Cap-and-trade bill harmful to economy

In response to Jacob Wolff’s Sept. 3 column “Lean cuisine and climate change” we urge all members of the Duke community to contact Senator Kay Hagan about Cap and Trade. However, the Senator must know the harm to our nation this bill will produce if passed.

The “Cap and Trade” bill sets arbitrary deadlines for various levels of emission reductions. While renewable energy such as solar and wind only make up about 3 percent of emissions, the bill necessitates steep reductions in oil, coal and natural gas production. With no provisions for nuclear energy in the bill, what will make up the difference when our nation is supposed to be expanding? The bill operates on the false presumption that the state should micromanage the energy future of the country, rather than by allowing the private sector to thrive and innovate naturally.

By increasing the cost of energy via forced emission reductions, the bill is a massive across the board energy tax that will increase the cost of living for Americans.  By taxing energy, the bill is inherently a regressive tax since lower income households spend a much greater percentage of their income on energy than households with higher incomes.

Cap and Trade is a misnomer; the bill should be called Cap and Tax, because that is exactly what it will do. There are other ways to reasonably address global warming concerns without wreaking economic devastation.

Michelle Barreto

Chair, Press Committee

Duke College Republicans

Trinity ’12