 July 1, 2009
Dear Friend, As you read this week's WeGetIt.org Wednesday Bulletin, please be thinking of friends who would benefit from it, and then forward it to them. Thanks for your support! Cap and trade heads for the Senate Just in time for Independence Day, a 1428-page bill passed by the House of Representatives last week on a close (219-212) vote will, if it becomes law, in effect be the largest tax increase in American history. Although it doesn't directly tax most citizens, its effect, according to economic analysis by the Heritage Foundation's Center for Data Analysis, will be to
The main rationale for the bill is supposed to be reducing future global warming, but its likely impact by mid-century is only about 0.09 degree F reduction--an amount too small to detect and of no consequence to human or other ecological welfare. Supporters also argued that the bill would create jobs, but the employment loss is net--despite whatever "green jobs" are created, overall employment will be about 1.1 million less in the average year than it would have been without the bill. Supporters cited a Congressional Budget Office report saying the bill would cost the average family only about $175 per year, not $4,600, but the Heritage Foundation points out that, among other flaws, the CBO report's numbers are inconsistent, grossly underestimating costs and excluding the $9.4 trillion damage to the economy completely. Results similar to the Heritage Foundation's were reached by the National Black Chamber of Commerce and the left-leaning Brookings Institution. The bill now goes to the Senate, where a vote is anticipated this fall. Despite strong support from the House Democratic leadership, the bill was barely passed after weeks of back-room dealing and days of last-minute amendments, culminating in a 300-page amendment being added at 3:00 a.m. on the day of the vote. Supporters are likely to have even more difficulty getting it through the Senate, in part because of strong opposition in the farming community. According to environmental economist Kenneth W. Chilton, "efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions necessarily result in higher energy costs that impact 'the least among us' most harshly. The Biblical command to care for the poor and deal with them justly should give us pause as we consider policies with almost no benefit and great cost to the least of these." Old Testament lifestyle in modern times
Lost in much of the legislative debate is the effect that policies like cap and trade have on our very poorest neighbors. We would do well to remember. In one of the most poignant stories in the Old Testament (1 Kings 17:8-24 ), God sends the Prophet Elijah, endangered by wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, to live in Zarephath with a widow and her son. On arriving, Elijah finds the widow "gathering sticks" and asks her to give him water and a little bread. "As the LORD lives," the widow replies, "I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." God stretches the widow's food supply and then, when her son gets sick and dies, raises him from the dead, confirming through these miracles that Elijah is His prophet. Although most people in the wealthy West aren't aware of it, the life--and death--described in that story remains true today for hundreds of millions of women and children around the world, who spend hours every day gathering sticks or dried dung to cook their food and warm their huts. Smoke from the dirty fuels causes tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases that lead to 2 million or more premature deaths and billions of lost work hours every year--magnifying the poverty these people experience. In the absence of miracle-working prophets, these people need abundant, affordable energy to spare them from such tragedy. That's why the WeGetIt.org Declaration says, "With billions suffering in poverty, environmental policies must not further oppress the world’s poor by denying them basic needs. Instead, we must help people fulfill their God-given potential as producers and stewards." Ask your friends to join you in signing the Declaration today. What's our most important environmental challenge? Today, many environmental concerns clamor for attention and investment. Some people point to possible climate change as the greatest threat facing the planet, proposing multi-trillion dollar efforts to prevent predicted global warming. Others prefer to concentrate on addressing more immediate problems such as air and water pollution, toxic and nontoxic solid wastes, contamination of land and waterways by agricultural chemicals and wastes, deforestation, and habitat and species loss. How do we prioritize these challenges? What is the most important environmental task facing American Christians today? A study of those questions sponsored by the Institute on Religion and Democracy came to a surprising conclusion: The most important step toward improved environmental stewardship is economic development, because it enables societies to afford effective creation care. And the most important challenge to that goal? In light of widespread confusion about environmental issues, it's getting reliable information to citizens and policymakers alike. Now, please forward this message to your pastor, other Christian leaders, and friends and urge them to sign the WeGetIt.org Declaration, too! The more people sign, the stronger the message our leaders will hear that Biblical principles and factual evidence, not media hype about speculative fears like global warming, should guide our care for the environment and the poor.Gratefully, We value your privacy. If you received this from a friend, you can join the campaign at www.WeGetIt.org. This message was originally sent to [email address suppressed] because someone signed the WeGetIt.org Declaration as "fullname." Edit your name | Bulletin Archives | Unsubscribe | Inquiries |
