Inglis still pushing for business solution to climate change

Former South Carolina Congressman Bob Inglis continues to lead the effort to promote a responsible business model for addressing climate change that is the biggest threat to our state’s future tourism economy.  He might have lost his re-election some years ago partially because of his willingness to tell the truth about climate change, but he has a positive attitude about it. 

“Losing an election is not the worst thing that can happen to you. Losing your soul is considerably worse,” says Inglis. 

Read the two stories below.

The Hill
May 5, 2013

Carbon tax backers quietly forge ahead

By Ben Geman - 05/05/13 06:00 AM ET

Activists are quietly forging ahead with their campaign for carbon taxes despite long odds on Capitol Hill.

Bob Inglis, a former GOP House member from South Carolina, is part of a very loose collection of policy wonks and advocates fighting to change the politics of taxing emissions.

“It’s a longer-term play here,” Inglis said.

Inglis, who launched the “Energy and Enterprise Initiative” at George Mason University last year, sees several forces converging that will enable a carbon tax to surface in a broader fiscal policy deal.

It would happen, he said, by “immaculate conception,” but not until 2015 or 2016.

Read more

Politico May 6, 2013

Bob Inglis going the distance on carbon emissions tax By: Darren Goode

Former Rep. Bob Inglis knows that his devotion to a carbon tax might have cost him his job. But the South Carolina Republican has no regrets as he dedicates his post-congressional career as well to the battle to persuade fellow conservatives to embrace a revenue-neutral carbon tax. “And really, I am the worst commercial for this, because I got my head blown off trying to do it,” he told POLITICO, sitting at a coffee shop a short walk from the Capitol. But he added, “Losing an election is not the worst thing that can happen to you. Losing your soul is considerably worse.” The controversial tax proposal has long won the backing of many economists, who say it is the simplest and purest means of reducing emissions blamed for contributing to climate change. And while it has also won tentative backing from oil giants like Shell and ExxonMobil, it’s been pilloried by many oil-state politicians and conservatives, who say it would raise energy costs and hurt fossil fuel industries.

Read more

 

Good news for the majority of Americans

I have some good news or some bad news for you.  It all depends on your political disposition.

If you are in favor of severe austerity measures to shrink the evil national budget deficit or if you believe that the Environmental Protection Agency has overused its powers to control greenhouse gasses, this is a doubly bad news day for you.

The Congressional Budget Office says that the federal budget deficit last month shrank by $25 billion compared to January of 2012.  The reason was not cutting government spending but a 15% increase in revenue from a little higher income tax on the wealthy and expiration of the payroll tax holiday.  Plus there are new restrictions on tax deductions this year.  We still will have a sizeable budget deficit in 2013 but it will be a lot lower than it has been in many years.

A new Duke University survey is out showing that 64% of the public support government (i.e. the EPA) “regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, factories and cars and requiring utilities to generate more power from ‘clean’ low-carbon sources.” However this poll has some bad news for proponents of a carbon tax to reduce carbon emissions…the public doesn’t like the idea.

So if you aren’t a climate denier or austerity proponent, you can go into the weekend smiling.