On the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009

A Note to Congress

No matter how much or how little "pollution credits" cost, for the moment they remain little more than an accounting gimmick. Pollution allowances can be sold to raise gov't money to invest in clean technologies, or given away to purchase the short-term rational loyalty of businessmen. That's all.

Carbon taxes are a good idea; progressive carbon taxes should draw from big corporate polluters, while regressive carbon taxes should draw from The People as we drive our SUVs, eat meat every day, and fill our hatchbacks with groceries of processed Agribusinessproductloaf.

I understand that the first draft of the bill would have required utilities to produce 25 percent of their power from renewable energy by 2025, but that this figure is now 20 percent. That's disappointing, but I'm o.k. with it, not knowing just what your motivations were and what was achieved by the concession.

As for the legislative process driving the current bill, "The People’s business should be done in front of the people. Instead," writes the group Public Citizen, "deals have been cut in back rooms to bribe special interests into supporting the bill."

Conservation, contraction, re-localization are far more important than renewable technology for our future.

I repeat: continuous conservation, contraction, re-localization are far more important than renewable technology. We need both, but the SCALE of our energy consumption has got to change by an order of magnitude before "renewables" can ever really matter. If you can legislate us a minimally traumatic way into that process, you are heroes indeed. May I recommend the book "A Presidential Energy Policy", by Michael Ruppert? You may find it helpful in your daunting task.

With respect and gratitude,

Dr. Jamey Hecht
http://poetrypoliticscollapse.blogspot.com