Subject: Urgent danger from "cap and trade" bill in the Senate (Carbon Taxes)

"Cap and Trade" is not the way

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S. 2191, the "Climate Security Act" would . . .

    * Place a cap on the level of CO2 emissions

    * Sell permits to businesses that would allow them to emit CO2 in amounts equal to the cap

    * Allow businesses to trade and/or sell these permits to each other -- allegedly creating a market to encourage innovations that would reduce CO2 emissions

    * Use the proceeds from the sale of these permits to create a vast new research bureaucracy designed to help corporations cope with the cap

As a practical matter, S. 2191 will . . .

    * Raise your electricity and gasoline bills

    * Provide politicians with new tools to control the economy, hand out favors, and punish enemies

    * Be as ineffective in doing "research" as the Energy Department has been

    * Probably (if the example of Europe is a reliable guide) have little impact on the over-all level of CO2 emissions

Even if you accept that human CO2 emissions are causing problematic global warming, a government run "cap and trade" system is not the way to deal with this problem. There is a better way. Here are some points to consider . . .

    * Fossil fuels create massive amounts of air pollution, quite apart from CO2.

    * This pollution causes health problems, none of which are reflected in the price of fossil fuels.

    * Fossil fuels enjoy a "free ride" in terms of pollution costs that make it hard for alternative sources of energy to compete.

    * Air pollution is a form of trespass, and a case can certainly be made that dealing with such trespasses is a legitimate function of government.

The federal government could do this by . . .

    * Taxing fossil fuels

    * Cutting other taxes so that your overall financial burden would remain unchanged

Your energy costs would rise, but your taxes would fall by an equal amount. Doing this would . . .

    * Eliminate the justification for a "cap and trade" boondoggle

    * Make fossil fuels reflect more of their true costs

    * Provide an incentive for everyone to reduce their use of fossil fuels

    * Make other sources of energy cost competitive

    * Limit the financial impact on you and the economy

    * Help reduce air pollution, including CO2 emissions

We know that most Americans are concerned about pollution and the environment, and for those who feel this way, a carbon tax combined with tax cuts in other areas would be a better approach. But THIS CAMPAIGN is about stopping the "cap and trade" boondoggle, because if you really care about the environment, this proposal has only symbolic value.

Please use the form below to send Congress a message opposing the so-called "Climate Security Act" and all other "cap and trade" schemes.

    * Use the information in this introductory material to craft your own, unique message. Personalized messages are worth more than form messages. We've made this as simple as possible for you, but we can't BE you.

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      The Petition

      Below is the text of the letter we will send on your behalf:

            I oppose S. 2191, the "Climate Security Act."

            [Your personal comments here]
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