Climate Bills Supported by Some House Republicans are Bad Policy

A group of House Republicans today released a package of bills that would provide government incentives for a program to plant trees and carbon sequestration technology.

Director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment Myron Ebell said:

“After years of receiving bad-faith political attacks from climate alarmists, some senior House Republicans today responded by introducing climate bills that are not only bad policy, but will not bring any political relief.  

“In regard to the Enhanced CO2 Sequestration Tax Credit Act: if permanent taxpayer subsidies for one commercially uncompetitive technology is a good idea, then it’s not clear why it’s not a good idea for other technologies that failed in the free market like ethanol, wind, and solar. 

“The Trillion Trees Act is particularly ill considered. It would require targets for ‘increased total domestic wood growth for the purpose of capturing and storing carbon.’ The bill would require more trees without adequate consideration of the environmental consequences. Our National Forests are in terrible shape because radical reductions in timber harvest have led to unhealthy ecosystems that are prone to disease and fire. There is an opportunity to move toward the proven methods of active forest management instead of extending the failed policies that led to catastrophic fires. The bill would then apply this new, misguided program to private lands through payments to landowners.”