This disastrous drag on the US economy has passed the House, narrowly.
The last chance to block it is in the Senate. Don’t just assume that your senator can’t be moved. Write them, evey day, to express your disapproval of a bill that even its proponents admit will make no significant difference to the climate, but which will weigh down an already struggling US economy. This is purely a “feel good” bill for the eco-pagan elites, yet it is a bill which will hurt the poor more than anyone, because they are always the first hurt by a struggling economy. The notion that only “the polluters” will pay more is risible. Prices will be higher, and costs and fees will simply be passed on to the consumers, doing the most harm to those on the tightest budgets. More subtle effects, but even more damaging to the poor, will be the jobs that will continue to move offshore, as the US becomes less competitive against other large economies that will never make such restrictions on their own producers.
Imagine a public pool that isn’t quite as perfectly clean as you’d like it to be. Now imagine about 100 people in it, splashing around, many barely staying above water, but all required to be in the water, because there is simply nowhere else to be. And now imagine throwing a 25 pound cleaning filter around the neck of one swimmer who is already struggling, a swimmer whose history is one of rescuing other swimmers, giving other swimmers short breathers while they hang on for a minute, even though you know that only an insignificant difference will be made by the 25 pound filter.
Now imagine being proud of your commitment to clean water, because you hung the filter around the neck of one swimmer. Now imagine having friends in the press who are willing to repeat your line that “it won’t really hurt the swimmer who is carrying the extra weight” as if it’s true. And imagine pretending that you’ve done a great service for the world, and being allowed to get away with it.
That’s about where we are today.
Call your senators. Then write to them, or send email at least. Then call them again. You owe it to yourself, and anyone you care about.
Flotation devices are going to be in very short supply, and very expensive.