Nearly all of Washington—Democrats, the press, lobbyists—is taking a victory lap with Senate passage of the Schumer-Manchin tax, climate, and drug price control bill.
The climate lobby is especially thrilled, claiming a historic victory that will reduce temperatures, hold back the rising sea, and save the planet. [bold, links added]
Or, maybe not. Our contributor Bjorn Lomborg looked at the Rhodium Group estimate for CO2 emissions reductions from Schumer-Manchin policies.
He then plugged them into the United Nations climate model to measure the impact on global temperature by 2100.
He finds the bill will reduce the estimated global temperature rise at the end of this century by all of 0.028 degrees Fahrenheit in the optimistic case.
In the pessimistic case, the temperature difference will be 0.0009 degrees Fahrenheit.
In other words, the climate provisions in this ballyhooed legislation will have no notable impact on the climate.
This isn’t surprising. No matter what the U.S. does to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, it will be dwarfed by what the rest of the world does.
China, India, and Africa aren’t about to stop burning fossil fuels as they develop, and China is sprinting ahead to build huge new coal capacity despite its pledge to start reducing emissions after 2030.
Barring a breakthrough in battery or other technology, carbon emissions will continue to increase.
No one knows how much the Earth’s temperature will warm, though even the U.N. model has modified its estimates from the apocalyptic predictions of some years ago.
Schumer-Manchin won’t reduce inflation, won’t reduce the budget deficit, and it won’t reduce the world’s temperature.
What it will do is transfer some $369 billion from taxpayers and drug companies to the pockets of green energy businesses and investors.
It will tighten the hold that politicians have on the allocation of capital, as they pick winners and losers with their grants and tax credits.
Everyone will get a nice warm feeling as they pretend they are cooling the climate.
h/t Steve B.
Read more at WSJ
There is an error in using the United Nations climate model to measure the impact on global temperature by 2100. The UN model assumes that carbon dioxide is controlling the Earth’s temperature. Empirical evidence shows that this in not the case. Examples are 1910 to 1941 and the pause at the beginning of this century. With carbon dioxide having little or no impact on temperature, even a temperature difference of 0.0009 degrees Fahrenheit as a result of the ‘Build Back Broke’ bill is an over statement.
Exactly. All while the indoctrinated generation and duped mainstream media bow and scrape in obeisance to their climate cult. And the rest of us get to pay for it. The environment Schumer et al pretend to love? He has no idea it’s made of the stuff he imagines is pollution – CO2. No idea that the most important chemistry in the environment is photosynthesis. Which IS the chemistry that paints the environment green. Which IS how the environment becomes the carbon based web it is. Which provides our living environment ALL of its carbon structure. All of its energy. And provides every molecule of the 20% oxygen in our atmosphere. While obeisant politicians and incompetent grade school teachers indoctrinate another generation in the climate cult. The most important two ingredients in life on earth – the environment – are CO2 and H2O. When we use fossil fuels what two most important molecules are recycled back to make life greener? CO2 and H2O. Greenhouse growers know that we live in starvation level lows of arguably the most important molecule for life on earth – CO2. Its called the science of the CO2 fertilization effect. While politicians and mainstream media pretend that a little more CO2 isn’t the best contribution human beings have ever made to the environment. And for food production as well.
Don’t forget chlorophyll and the sun.
And don’t, for a moment, think that “they” care about us. Once the election is over the abuse resumes. Their prosperity supersedes ours. It is so obvious. How many people have stopped voting because they sense the futility? Political corruption is out in the open like I’ve never seen. Blatant lies are bleated out by the media who openly identify as liberal, damn the glaring hypocrisy. Losing the next election isn’t punishment enough.
Well, we better hope the electorate goes out & sends a powerful message that this progressive agenda is NOT the direction we want the U.S to head. Otherwise, I’m beginning to have serious doubts about the quality of life, potential for liberty and ANY pursuit of happiness in our Republic…