This article mentions but doesn’t clarify that Environmentalist & Politicians’ seem be only ones still fighting the battle for expensive & over-regulated energy approaches.
Clean Energy is more about Politics’ & Environmental than it is about Economics – a bitter pill when current depressed & jobless state US economy is direct result of following this failed & California led example.
The extended recession and deflated boom economics make it finally necessary to explain that it IS an expensive choice to keep on this tract – US cannot have both affordable/cheap & plentiful energy and clean green & environmentally neutral energy. Both Government/EPA & Environmentalist have lied to US population for years that we can have both knowing it was not true. Most of regulation on US mfg that have closed plants or relocated them to Koyoto exempted China/India/Russia plants, have not improved the environment but instead made energy more expensive so that partially subsidized Green energy can be forced in as substitute.
As article mentions – Koyoto is almost a loss cause in 2012 as carbon markets retreat and emission offsets are shown to be EU trading scam not emission reduction tool. Koyoto Protocol has been proven to be enormous failure since none 18 signature countries have made any goals since thru 2010 and never stood chance for 2012+. The exempted “Developing Countries” are now the world leaders in pollution : China #1/Russia #5/India #7 and the flat gains…..even at extreme cost and loss of manufactured export products by “Developed Countries” remained flat on emissions. Japan, Canada have already vowed to veto new attempts 2012 unless China & India & other developed countries are made to follow same rules. Even Environmentalist have changed “Global Warming” to “Climate Change” as Real Climate Science prove the Man based drivers are untrue and exaggerated.
I wonder what people would do if you produced the gasoline/diesel cost breakdown with not just taxes but environmental regulation cost elements to show just how much more impact these have had than “Evil Oil Price Gouging & Profit Taking”. A short time when gas cleared the $3-4/gallon level Gas Stations showed tax breakout at few station pumps & were routinely put in presentations – the Refineries got lot good press from doing this. Needs go step further especially in state like California leading all regulation problems (like current Carbon Tax). We know California led : removal lead, Vapor Pressure limits, Requirement Oxygenates, Low Sulfur Fuels, removal MTBE and other regulations have California paying over $1.50/gal than rest country & whole US paying $2/gal more than without these regulations. And that it and other me-too states have created over 14 different gasoline specs that make most US gasoline unfungible/available for other regions (limit 4-6 types to stay “fungible”)
Regards