See no evil:

Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican who serves on both the House Energy and Commerce and Intelligence Committees, pens an op-ed in the Washington Times. He wan't America to become independent of foreign oil and has a number of suggestions. Here's one of them:

Another step I think we need: shifting the nearly $2 billion dollars the federal government spends each year studying climate change and use those funds to take action. Let's make that investment instead in the nation's research universities that are working on alternatives like bio-mass fuels that will create renewable fuels and reduce emissions.

Two billion is peanuts compared to the overall budget (and especially the Iraq War). And what's the connection between climate change and oil independence? Those are two independent areas of policy. Why not strip money out of the CDC's budget allocated for the study of contagious diseases and "use those funds to take action" on alternative energy sources? It would make about as much sense.

Republicans have a position on climate change: They don't think it's happening. They don't want it studied. They don't want it discussed. Mostly because dealing with climate change would endanger the profits of the (oil and coal) companies that support politicians like Rogers.


posted by Quiddity at 6/06/2008 06:10:00 AM