There’s no in-between on this issue

August 5th, 2009 at 07:13am Jennie Pollock

That’s what BusinessRockford.com Editor Annette LaCross says: Either people are strongly for or against the so-called cap-and-trade bill.

Under the American Clean Energy and Security Act, greenhouse gas emissions from factories, refineries and power plants would be limited, lowering emissions 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates this will cost U.S. households $175 a year (while low-income households would see a $40 benefit); the EPA, anywhere from $80 to $111 on average; the Heritage Foundation, well over $1,000.

However, groups point out that energy-saving aspects of the bill could reap consumers benefits, too.

There are so many numbers floating out there; thank goodness for PolitiFact. And the Times fact sheet to understand where this whole idea came from.

Local manufacturers oppose the bill because they say it would ship jobs overseas, according to Sunday’s story.

“We have a lot of small manufacturers that supply larger manufacturers in the United States,” said Eric Anderberg, vice president of Dial Machine in Rockford, who has joined several other business leaders to lobby against the proposal.

“You think (big manufacturers) are going to stay here in this country with operations that are going to have three times the cost? They’ll move across the border to Mexico or go to China.”

You’d think environmentalists would support the bill, which passed the House but faces a Senate battle in September. But some, like Greenpeace, say it doesn’t go far enough.

Entry Filed under: Green business, In the news