by Richard Morrison
October 29, 2009
1. ENVIRONMENT
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds a
hearing on proposed climate
legislation.
CEI Expert Available
to Comment: Senior Fellow Iain
Murray on why we shouldn’t be adopting
the same climate policies as Europe:
“The cap-and-tax plan imposed in Europe has so far cost
Europe $171 billion and not led to much if any emissions reductions. Instead,
what European and American lawmakers should do is pursue other avenues than
emissions reduction. Adaptation, scientific research and building
resiliency in developing nations are all more promising approaches.”
2. TECHNOLOGY
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduces a bill into the
house to block implementation
of net neutrality regulations.
CEI Expert Available
to Comment: Associate Director of Technology Policy Ryan
Radia on why net neutrality rules would depress investment and reduce competition:
“Competing Internet providers shouldn’t have to get
permission from the FCC to manage their networks. No number of ‘brilliant
engineers’ can formulate a single universal framework for distinguishing
between reasonable and unreasonable network management. This knowledge is
dispersed across millions of participants in the online ecosystem.
Decentralized experimentation – trial and error – is best able to synthesize
varying consumer preferences and economic interests. Empowering government to
dictate network management would make the Internet vulnerable to political
manipulation and enable narrow fringe constituencies to wield destructive power
over private networks.”
3. POLITICS
The House Committee on Energy Independence and Global
Warming holds a hearing on
lobbying efforts surrounding global warming legislation.
CEI Expert Available
to Comment: Senior Fellow Christophe C. Horner on
how advocates of cap and trade legislation have perfected the “Astoturf”
lobbying campaign:
“Last year Business Week wrote
about…Exelon’s $15 million effort to convince ratepayers to agree to pay more
for energy, calling the campaign the ‘gold standard in Astroturf organizing.’
Exelon is of course again in the news of late for leading a campaign, sold by
public affairs professionals as an exodus from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
based upon environmental principle but which, upon scrutiny, is a collection of
largely ‘rent-seeking’ companies standing to make as much as one billion
dollars per year on the backs of ratepayers from cap-and-trade according to
media reports.”
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