In the Pipeline: 3/15/13

What about newborn babies, cow farts, and electric car batteries? Is there anything that doesn’t have an impact on the climate? At what point will you have enough control? Are we asking too many questions, your Majesty? Bloomberg (3/14/13) reports: “President Barack Obama is preparing to tell all federal agencies for the first time that they have to consider the impact on global warming before approving major projects, from pipelines to highways… The result could be significant delays for natural gas- export facilities, ports for coal sales to Asia, and even new forest roads, industry lobbyists warn… The Environmental Protection Agency and activist groups say that review should be broadened to account for the greenhouse gases emitted when exported coal is burned in power plants in Asia.”

Do these dunderheads not remember how many problems were caused by the securitization of junk mortgages? WSJ (3/14/13) reports: “The Obama administration and some on Wall Street are laying the groundwork for bundling renewable-power contracts into securities, part of an effort to make it cheaper to finance alternative energy… The initiative aims to extend to renewable energy a financial tool already used in the mortgage and credit-card industries. The securities could be sold to pension funds or other investors, who would receive a return funded by payments from users of electricity where solar panels or other equipment is installed.”

You know that feeling you get when fingernails are dragged against a chalkboard very slowly and deliberately? The Hill (3/14/13) reports: Pelosi, an avid environmentalist, said Thursday that there’s a reason the pipeline is proposed through the United States and not Canada: the Canadians don’t think it would benefit them… “I met with some legislators from Canada the other day, and I said, ‘You have two coasts, actually three,’ ” Pelosi said, pointing upwards. “‘Why aren’t you taking this oil out through your own country?’

We’ve made it really easy to fire an email over to Secretary Kerry. Send this link out to your people, people. 

The following think tank chiefs are opposed to a carbon tax. Please contact us at [email protected] if you wish to join our growing ranks. We are thinking about starting a new list – trade association heads. We fear, however, it will be pretty small.

Tom Pyle, American Energy Alliance / Institute for Energy Research
Myron Ebell, Freedom Action
Phil Kerpen, American Commitment
William O’Keefe, George C. Marshall Institute
Lawson Bader, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Andrew Quinlan, Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Tim Phillips, Americans for Prosperity
Joe Bast, Heartland Institute
David Ridenour, National Center for Public Policy Research
Michael Needham, Heritage Action for America
Tom Schatz, Citizens Against Government Waste
Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform
Sabrina Schaeffer, Independent Women’s Forum
Barrett E. Kidner, Caesar Rodney Institute
George Landrith, Frontiers of Freedom
Thomas A. Schatz, Citizens Against Government Waste
Bill Wilson, Americans for Limited Government
Wayne Brough, FreedomWorks