I've Really Gotta Stop Blogging About Climate Change Policy Today But…

|

I just got a nifty press release from We Can Lead, a partnership of the Clean Economy Network, Inc., begging Congress and President Barack Obama to stay the course and impose carbon rationing on Americans for their own good. Headlined, "Over 80 U.S. Companies Call on President Obama & Congress to Enact Comprehensive Climate and Energy Legislation," the press release cites an open letter to the president and Congress that reads in part:

Today, the United States is falling behind in the global race to lead the new energy economy. American businesses recognize this challenge and have already begun to respond and innovate. We are developing new technologies, launching new companies, and introducing new business models that drive economic growth,
create new jobs and decrease our carbon footprint. However, today's uncertainty surrounding energy and climate regulation is hindering the large-scale actions that American businesses are poised to make.

We need strong policies and clear market signals that support the transition to a low-carbon economy and reward companies that innovate. With certainty, clear rules of the road, and a level playing field, US businesses will deploy capital, plan, build, innovate and compete successfully in the global marketplace.

Now who might have signed the letter? Hmmm. Just from the last column:

Julia Curtis, Director of Business Strategy and Government Relations, Solar Energy Solutions Group, Sharp Electronics Corporation; Len Shepard, CEO, Sky WindPower; Jonathan Wolfson, CEO, Solazyme; Sam Miller, President, Solstice Architecture; Scott Clark, Chief Strategy Officer, SolTherm Energy; Sunil Paul, Founder, Spring Ventures; Gary Hirschberg, CEO, Stonyfield Farm; Pat Coxon, President, SunWind Power Systems; David Bolt, President, Sustainable Future LLC; Silvia Leahu-Aluas, Owner, Sustainable Manufacturing Consulting; Ken Wilcox, CEO, SVB Financial Group/Silicon Valley Bank; Enrique Salem, President & CEO, Symantec Corporation; Jack Oswald, CEO, Syngest; Rob Williams, President, Take Action Solar & Wind; Erik Blachford, Executive Chairman, TerraPass, Inc.; Rick Brown, PhD, President, TerraVerde Renewable Partners; Jeffrey Swartz, CEO, The Timberland Company; Mathew Standish, President, TuwA; Chandra Brown, President, United Streetcar; David Cush, CEO, Virgin America; and Bill Davis, President & CEO, ze-gen

Every American has a right to petition their government, but I want to note that most of the business leaders who signed the letter have a "special interest" in having carbon rationed.