Glen Meakem: Junk this 'science' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The most recent scientific work on climate indicates that solar activity beyond human control is and has always been a key driver of Earth's climate; 700 scientists now publicly support this view. Recognizing the new facts, Japan, Australia and New Zealand are all taking steps to stop their efforts to reduce CO2 emissions.

It is time for President Obama and other Democrat leaders to be true to their words and put science ahead of ideology. The stakes are just too high to do otherwise. The "cap-and-trade" bill would cause severe damage to the American economy, hurting average American families.

Severe economic pain for no environmental gain makes no sense. Obama should draw inspiration from Galileo and Bacon and muster the personal courage to end the ideology-motivated nonsense.

E. THOMAS McCLANAHAN: Kill cap and trade before it kills growth - Kansas City Star

Democrats say the cap-and-trade bill passed by the House last week will accelerate the transition to an energy-efficient economy. Loads of new “green” jobs will be created in the process.

President Barack Obama says this will be a “driver of economic growth.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi boiled it down even more: “Remember these four words for what this legislation means: jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs. Let’s vote for jobs.”

We pause now for a tactful silence. No need to jeer. The argument is silly on its face, although one might reasonably wonder how anyone could seriously believe this bilge.

What’s more interesting is the change in approach. Up to now, the usual rationale for a carbon cap is that, yes, it would involve economic pain, but we have to understand that the short-term costs would be far less than the dire, long-term consequences of doing nothing about global warming.

Now we’re told there won’t be any economic pain at all. Obviously, the two arguments are contradictory. In fact, Obama’s latest tack is refuted by statements he made earlier this year, when he remarked that under his cap-and-trade plan, “electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.”