Big Business Pushes Bush On Carbon Caps

(CBS/AP)  An unusual coalition of some of the country's top corporate earners and several environmental groups has called on President Bush to enact mandatory reductions in carbon emissions to combat global warming.

Caterpillar Inc. and other U.S. manufacturers could lose business to foreign competitors if the Bush administration fails to enact the reductions in pollution, the Peoria-based company said Monday.

Caterpillar, the world's largest construction equipment maker, joined nine other major U.S. corporations that urged President Bush on Monday to support national emissions guidelines that would trim greenhouse gas emissions by at least 60 percent by 2050.

Jim Owens, Caterpillar's chairman and CEO, says national reduction targets would avert a "patchwork" of potentially costly and conflicting state regulations that could hurt U.S. manufacturers amid growing competition for global sales.

"We felt it was better to be in the formative stages of this legislation and have a constructive voice. ... You could cost yourself out of the market if you aren't careful," Owens said in a telephone interview after the proposal was unveiled at a Washington news conference.

The group, called the U.S. Climate Action Partnership or USCAP, is made up of chief executives of Alcoa, BP America, Caterpillar, Duke Energy, DuPont, FPL Group, General Electric, Lehman Brothers, PG&E, and PNM Resources, along with four leading non-governmental organizations — Environmental Defense, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pew Center on Global Climate Change, and World Resources Institute.

Owens said corporations can help provide innovative solutions that will improve both the environment and energy efficiency, while also protecting U.S. trade and the nation's economy.

"If we go to the sidelines and leave all of this to partisan politics, the stronger environmental groups will drive legislation which is incompatible with policies we need to support manufacturing in the global marketplace," Owens said.

In a letter to the president, the executives urged Congress to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent below today's levels within a decade and at least 60 percent by 2050.

"The time has come for constructive action that draws strength equally from business, government, and non-governmental stakeholders," said Jeff Immelt, Chairman and CEO of General Electric. "These recommendations should catalyze legislative action that encourages innovation and fosters economic growth while enhancing energy security and balance of trade, ensuring U.S. leadership on an issue of significance to our country and the world."

President Bush is expected to focus on domestic issues, including the environment, in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night.

But he has refused in the past to enact legislation that would impose mandatory caps on carbon emissions, claiming the move would hurt American business. White House spokesman Tony Snow said recently that Tuesday's speech will not change that stance.

The European Union and a coalition of Southeast Asian countries have signed onto legislation in the past couple of months imposing regional carbon emissions caps.

[Syndicate]

December 06, 2006 --
Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that Spectrolab, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, has achieved a new world record in terrestrial concentrator solar cell efficiency. Using concentrated sunlight, Spectrolab demonstrated the ability of a photovoltaic cell to convert 40.7 percent of the sun%u2019s energy into electricity. The U.S. Department of Energy%u2019s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo., verified the milestone.

I don't think boeing will bow to the oil companies
After all they build missle systems.

[knowsbull]

The sun increases and decreases brightness every 220 yrs. Real science. Look to fossil records. Every one believed Y2K. It was a hoax as well. I am not a neocon. I really am a classical liberal that does not fall prey to this sort of nonsense. Greenhouse gases at best contribute only 1 to 2 % of the warming. Volcanoes have more influence. Fusion will be held back until there is no oil left. Money talks.... bio is big business. The Maunder minimum is real. Get out your blankets, 2020 is right around the corner. When the ice melts the oceans will become more dilute. Algae will go crazy. Goodbye carbon dioxide. Hello Oxygen.

Why do you resort to name calling ? This is national no-name calling week.

