CO2, we hardly knew ‘ye

The environmental left’s preoccupation with carbon emissions has led it to support carbon taxes, behavior modification (“get people out of their gas guzzling cars and into mass transit”) and other liberty-limiting measures that would normally be anathema to them.

Its easy to see why: frame the issue as one of life and death, the proverbial “ticking bomb” scenario, and almost any action is justifiable.

The NY Times reports:

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to act for the first time to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that scientists blame for the warming of the planet, according to top Obama administration officials.

The decision, which most likely would play out in stages over a period of months, would have a profound impact on transportation, manufacturing costs and how utilities generate power. It could accelerate the progress of energy and climate change legislation in Congress and form a basis for the United States’ negotiating position at United Nations climate talks set for December in Copenhagen.

One of my predictions is that electricity costs will skyrocket by 35% or so within the next two years. As burning coal releases massive amounts of CO2, the “profound impact” the NY Times notes will mean higher costs passed on to consumers. Some analysts quoted in the Times piece contend the EPA will only be able to regulate new sources coming on line; in essence this spells the end of any future coal-powered electrical generating plants.

CNNMoney.com notes that the EPA route is not broad enough for the Obama administration:

Specifically, Obama wants an economy-wide law – instead of just some major emitting sectors – and to auction off 100% of the emission credits, which analysts say could exponentially increase the cost of emitting, as well as the pay-off for low-carbon projects.

This will affect the cost of a wide variety of products and services. Concrete prices could soar, as concrete plants are major CO2 emitters, raising costs for infrastructure as well as private projects.

Freedom is inextricably tied to economics. There is little difference between government passing a law that you cannot go out at night and government artificially making it too expensive to go out at night: your liberty is still restricted at the hand of government. Government’s heavy-handed regulation will result in less freedom for all of us.