London’s Daily Express reports this morning on what Western Tradition Partnership has been telling Americans for three years — the “green” agenda is based on an anti-scientific hoax.

The Washington Times’ Kerry Picket reports on disturbing comments made by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, in an interview with NPR (emphasis is hers.)

NPR: I’d like to return to a conversation we had last October when you were hopeful that Congress would pass a climate change bill and didn’t. Now your agency is issuing new rules and regulations doing some of the things you hoped Congress would do: limiting emissions from cars and trucks, requiring some companies to install new technologies to reduce pollution, but how do you respond to the critics who say that the EPA is overstepping its authority?

JACKSON: You know, Liane, in some ways we haven’t changed our posture. We still call for and believe that legislation is a more comprehensive, better, more efficient way to make low carbon emissions part of our economic fiber—part of our sort of fiber as a country as we grow. That hasn’t changed. And the other thing that hasn’t changed is my belief that I have a legal obligation and an obligation under the Clean Air Act to move forward with regulatory steps. Now I’ve said all along that this isn’t either or. You can’t pick legislation or regulation entirely. You have to move in a way where those two, if you have them, are consistent. So what we’ll continue to do is take regulatory steps, but they’ll be modest…each and every one, because the economy…business needs time to understand the regulations that are coming at them,  and so there won’t be any huge shocks to the system.

Picket points out the law cited by Jackson requires the EPA to regulate all sources that emit more than 250 tons of carbon a year — and with the average American emitting 20 tons of carbon himself, Jackson would be regulating from Washington virtually all apartment buildings and small businesses.  Perhaps that’s what Jackson meant when she cryptically referred to “huge shocks to the system.”

Not only is WTP leading the fight against Cap and Tax in Congress, but we’re also fighting for common sense “no regulation without representation” legislation stripping the EPA of their unchecked, unchallenged authority to destroy jobs by simply making up their own rules.

“The Obama administration has riled up environmental groups by siding with big utilities in a lawsuit over whether states can sue power plant operators for contributing to climate change,” The Wall Street Journal reports today.

“We are appalled,” David Doniger, policy director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s climate center, tells the Journal.

Has Obama finally seen the light and realized his radical green agenda is largely responsible for destroying our economy?

Not in the least.

In court filings, Obama is fighting the radical greens’ attempt to sue away America’s power plants for one simple reason — he’s already sicced the EPA on America’s employers, including power plants.

“It isn’t that the Obama administration is in favor of unfettered emissions. The Department of Justice brief, filed with the Supreme Court this week, says the Environmental Protection Agency is already on the job, and doesn’t need help from private plaintiffs,” the Journal reports.

“EPA has already begun taking actions to address carbon-dioxide emissions,” a brief filed by Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal says.

In other words, “thanks for the help destroying jobs, but Obama’s already on this one.”

Imposing billions in new energy taxes on Americans is still one of Barack Obama’s top priorities.  But even the staunchly radical green White House is dodging Americans’ heated opposition to the national energy tax.  

Washington Examiner editor Mark Tapscott has the story:

“The White House has recently revised its energy and environment website, stripping references to a cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases and a pledge to funnel $150 billion into clean energy research. Gone from the site is a section titled ‘Closing the Carbon Loophole and Cracking Down on Polluters,’” reports Energy & Environment…  

“…The trade publication cited a firm that tracks web site changes to suggest that those pages on the White House web site were likely removed sometime around June 23…  

“…The updated site also omits a pledge from President Obama to invest $150 billion in clean energy research and development over 10 years. That may be because the White House won’t have a way to fund the commitment; Obama’s 2010 budget slated $120 billion from cap-and-trade climate revenue toward clean energy technologies. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.”

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/White-House-web-site-has-a-disappearing-Cap-and-Trade-Act–101169889.html#ixzz0xTIiYy8d

Undeterred by the fact Congress will not authorize him to shut down the nation’s coal-fired power plants, as he promised to do on the campaign trail when he vowed to “bankrupt” the coal industry, Barack Obama’s EPA will begin simply making up their own rules on carbon dioxide.  On the chopping block — the power plants that supply your home with affordable energy.

