Dear Editor:
Over the climate debate one of the memes that kept popping up was: "If global warming isn't real and we enact these policies what is the harm?" That was followed by a list of pollution and health benefits that have nothing to do with CO2. Now we are seeing what the harm really is. A report in Newsmax explains that in New England, due to the reduction in coal use and an increase in natural gas by 50 percent, plus activists blocking the construction of new natural gas pipelines, have caused an explosion in natural gas prices.
Supply and demand affects price. With limited supply and increase demand means an increase in price. Natural gas prices on Jan. 3 rose almost 90 percent from the prior day, and that is about 1,200 percent higher than in early December. To make matters worse power companies are switching to burning heating oil to keep the limited supply of natural gas to heat homes and businesses. What's the problem? Well, thanks to alarmists, Massachusetts passed "The Global Warming Solutions Act, mandating a total reduction of CO2 emissions, which means the oil-fired units in Massachusetts will have to shut down to meet the requirements placing more stress on the electric supply. Add to this nuclear, oil and coal plants that have closed and are set to close reducing the availability of energy in the area that renewables can't fill.
Just think how much worse this would be if climate alarmists had gotten their way and imposed a progressive carbon tax starting at 18 percent and increasing each year. This would put an increased hardship on the poorest among us especially the elderly and single parents with children. A normal January averages around 7,000 deaths per day, imagine what it will be like now and how much worse after the tax.
Do we really want more irresponsible policies that put American's at risk for a concept whose predictions aren't coming true? The excuse we are hearing from the climate alarmist community is that the heat is causing the cold winters and the oceans aren't rising because they are now so heavy they are sinking. Seriously, I know they think the general public is stupid but, sorry, we're not that stupid. People are dying, wake up and stop the madness call and write your congressperson demanding they nullify these harmful anti-global warming policies today.