First cap and trade and now blocking renewable energy - are Republicans becoming the UnGreen Party?

Question

With gas prices now averaging a record $4.04 a gallon in the United States, the Senate voted on two bills Tuesday that would have revoked tax breaks for Big Oil and extended tax credits to renewable energy. Proponents of the two measures touted them as vital for consumer relief and transition to new energy sources, but both measures failed to muster the 60 votes needed to proceed.

The first vote, on the Consumer First Energy Act, fell short of cloture by a vote of 51-43. The second, on the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008, failed by a vote of 50-44. Both votes fell largely along party lines.

Trade organizations that represent renewable-energy firms on the Hill say they're already seeing a slowing of growth in the sector because companies are hesitant to start new projects without the assurance that these credits will be available.

http://gristmill.grist.org/tag/Muckraker/

With Senate Republicans now blocking renewable energy, are they becoming the UnGreens?

Answer 1

We have been for quite some time now. Always pro pocket book. What ever fills it is more important than the consequences. Us centrist conservatives don`t have a fighting chance against the bulldogs.

Answer 2

I thought they always were.

Answer 3

What is truly sad is how many people have such poor understanding on how business works.  Maybe we should limit the debate to people who only have advanced degrees in business management or economics.

Answer 4

So let me get this straight, you think increasing the already exorbitantly high tax rate on oil companies will lower energy prices?  Are you aware they already pay about 42% in taxes?  And on top of that re-invest BILLIONS into exploration, drilling and processing of more reserves.   And then you criticize some politicians who actually have some common sense to see this will do nothing more than hinder the economy at an astronomical cost?  Not to mention, there are already mandates that exist forcing oil companies to produce ethanol and other renewable resources when they would otherwise be producing oil, thus driving up the cost.  These mandates exist from Spring to Fall and are part of the reason (along with higher demand) why fuel prices increase as much as they do during the summer months.  But you want to force these companies to allocate funds to something that isn't as profitable or economically feasible which will drive down the cost . . .

Answer 5

it still fails to respond to the real challenge.  the windfall tax issue was a farce and was just as stupid and Clinton's and McCain tax holiday!

The federal government has the right to regulate an industry!  the reality is our defense and security, as well as our economic lively hoods are dependent on oil.  not only are we paying the $4.04 but so is our military, so are government vehicles.  When gas prices were say 3.15 just a year ago, the increase has to be cutting programs from other areas/programs.

Answer 6

If they want to reduce oil and gasoline prices, they should be grilling Ben Bernanke, not the CEOs of companies whose per-gallon profits have increased by pennies.

http://mises.org/story/2999

They should also be focused on the supply side of the equation.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12045938...

But let's be clear, this is primarily an issue of money and credit.     A better question would be, first there was the NASDAQ, then there was natural gas and electricity, then there was oil, then there was metals, then there was real estate, now there is oil again, when will anyone, from Congress to the President to the rest of us, view asset bubbles as being the result of an oversupply of credit?

Answer 7

From the perspective of us here in the UK the Republicans have always been the UnGreens.  At least since "Green" became important in the minds of mainstream voters.

The only thing that will make the republicans green is the prospect of losing power.  For example, they accept AGW now, don't they?

I think that in 20 or 30 years, as environmental issues become more serious, they will be much greener than the democrats are today!  If not, they will be on the sidelines of American and World politics.

Answer 8

Yeah, they're the anti-greens and always have been.  Except for maybe Teddy Roosevelt.

Come November we are going to see a landslide of historic proportions.

Lets hope the Dems keep their heads and don't blow a historic opportunity.

We subsidize everything under the sun, except for the stuff that matters.  If we took subsidies away from oil, airlines, highways and agriculture and let the "free market" work, suddenly alternative energy and local economies would look very attractive.

edit:

I wish they would have let some first graders in on the Bush-Cheney energy bill.  They probably would have done a better job.  Lord knows they wouldn't let anyone else look at it.

http://www.citizen.org/cmep/energy_envir...

Answer 9

Democrats have become the red party.  Marx must be sitting up in his coffin and applauding.

The abysmal ignorance of those that think "revoking tax breaks " for oil companies is any kind of solution is mind boggling.  It is empty rhetoric fitting of the likes of Kerry or Obama.  It reveals nothing but first grade knowledge of economics and I am sorry to insult first graders by that comparison.

Answer 10

I agree with Randall E

And this is the problem with global warming, Politics.

Answer 11

Taxing and regulating oil is not the answer.  A tax is a punishment.  Should we punish a company for producing more gasoline when we want gasoline?  The tax has nothing to do with the environment.

Secondly Renewable energy is not necessarily environmentally friendly.  (I love renewable energy, and think we need to invest more).  1 gallon of ethanol will produce roughly 1.6 times the Hydrocarbons, NOx, SOx, CO, etc as a regular gasoline on a HP to HP comparison.  Stop drinking the cool aid.  If you are an environmentalist you should be neutral to renewable energy, at least the biofuels.

Randell EE two thumbs up from me.

I told people why cutting tates were stupid and no-one understands.

Answer 12

No, the bill throws American tax dollars away to the third world. Investing in the development of renewables domestically is one thing but throwing millions of taxpayers dollars away to the third world is not a very sound decision that any elected official should support.