It is essential to make this clear up front. Blue States are not suing “Big Oil” or introducing regressive levy on “fossil fuels” to save the planet. They want the money. Big spenders are gonna spend, and no one spends more than Democrats, but even they understand that there is a point at which – absent absolute power – they might suffer politically for their addiction to other people’s money. Taxpayers can revolt, and the wealthy have the most mobility. If they don’t like the climate, they can take their wealth and leave – and they do.
States like New York are bleeding financial and intellectual capital; as those resources wane, others must rise to fill the vacuum. Cutting waste fraud and abuse in any meaningful way is not an option, so someone has to pay. Vermont passed a carbon tax on energy to find money for big spending, but it is likely to collapse under judicial scrutiny. New York has one, too: a climate superfund. The accusation is that carbon-based energy has done them dirty, and they have a right to extract fines to offset the damage.
It, too, has been challenged in court and is destined for a fate similar to the fund in Vermont. At its simplest, no one made Vermont use fossil fuels, nor is there any accounting of the health or wealth generated by the state as a result. These are monies that would have never been collected without the productive use of fossil fuels. New York, like Vermont, “seeks to impose liability for global greenhouse gas emissions from sources well beyond Vermont’s borders.”
When Boulder County, Colorado, tried this (I think it was climate reparations), my suggestion was simple. ” Stop providing these so-called planet-killing fossil fuels to your accusers. Cut them off.”
An energy intervention. You say this is bad for you, but you can’t seem to stop yourself, so we will stop it for you. No oil, petrol, or natural gas for you.
I’ve made the same recommendation for Vermont when it tried, and I’ve got the same advice regarding New York. There is no law I know of requiring energy companies to sell their products to these places, so stop doing it.
I know the fines are a fraction of the value and profit, and you are going to win in court eventually, but where’s the social justice in that? The problem is the politicians who are virtue-signaling and will drop their charade the minute their political future is in jeopardy.
How much of that do you think there’d be if the oil ga and petrol stopped overnight? And what about all the things made with the stuff whose manufacture includes “emissions”?
Solvents – Diesel fuel – Motor Oil – Bearing Grease – Ink – Floor Wax – Ballpoint Pens – Football Cleats – Upholstery – Sweaters – Boats – Insecticides – Bicycle Tires – Sports Car Bodies – Nail Polish – Fishing lures – Dresses – Tires – Golf Bags – Perfumes – Cassettes – Dishwasher parts – Tool Boxes – Shoe Polish – Motorcycle Helmet – Caulking – Petroleum Jelly – Transparent Tape – CD Player – Faucet Washers – Antiseptics – Clothesline – Curtains – Food Preservatives – Basketballs – Soap – Vitamin Capsules – Antihistamines – Purses-shoes – Dashboards – Cortisone – Deodorant – Shoelace Aglets – Putty – Dyes – Panty Hose – Refrigerant – Percolators – Life Jackets – Rubbing Alcohol – Linings – Skis – TV Cabinets – Shag Rugs – Electrician’s Tape – Tool Racks – Car Battery Cases – Epoxy – Paint – Mops – Slacks – Insect Repellent – Oil Filters – Umbrellas – Yarn – Fertilizers – Hair Coloring – Roofing – Toilet Seats – Fishing Rods – Lipstick – Denture Adhesive – Linoleum – Ice Cube Trays – Synthetic Rubber – Speakers – Plastic Wood – Electric Blankets – Glycerin – Tennis Rackets – Rubber Cement – Fishing Boots – Dice – Nylon Rope – Candles – Trash Bags – House Paint – Water Pipes – Hand Lotion – Roller Skates – Surf Boards – Shampoo – Wheels – Paint Rollers – Shower Curtains – Guitar Strings – Luggage – Aspirin – Safety Glasses – Antifreeze – Football Helmets – Awnings – Eyeglasses – Clothes – Toothbrushes – Ice Chests – Footballs – Combs – CD’s & DVD’s – Paint Brushes – Detergents – Vaporizers – Balloons – Sun Glasses – Tents – Heart Valves – Crayons – Parachutes – Telephones – Enamel – Pillows – Dishes – Cameras – Anesthetics – Artificial Turf – Artificial limbs – Bandages – Dentures – Model Cars – Folding Doors – Hair Curlers – Cold cream – Movie film – Soft Contact lenses – Drinking Cups – Fan Belts – Car Enamel – Shaving Cream – Ammonia – Refrigerators – Golf Balls – Toothpaste – (and yes), Gasoline
These are just a few of the things that are impossible to make without fossil fuels or the burning of fossil fuels.
If only you could shut them off because that is the lesson they need and the one the people should see. They don’t care about the environment; it is all about money, and Democrats could care less how expensive your life gets in their pursuit of it.