[rf35]

This is happening in the automotive industry. Japan is busy producing hybrid cars and the US is buying. Ford and GM are now playing catch-up as they noticed these were making a dent in their profits. I applaud the businesses that are pushing for emission reduction laws. I only hope the government will hear and respond. It does seem to respond well when money starts talking. Personally, I think fusion research holds the best hope for future large-scale energy production. Hydrogen fuel-cell technology looks good for cars if the cost can be brought under control. Realistically, I think humanity is pretty thoroughly screwed. Neocons like %u201Cknowsbull%u201D have worked too long and hard to try and play global warming and its causes off as a hoax or %u201Cvoodoo science.%u201D We are starting to see the truth, but is it too late? Only time will tell. Thank goodness I decided against having kids%u2026the world we would leave them may be unsustainable.

[rf35]

OK, the sun is indeed getting hotter. In about 4.5 billion years, it will be enough to have an effect on Earth%u2019s climate. Until then, greenhouse gas emissions are the reason for global warming. This is not in dispute (by reputable scientists). The Maunder Minimum is a period of decreased sunspot activity. Its effect on the climate is arguable at best. Where did you get the idea that the people warning us about global warming stand to make vast amounts of money on it? This is the first I%u2019ve heard of it. Big oil stands to LOSE vast amounts of money if fossil fuel use declines significantly. It seems that other big corporations are waking up to the fact that a change is necessary. Most American energy production companies are too short-sighted to realize that after a large investment in infrastructure change, which will bring a few years of red ink on the bottom line, their long-term profits will be helped by switching to non-polluting sources. Seems some companies are starting to realize that if they don%u2019t start trying to make some kind of change, foreign corporations that DO make the transition to cleaner energy will be pushing them to the wayside.

[knowsbull]

I'm self-employed with no oil or energy involvement. I was coming on strong because listening to others trying to make big money and gain power by pushing a hoax really gets my goat. I never said global warming doesn't exist, rather I was informing you that it is not caused by carbon dioxide. It's the sun. Greenland was named that because it once was, even though that was used to get people there. The temperature on earth varies. Read about the maunder minimum.

Neocon has also been used as code for jew. I was wondering if you were being racist.

[macusweil]

Gee, 'knows' sorry to offend .. you were coming on pretty strong with that other chap yourself. Tell me you don't work for one of the big energy corps or their lobby/marketing?

"what is you definition of neocon?"

Main Entry: neo.con (ser.va.tive)
Pronunciation: 'nE-O-k&n
Function: noun or adjective
1 a : of or relating to a person or strategy of pretending
to follow traditional conservatism with little or no true interest
in such philosophy simply for person, political or economic gain.

[macusweil]

"what is you definition of neocon?"

Main Entry: neo.con (ser.va.tive)
Pronunciation: 'nE-O-k&n
Function: noun or adjective
1 a : of or relating to a person or strategy of pretending to follow traditional conservatism with little or no true interest in such philosophy simply for person, political or economic gain.

[macusweil]

Gee sorry to offend. Tell me you don't work for one of the big energy corps or their lobby/marketing?

"what is you definition of neocon?"

Main Entry: neo.con (ser.va.tive)
Pronunciation: 'nE-O-k&n
Function: noun or adjective
1 a : of or relating to a person or strategy of pretending to follow traditional conservatism with little or no true interest in such philosophy simply for person, political or economic gain.

[macusweil]

Gee, 'knows' sorry to offend .. you were coming on pretty strong with that other chap yourself. Tell me you don't work for one of the big energy corps or their lobby/marketing?

"what is you definition of neocon ?"

Main Entry: neo7con (ser7va7tive)
Pronunciation: 'nE-O-k&n
Function: noun or adjective
1 a : of or relating to a person or strategy of pretending to follow traditional conservatism with little or no true interest in such philosophy simply for person, political or economic gain.

[macusweil]

Gee, 'knows' sorry to offend .. you were coming on pretty strong with that other chap yourself. Tell me you don't work for one of the big energy corps or their lobby/marketing?

"what is you definition of neocon ?"

Main Entry: neo7con (ser7va7tive)
Pronunciation: 'nE-O-k&n
Function: noun or adjective
1 a : of or relating to a person or strategy of pretending to follow traditional conservatism with little or no true interest in such philosophy simply for person, political or economic gain.