although one third (34%) aren't sure when it is. Seven percent (7%) thought it was in July, five percent (5%) thought October and four percent (4%) said January.

Recycling is one way individuals can make a difference in the environment. A separate Rasmussen Reports survey found that 70% of American families now say they recycle.
HERE IS OBAMA SAYING, "Energy prices will “necessarily skyrocket under my cap and trade plan”:



CLICK HERE TO SEE OBAMA TALKING ABOUT CAP & TRADE

The Waxman-Markey Climate Legislation: Higher Energy Prices, Fewer Jobs, and More Government Intrusion

STATUS

On March 31, 2009, House Energy and Commerce Chairman Waxman (D-CA) and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Markey (D-MA) released their draft "American Clean Energy and Security" legislation.

Both Chairman Waxman and Chairman Markey plan on considering their bill in Committee over the next few weeks.

Under my plan of a cap and trade system electricity
rates would necessarily skyrocket ... that will cost money.
They will pass that money on to consumers ... -President Barack Obama, Meeting with the Editorial Board at the San Francisco Chronicle, January, 2008


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Just shy of 650 pages, the Waxman-Markey bill contains four sections outlining mandates for renewable energy, mandates for energy efficiency, an incomplete cap-and-tax proposal, and a "transitioning" section focused on forestalling expected job loss. With regard to the cap-and-tax proposal in the bill, there are no specifics on how CO2 emissions allowances would be allocated to energy producers-in other words, will they be free or auctioned, and at what price.

Therefore, the bill provides little for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to use to calculate its economic impact. However, in contrast to the details which are conveniently left out of the bill, there are plenty of details on how the plan
increases energy prices, strains the economy, reduces jobs, and intrudes into
private citizens lives.



- Higher Energy Prices: The bill imposes a national cap-and-tax regime that will tax every domestic energy producer for their carbon emissions-a tax which will inevitably be passed onto consumers. Independent researchers, CBO, and the President all agree that this cost will be passed to consumers. Furthermore, other provisions in the bill also increase the cost of energy, such as a new federal renewable electricity standard that will likely cause electricity prices to spike.

- Fewer Jobs: The bill does little to address the enormous loss of jobs that will ensue when U.S. industries absorb the cost of the cap-and-tax plan and other provisions, likely sending millions of American jobs overseas. In addition, the bill mandates undeveloped technologies for coal-fired plants, causing coal-fired plants to close when they cannot comply with federal regulation.

- More Government Intrusion: The bill creates a host of new federal mandates on everything from outdoor light bulbs and table lamps to water dispensers, commercial hot food cabinets, and Jacuzzis. The bill would also increase the demand for electricity (to fuel vehicles via new transportation mandates) at the same time as the other portions of the bill cause consumer electricity costs to spike.

Fuzzy Math

According to an MIT study, cap and trade could cost the average household more than $3,900 per year. by John McCormack 04/22/2009 12:00:00 AM


It's just another inconvenient truth: If Americans want any of the government remedies that would supposedly save a planet allegedly imperiled by global warming, it's going to cost them.

Just how much it will cost them has been a point of contention lately. Many congressional Republicans, including members of the GOP leadership, have claimed that the plan to limit carbon emissions through
cap and trade would cost the average household more than $3,100 per year. According to an MIT study, between 2015 and 2050 cap and trade would annually raise an average of $366 billion in revenues (divided by 117 million households equals $3,128 per household, the Republicans reckon).

A Funny Earth Day Video:




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