Guest post by Ken @ Red Dot in a Red State

Climate change has a new Knight in Shining Armor – Henry Waxman (D-CA).  His 900+ page Climate Bill, also known as Cap-and-Trade or more affectionately as Cap-and-Tax, is supposed to somehow stop, and possibly reverse, Global Warming.  Waxman, and other supporters are obviously not true believers in the climate change cause, or CO₂‘s role as a root cause.

It should be plainly obvious that an energy tax will have absolutely no effect on either global atmospheric concentrations of CO₂, nor average temperatures.  Not one additional inch of arctic ice will be gained.  Snow will not magically form on Mount Kilimanjaro.  Ocean levels are not about to drop.  The money collected will have an impact on our energy consumption, but only until people discover the loopholes.  In winter, they may use their fireplaces more often.  Plans for homemade methanol and ethanol stills will receive far more hits on Google.  Sales of candles and kerosene lamps will increase.  Demand for meat will shift to cheaper cuts and more chicken will be purchased.  Overall, poverty will increase.  Not one of these things will “save the world.”  Economies shift when under pressure.  Like a bean-bag chair, pressure on one end causes a rise on the other.

_{[Read more...]}