Our Problems Not in the Atmosphere, But On the Earth

A delegation of 20 black mayors representing the National Conference of Black Mayors arrived in Washington, DC to lobby congress to pass legislation to promote "clean energy."

According to the delegation's press release, they want "a national plan to move their cities to become more energy efficient, reduce pollution and create new clean energy jobs and businesses."

But is black unemployment twice the national unemployment rate because of carbon emissions? Are the budgets of state and local governments running in the red because of the kind of energy Americans burn?

One visit that the delegation of black mayors did not make was to the National Black Chamber of Commerce.

There they could have discussed the study done for the NBCC by CRA International that estimates job losses to the American economy from "clean energy" initiatives - cap and trade bills passed by the House and Senate - at about 2.5 million jobs.

And, according to the National Black Chamber, because the nation's black population is concentrated in areas impacted the most by increased "clean energy" taxes and costs, the negative impact on black jobs will be even more severe.

What other result would we expect from layering several hundred billion dollars in new taxes on our economy, which is what "clean energy" bills that the black mayors want so badly would do? Why would these mayors be spending their time promoting policies so intuitively nonsensical?

Supposedly we have no choice. Three assumptions drive it all: that the earth's climate has irreversibly warmed (which will cause major problems), that this warming is caused by carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels, and that we've got to get government to intervene to get us off these fuels and onto alternatives.

The global warming nightmare is a warm fuzzy dream for those that want even more major government interference in our private lives.

And if the premises behind it were all true, we'd all agree to it.

But these premises are far from clear. The recent "climategate" scandal showed that scientists at global warming "headquarters" at the Climate Research Unit in London were suppressing serious scientific dissent regarding their assumptions and conclusions.

A new article in the prestigious journal of the Phi Beta Kappa society - American Scholar - sheds further serious doubt on "clean energy" initiatives.

The article, by a Nobel Prize winning physicist from Stanford, Robert B. Laughlin, shows that the vast time spans and complexity of the earth's geological realities are far beyond our understanding and control. Over time, the earth has gone through cycles of cooling and warming.

Dr. Laughlin concludes, "The geological record suggests that climate ought not to concern us too much when we're gazing into the energy future, not because it is unimportant, but because it's beyond our power to control."

The bottom line on "clean energy" initiatives is that the only sure things we will get are more taxes, higher costs, and more government. Guaranteed costs for benefits that are extremely questionable.

Black mayors would be better redirecting their attention from the atmosphere to realities here on earth.

The National Conference on Black Mayors is partnering with the Hip Hop Caucus as "outreach to our nation's youth."

Here's a tangible that black mayors can promote to cut black youth unemployment. Work to get rid of the minimum wage.

Following minimum wage increases of $2.10 since 2007, black youth unemployment increased 50%.

Or how about some serious efforts to promote school choice so that parents of poor kids can send their children to schools where they will get an education and graduate.