The Editorial Board of the NY Times is suddenly super enthused about this whole “federalism” thing, about States’ Rights and limiting the power of los federales. At least as it relates to Hotcoldwetdry
States Will Lead on Climate Change in the Trump Era
State governments will serve as an important bulwark against any attempt by President-elect Donald Trump to roll back the progress the United States has made in addressing climate change. And that’s good news for the planet.
Over the last decade or so, most states have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by promoting energy efficiency and renewable fuels. These trends should continue as clean energy costs continue to decline and, in some parts of the country, fall below the cost of dirtier fuels like coal.
Because they are utterly subsidized by government. Otherwise, wind and solar are too expensive. And they still require other energy to cover for them when they aren’t working.
Lots of complaints about what Trump might do, leading to
States could blunt much of that damage. Even now, many states will be able to meet the Clean Power Plan’s targets by following through on planned investments and increasing energy efficiency, according to M. J. Bradley and Associates, a research and consulting firm. Some populous states have set targets that are even more ambitious and appear to be on track to meet them.
Of course, energy costs and the cost of living are rising in those states. The government has more and more power of citizen’s lives.
States are also beginning to put a price on carbon emissions to increase the cost of older fuels and encourage cleaner sources of energy, which Congress has refused to do. California has a cap and trade system in which electric utilities, fuel distributors and other businesses have to buy emission permits through auctions or from one another. New York and eight other Eastern states have a similar program for power plants. And this month, Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington proposed a tax of $25 per metric ton on carbon emissions to increase education funding.
Most of those states are hemorrhaging citizens and jobs. All their costs are rising, from food to energy to clothes to what have you. And then the same idiots who vote for this want to escape and head to states that aren’t doing this.
Lawmakers, environmental groups and individuals who care about climate change ought to fight every effort to take the country backward on this issue. But it will be just as important for them to support states that are trying to advance the cause.
The interesting part is how the NY Times Editorial Board loves the notion that all these rules and regulations and laws be forced on everyone. They aren’t willing to practice what they preach without the heavy hand of Government. What’s the carbon footprint of publishing and delivering each paper copy of the Times?
But, if states want to do this, have at it. For the most part, it’ll be the cause of their own doom.
