A recent presentation in Kansas revealed that fighting global warming in Kansas will be quite costly, and will harm lower-income families most.
The Wichita Eagle article Business leaders hear climate talk reports that The National Association of Manufacturers calculated that cap-and-trade proposals before Congress would cost the average Kansas family $304 per month in the form of higher prices for energy. That’s a very large penalty for Kansas families, especially low-income families, to pay to mitigate something that not all scientists agree is a problem.
Then, even if you agree that global warming is a problem, there’s very little that Kansans can do in light of global factors outside our control. As reported in KEEP’s Goal is Predetermined and Ineffectual, the rate of growth of carbon emissions in China and other countries is so large that it overwhelms any attempt by Kansans to reduce their emissions. Even a complete cessation of carbon emissions by Kansans would quickly be negated by China’s growth. And, China is not willing to take steps to mitigate their output.
$304 per month, or $3,648 per year, would be a crushing blow to the budgets of many Kansas families. This burden would be on top of many thousands of jobs lost. As reported in Kansas companies put out of business by high fuel costs, the high cost of diesel fuel has caused some trucking companies in Kansas to close, and others have reduced the number of trucks they operate. Those who think that these extra fuel and energy costs can be absorbed by families and the economy with no adverse effects are not being realistic.
For more information, view the slide presentation here. The Lieberman-Warner Cap and Trade Bill: Quick Summary and Analysis is an easy-to-read analysis of the cap-and-trade proposal.
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