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Fisher: Cap and Trade federal legislation could be a costly proposal
State Representative Barney Fisher held an informational meeting on legislation pending in the United States Congress, HR 2454, also known as Waxman-Markey or Cap and Trade. Fisher said the bill flies in the face of science and would cause economic hardship on the people least able to absorb the cost.
Fisher said that a lot of the dialog was driven by one study, the 1995 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In preparing the study, the final revised draft had several conclusions that were omitted from the finished product and Fisher said that was because the author, Santer, had deleted them and substituted his own conclusions.
"Santer single-handedly changed it to junk science," Fisher said. "It's being used to perpetrate a hoax for the purpose of money, hundreds of billions of dollars."
Fisher said that he had studied the subject, he had several brief-ings on it and had read four books.
"I'm not a scientist but I have a good idea of what is going on," Fisher said. "This is not hard to understand if you take the time to look at it."
Fisher had a graph illustrating the temperature cycles beginning with Roman Warming Period and continuing through about 1900.
"The Roman Warming Period was much warmer than it is now," Fisher explained. "Growing seasons were longer and it was during this period that the Roman Empire was growing and expanding. In 600 A.D. there was a cooling period. Diseases were much more prevalent and the growing seasons were shorter. Around 900 A.D,. the Medieval Warming began and things were a lot better, until 1300 A.D. when the Little Ice Age arrived. It was nasty cold and the growing seasons shortened and diseases were much worse. This lasted until 1900 when things warmed up until 1940s, when it cooled until 1975. A warming trend lasted from then until 2001; and it's been cooling since then."
The IPCC put out a graph of temperatures that has come to be known as the "hockey stick" chart. It shows temperature ranges mainly flat for the same period with a sharp upturn at the end representing the 1900s, but it doesn't show the two earlier warming periods.
"They ignore the Roman Warming Period and the Medieval Warming Period," Fisher said. "They acknowledge the Little Ice Age, but then they could hardly ignore that."
Fisher listed some of the natural occurrences that affect global climate and noted there is nothing humans can do to change them: Volcanoes, solar activity, currents, and the Earth's orbit.
"What are we going to do about volcanoes?" Fisher asked. "We can't put a cork in them. What are we going to do about the sun? There's nothing we can do about it. What are we going to do about currents and the earth's orbit? Nothing. There's nothing we can do."
Fisher said that he believed global warming happened; he believed global cooling happened; but he doesn't believe man's actions have been a factor.
Fisher said. "Mankind doesn't affect climate, climate affects us."
Fisher said that the legislation seemingly is being pushed through and he fears that with Americans focused on the current health care discussions it could "sneak through while we're not looking."
Fisher spoke to a crowded roomful of people gathered at the Bowman Building in Nevada, and at one point, Fisher was asked, "What does this Cap and Trade bill do other than pour money into Washington?"
"You broke the code," Fisher said.
Fisher stressed that he doesn't want to do away with ideas for alternative energy supplies but believes there are better ways to handle the situation.
"I don't think we want to give up on alternative energy sources like E85 gas or wind or solar," Fisher said. "But I don't think we want to jump in with a bill like Waxman-Markey."
Americans like to point fingers at those they feel are responsible for a problem Fisher said but he warned against blaming the utility companies and others for price hikes brought on if the bill passes.
"When Americans get angry they want to point their finger at someone but don't point your finger at Jon (McClure, Osage Valley Electric, who attended the gathering.) Point it at Washington, where it belongs," Fisher said.
Fisher had supplied each place at the tables in the room with a 2009 District Directory.
Toward the end of his presentation he suggested using the addresses it contained to write letters.
"What to do?" Fisher asked. "Use the addresses in that book and don't just send a letter to your Missouri representatives but to everyone you think may be able to help."