KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana"Cap and Trade" opposed by SW La. Business and Industry
By Theresa Schmidt - bio | email
LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - The petrochemical industries are the backbone of our local economy... And many say, a proposed bill on capitol hill, could have a long term negative impact on those big industries.
It's called the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, and it's meant to reduce green-house gases and prompt development of renewable energy.
But at the heart of the bill is a "Cap and Trade" system for limiting emissions in which companies would buy and sell credits to meet emissions limits of greenhouse gases. Some call it a big tax on big industrial companies.One version has already passed the House and it's expected to soon come up for a vote in the U.S. Senate... Those on both sides predict disaster if the opposition wins.
Reducing greenhouse gases is a priority for President Obama as well as environmental groups like the Apollo Alliance for Clean Energy-- headed by Lake area environmentalist Jerome Ringo, who testified before a senate committee this week in support of the bill. "The cap and trade legislation is not going to cost jobs, it's going to create jobs. It's going to give industries an opportunity to expand their energy portfolio that can create jobs that can put people back to work again that have been laid off, but most importantly curb the impact of CO2 to the atmosphere that is contributing to global warming."
However, opponents of the bill call it an energy tax bill that will impose dramatically higher energy taxes and fail to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Dan Borne' of the Louisiana Chemical Association says the industries so key to Louisiana's economy are in peril. "Whether the earth is warming or not, whether the climate change is being influenced one way or the other, in the public policy debate, the political majority at least seems to think we need a major piece of legislation. The result of that is going to be increased cost for utilities no matter how you cut it and of course I think American manufacturing will also see an increase." And Borne says you have to compare the jobs created to those eliminated.
Opponents includes 7th District Congressman Charles Boustany who calls "Cap and Trade" a new dramatically higher energy tax; and the Chamber Southwest for fear it would harm the oil and gas industries and impose higher prices on consumers.
For help sorting out the pros and cons of the cap and trade bill we're providing a number of links on both sides of the debate.
http://www.politico.com/arena/perm/Cal_Dooley_80103003-1BDA-44C1-99CE-47506D87C9B7.html
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