Another major corporate player has joined the Climate Action Partnership and come out in support of a national cap on carbon dioxide emissions, this time Texas-based oil giant ConocoPhillips.
The company’s support of a cap is just another example of corporate America’s growing realization that a carbon cap is coming, and that a market-based cap-and-trade system is the best way to limit emissions in the most economically beneficial way possible.
ConocoPhillips didn’t stop there, however. The company has also pledged more than 20 million dollars to Iowa State University to support its research into biofuels. Limiting carbon emissions and promoting alternative energy technologies will not happen in this country without the support of big business. The recent actions by ConocoPhillips are a huge step in the right direction.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 1st, 2007 at 8:37 am and is filed under Uncategorized . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
May 1st, 2007 at 3:57 pm
A step in the right direction? You have got to be kidding. I read an interesting book called “The Politics of Regulation” which was about the history of how regulation of business has evolved in this country. In all cases there are three steps. 1) Business fights it tooth and nail. 2) when it appears that congress will act, business does an about face and supports the effort. Further, they “help” draft the legislation. 3) Regulations are adopted so as to make it as painless as possible on the existing businesses and makes it cost prohibitive or just plain illegal for a competitor to get into the business.
Clearly we are at phase 2. I also object to the idea that we need the support of big business to promote the use of alternative fuels. This does nothing but lend truth to the notion that the country is being run by big multi-national corporations. I have been in the energy business myself and have done much research into ethanol and other energy sources. I can tell you from my personal experience that government rules are rigged to favor big corporations and discourage small businesses. This is not the American way. The fact that big business is signing on to the carbon nonsense and alternative fuels should be a cause of concern, not a sign of good news.
What is needed is a free society where entrepeneurs and small businesses can test their ideas in a free market place, where the consumer will decide what is the best.