…by shooting state in the head.
I know that the title sounds kind of… apocalyptic, but really: how else can you describe it? The short version: California’s unelected Air Resources Board has decided to cater to left-wing religious fundamentalism by arbitrarily imposing artificial and annually-diminishing limits on energy production (the so-called ‘cap-and-trade’ scheme). These limits, when mixed with eye of newt, toe of dog, and powered unicorn breath, will magically transform into the coveted and rare substance known as ‘new green jobs’ – which are just like regular jobs, except that they also heal Mother Earth, cure scrofula, and freshen your breath. Unless, of course, there’s a mocker and unbeliever in the audience who will wreck the entire process with the weight of his disbelief; fie on those detestable eco-traitors! Fie, fie!
…More seriously; why anybody out there still thinks that you can get more productive by arbitrarily taking energy out of a system is beyond me completely. I’m also grimly aware that the idiots on the California Air Resources Board are all there because the soon-to-be-gone Republican* governor put them there. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that we’re going to see very, very quickly whether or not the Democratic governor coming in to replace him is going to be able to do any better.
Outcome… dubious.
Via Hot Air and Blue Collar Philosophy.
Moe Lane
*Nah, we got to start owning these guys. Calling ’em ‘RiNOs’ simply means that we’re pretending that we have no control over the process that puts ’em there; if you want comforting envelopes of self-delusion and impotence go try the Democratic party.
CARB’s objective, to reduce California emissions to 1990’s levels by 2020, is already well on the way to being accomplished. The first step is to reduce California employment levels to 1990 levels. This step is now well on the way to being fully achieved. The just released cap & tax scheme will in fact likely propel employment levels even beyond, to 1980’s levels or better.