Climate change bill unreasonable

Ed Dornlas, Las Vegas

Saturday, July 4, 2009 | 2:01 a.m.

Paul Krugman˙s Tuesday column in the Las Vegas Sun against global warming “deniers” reveals that the issue of global warming has long since left the area of science and is now a political or even a religious issue.

Science is never settled; it’s always open for discussion. Mr. Krugman has no interest in discussion, particularly with the many capable scientists with differing opinions.

That politics rules the issue can be seen from the mostly party-line vote on the climate change bill passed June 26 in the House of Representatives with only eight Republican votes. Even some of the proponents of the legislation don’t claim significant environmental improvement will result.

Those favoring the bill endorse intrusive regulation of Americans’ lives in ways that will make us recall with fondness the infamous low-flush toilets that environmentalists forced on us years ago.

Taxing our energy production gives a competitive advantage to nations smart enough not to commit economic suicide by taxing their energy to please the United Nations. Their advantage will cost our nation jobs at the same time new energy taxes hit our standard of living.

Why, in the middle of a recession, would our county put itself at a competitive disadvantage internationally and burden itself with complex regulations and new energy taxes for a negligible benefit? The only answer can be that it must be a matter of religion because it can’t be reason.