“EPA is preparing to tighten restrictions on interstate air pollution from power plants under its planned ‘transport’ rule. It will open a second front when it regulates greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired generators, based on its endangerment finding on the threat posed by man-made greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,” The New York Times reports this morning.

The Obama administration is also using the lack of federal rules on so-called “greenhouse gasses” to issue their own intentionally draconian rules in a cruel bid to shut down power plants, forcing Congress to adopting jo-killing rules Americans don’t want – which isn’t much different than the Mafia torching a restaurant to bully its owners into paying protection money.

“NARUC is united that the uncertainty in Congress is hurting state regulatory commissions, and for that reason, we are supporting federal climate legislation to remove those uncertainties,” said Ron Binz, spokesman for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, a group representing bureaucrats.

Yes, bureaucrats argue the “uncertainty” of not having free reign to impose national energy taxes and “caps” on carbon dioxide is worse than the crippling economic harms, thousands of dollars per family in higher prices for good and services and as many as 5.1 million jobs lost each year.

Well, WTP has a solution.  Eliminate the “uncertainty” by making the EPA’s powers clear.  WTP supports legislation stripping the radical greens’ federally-authorized goon squad of the authority to issue their own rules.  Federal regulations affecting civilians should never be created and enforced by unelected bureaucrats, but only by a recorded, stand-alone, affirmative vote of Congress.

You want certainty?  Strip federal regulators of any authority to police carbon dioxde.  That’s the kind of certainty our economy, our jobs, our property and our freedoms can live with.

Read the full New York Times article by clicking here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 2, 2010
Contact: Donny Ferguson, donny.f@westerntradition.org or 703-200-3669

WTP challenges lawmakers to oppose lame duck energy tax plan – in writing
Written pledge faxed to every House, Senate office with Sept. 10 deadline

WASHINGTON — America’s largest grassroots advocate of property rights and sensible environmental policies has sent every member of Congress a written pledge committing them to oppose a plan by congressional leaders to use a “lame duck” session of Congress to impose a national energy tax.  Senators and representatives have until Sept. 10 to sign and return it.

“If Congress thinks Americans were angry about ‘deem and pass,’ just wait until WTP tells their constituents about the lame duck national energy tax plan.  American overwhelmingly oppose Barack Obama’s national energy tax, and they’ll hold accountable any lawmaker who goes along with plans to wait until after the election to use legislative tricks to impose one.  Any effort to impose a national energy tax during a lame duck session doesn’t just damage our economy, it damages what little trust Americans have for their lawmakers in the next few months,” said Donny Ferguson, Western Tradition Partnership Executive Director.

“Lawmakers have a duty to give their word, in writing, that they answer to their constituents and not Barack Obama’s radical green agenda,” said Ferguson.  “Between now and the lame duck session WTP will hold accountable lawmakers who refuse to return their pledge, by speaking directly to their constituents.”

WTP’s “’No Cap and Tax’ Lame Duck Pledge” was faxed to every House and Senate office beginning Friday.  Senators and representatives are asked to give their written promise to oppose proposed efforts to wait until after the November elections to impose a national energy tax plan.

The pledge reads: “I (name of lawmaker) pledge I will oppose any and all efforts to impose any form of cap, price, limit or tax on carbon or other so-called ‘greenhouse gases,’ including all procedural votes and motions, in any ‘lame duck’ session of Congress.”

Numerous experts and media outlets report Democrat leaders like Rep. Henry Waxman will take advantage of a conference committee that will hammer out differences between House and Senate energy bills to insert a national energy tax the Senate did not approve.  John Fund of The Wall Street Journal, for example, writes Obama “wants to pass a modest energy bill this summer, then add carbon taxes or regulations in a conference committee with the House, most likely during a lame-duck session.”

Supported by grassroots members, WTP is a fast-growing, grassroots-supported non-profit organization dedicated to fighting environmental extremism and promoting responsible development and management of land, water, and natural resources.  The citizens’ group educates the public and lobbies legislators on issues of environmental extremism and promotes responsible development and management of land, water, and natural resources.

For more information on WTP, go to http://www.westerntradition.org.  For more information on this issue, or to schedule an interview, contact Executive Director Donny Ferguson at 703-200-3669 or at donny.f@westerntradition.org.

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