Environmental Policy Exchange - Volume 1, Issue 1

Published on Thursday, October 25, 2007
ENVIRONMENTAL EXCHANGE

Co-sponsored by the State Policy Network and the John Locke Foundation

Welcome to the SPN Environmental Policy Exchange!

I hope that you enjoy this new Exchange that will focus on timely environmental issues affecting the states. My goal is to identify issues that have broad applicability to readers and are not just of interest to individuals in one particular state. If you have story ideas, suggestions, or would like me to feature your organization's research in the Exchange, please contact me at dbakst@johnlocke.org

Daren Bakst, J.D., LL.M.
Legal & Regulatory Policy Analyst
John Locke Foundation

In the Spotlight: Center for Climate Strategies

As many SPN members may be aware, the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) is a "consulting" firm that is going to states across the country trying to establish climate change policy for those states. Below are some helpful resources that you should find helpful to learn more about CCS and their efforts.

Climate Strategies Watch (a web site highlighting the work of CCS).

From the web site:

"Do Alarmists Control Global Warming Policy in Your State?

The Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) advises states about how they can reduce global warming through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions within their borders. CCS was created by an advocacy group called the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC). Despite its prejudicial origins, CCS portrays itself as a technical advisory service organization that does not advocate for specific policies that will affect climate change. However, certain facts about CCS belie this claim and prove the group is controlled by global warming alarmists who seek solutions that will dramatically increase energy costs and raise taxes, in addition to infringing upon freedom and property rights."
See: http://www.climatestrategieswatch.com/

Beacon Hill Institute: Peer Review of The Center for Climate Strategies Cost-Benefit Methodology | October 2007
See: http://www.johnlocke.org/site-docs/CCSPeerReview.pdf

Who is the Center for Climate Strategies? | Roy Cordato, John Locke Foundation
See: http://www.carolinajournal.com/articles/display_story.html?id=4115

Research from SPN Members & Friends

Don't Drink the Kool-Aid on Water Plan | Benita M. Dodd, Georgia Public Policy Foundation
Excerpt: "If a water management plan results in uncertainty, inflexibility, over-regulation, micromanagement and time-consuming bureaucracy, taxpayers will bear the brunt as the marketplace is restricted and costs are passed on. Georgians have until the end of the month to demand a plan that holds water: a plan that is scientifically sound, economically viable, market-based, adequately funded, clearly defined and respectful of property rights."
See: http://www.gppf.org/article.asp?RT=&p=pub/Environment/waterplan071012.htm

Environmentalists on a Diet | Sebastian Wisniewski, Pacific Research Institute
This amusing blog post discusses vegetarian diets and carbon dioxide emissions. From the post, "Studies suggest that changing your diet may significantly help the environment. Vegetarians and especially vegans boast lower 'greenhouse-gas' emissions. Not per car, or house, or factory, but per person."
See: http://www.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.211/blog_detail.asp

Facts Show Electric Deregulation a Clear Success | Bill Peacock, Texas Public Policy Foundation
Excerpt: "Furthermore, the re-regulators entirely ignore the benefits of a reliable supply of electricity. Deregulation brought a construction boom in electric generation plants to Texas, resulting in unsurpassed reliability. Yes, reliability comes at a cost, but one that Texas consumers have voluntarily paid to avoid California- and New York-style blackouts."
See: http://www.texaspolicy.com/commentaries_single.php?report_id=1646

No, Fix the Roads First | Daren Bakst, John Locke Foundation
Excerpt: "North Carolina has enough transportation needs without having to use transportation funds to meet environmental and land-use goals. With thousands of bridges deemed deficient, there is a misplaced set of priorities when additional money to fix the bridges is instead diverted to enhance streetscapes, restrict motor vehicles, preserve land, enhance cultural resources, and meet other goals that have absolutely nothing to do with transportation."
See: http://www.johnlocke.org/acrobat/spotlights/spotlight_335-bridges&transit.pdf

Skeptics Help us Search for Truth | Dennis T. Avery, Heartland Institute
Excerpt: Chinese researchers recently examined their ancient historic records, which go back farther in China than in any other society. They found evidence of a warm period from the years 1 to about 240 AD (known as the Roman Warming); a cold period (the Dark Ages) from 240 to 800 AD; a warming (the Medieval Optimum) from 800 to 1400; and the Little Ice Age from 1400 to about 1920.
See: http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=22211

The Federal Scene

States Set to Sue the U.S. Over Greenhouse Gases | New York Times
See: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/nyregion/24emissions.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

BP to Pay Largest Criminal Fine Ever for Air Violations | EPA Press Release
See: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/bd4379a92ceceeac8525735900400c27/
1af659cf4ce8a7b88525737f005979be!OpenDocument

S. 2191, "America's Climate Security Act" (This is the Lieberman-Warner cap and trade bill)
Legislation: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:S.2191:
Senator Inhofe's Press Release on the Legislation:
http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=
b4f81115-802a-23ad-4e54-f0137d7a406f&Issue_id=

In the States

Energy Project Puts Focus on New Emission Control | Portland Press Herald
See: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=142808&ac=PHnws

States Call for Stricter Mercury Rules | Bangor Daily News
See: http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=155745&zoneid=500

Scientists Disagree with Media Blaming Wildfires on Global Warming | NewsBusters
See: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2007/10/25/scientists-disagree-media-
blaming-wildfires-global-warming

What the Other Side is Saying

Environmental Defense Supports Effort to Create National Conservation Banking for Endangered Species Habitat | Environmental Defense Press Release
See: http://www.environmentaldefense.org/pressrelease.cfm?contentID=7255

White House Cut Senate Testimony on Health impact of Climate Change | FindLaw
See: http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/o/51/10-24-2007/890400293100bada.html

The Effects of Climate-Change Policies on the Federal Budget and the Budgets of Low-Income Households | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
See: http://www.cbpp.org/10-24-07climate.htm

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