1. Cap and Trade will actually increase global carbon emissions in the long run because it will force some companies who cannot afford the high tariff, to move to countries where there is no tariff and where the environmental laws are lax in comparison to our own (i.e. India and China). This alone will further contribute to the destruction of our environment. Greenpeace is even against Cap and Trade, and stated in June 2009 that "it is not science-based and benefits polluters."
2. Politicians here in the states want to enforce Cap and Trade regulations on foreign countries such as China and India, but this is very unrealistic. China has just become an emerging market in the global economy and there is no chance that they will slow that down anytime soon by imposing these laws on their companies. India on the other hand, is an extremely impoverished country with a very low GDP and it would be ridiculous, foolish and unrealistic to believe they will actually enforce Cap and Trade laws on their companies.
3. If by some miracle, China and India agree to follow through on Cap and Trade, Airbus and European car companies will make tons of profit off of this because the European Union has not and will not follow suit. We are not connected to them financially and so they have no reason to ever do so. Coercion of one group of people ultimately just helps another group of people get ahead, at our expense and our environments expense. Experts agree that the only way Cap and Trade will work is if the entire international community embraces it, and this clearly is not the case.
4. Even if the impossible happens and the international community does decide to embrace Cap and Trade, the benefits will be minimal but the destruction it will leave on our economy will be significant. According to the Heritage Foundation, Cap and Trade at its best will only cause a "0.05 degree Celsius reduction in temperature by 2050 but would cost an average 844,000 jobs every year and a loss of $7.4 trillion in GDP through 2035. Click on the graph to the side to see this visually. Want further proof of the destructiveness of Cap and Trade legislation? Take a look at what kind of effect it has had on Spain, where they have an 18% unemployment rate and 2.2 jobs are lost for every "green job" created. Cap and Trade on Spanish businesses has virtually destroyed Spain's economy while having no effect on their environment.
Minimal, if not any, environmental benefits at the expense of our already suffering economy does not sound like a very bright idea to me. What do you think?
What Cap and Trade has done to Spain-PLEASE READ THIS ARTICLE!!!
Greenpeace Opposes Cap and Trade-Article
