Greenpeace: Koch front groups ALEC and AFP attack RGGI, Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

[highplainsdem]

And according to Greenpeace ALEC and AFP are even threatening to oppose any presidential bid by NJ Gov. Christie if he doesn't issue an executive order yanking the state out of RGGI.

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/polluterwatch/koch-industries/CASE-STUDY-Koch-Front-Groups-Attack-RGGI--the-Northeast-Regional-Greenhouse-Gas-Initiative/

CASE STUDY: Koch Front Groups Attack RGGI – the Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Page - April 13, 2011

BRIEF: Koch front groups campaigned against the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a market-based cap-and-trade program established in 2007 by ten U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

Koch-funded front groups – led by Americans for Prosperity (AFP) -- joined right wing mouthpieces like Glenn Beck and others who labeled RGGI a “cap and tax” initiative. Conservative activist Clint Woods of the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) stated that RGGI and other regional cap-and-trade regimes had become the “new battlefield” since federal climate legislation was defeated.

ALEC has provided template legislation for states across the country to pull out of regional climate accords such as RGGI and the Western Climate Initiative. The Kochs have already had success in New Hampshire where, on February 28, 2011, the state’s House Republicans voted to leave the RGGI program in a veto-proof vote.

-snip-

Americans for Prosperity has been promoting legislation in New Jersey that would yank the state out of the RGGI climate compact, while pressuring Gov. Christie to issue an executive order that would do the same. Although Christie has quietly maintained his support for RGGI (he has used RGGI proceeds to help develop the state’s offshore wind program), AFP and its allies have threatened to oppose any future presidential nomination bid if he refuses to change his position. "It's difficult for him to be a credible option for conservatives nationally if he doesn't take a stand on cap and trade, and that's why we think we'll be able to appeal to him," AFP policy director and Fox News columnist Phil Kerpen told Politico.

-snip-

More background on what ALEC and AFP are doing can be found in the long compilation topic on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which has hundreds of replies and links.



Editing, after some more googling, to add that Christie has now started to talk about withdrawing NJ from RGGI, so apparently the threats worked:

An opinion piece from a NJ news site, urging Christie to keep NJ in RGGI despite his recent statements:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/env_041411.html

More on what Christie said, in an article on the right-wing Daily Caller news site:

http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/28/new-jersey-could-be-next-state-to-pull-out-of-regional-cap-and-trade-system/

New Jersey could be next state to pull out of regional cap-and-trade system
By Amanda Carey - The Daily Caller | Published: 1:45 PM 03/28/2011 | Updated: 9:22 AM 03/29/2011

New Jersey could become the next state to pull out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI, pronounced “Reggie”), a system in the northeast that environmentalists until recently pointed to as a cap-and-trade success story. Earlier this month, the New Hampshire state house voted to repeal its membership, and now Gov. Chris Christie is hinting at doing the same thing.

At a town hall meeting in Nutley last week, Christie said he was re-evaluating his state’s membership in RGGI – a commitment that can be attributed to Christie’s predecessor, Democrat Jon Corzine. “<…> Within the next two months, I’ll give you a definitive answer on whether we are going to continue it,” said Christie.

“Is there enough of a benefit to the state to keep it going, or is it too much of a detriment on business? And the thing I’m most concerned about is that it doesn’t seem to be working in the entire region,” said Christie. “The value of these credits is getting less and less as we continue to go further and further out, and so the value of the program is becoming less and less.”

-snip-


While Christie’s announcement is drawing fire from environmental groups, conservative organizations such as Americans for Prosperity (AFP) welcome the state-by-state dismantling of RGGI. Christie had criticized for failing to act sooner to end New Jersey’s participation in RGGI, with conservatives labeling it a blemish in the governor’s conservative credentials.

-snip-

[SpiralHawk]

1. The Koch Klowns are also up to their Family Values in the TransCanada pipeline boondogle

When there is a chance to screw America, the Republicon Suckerpuppet Master Profiteers are - like - totally all over it.

Dirty, dirty, dirty steenkin Tar Sands energy -- with the RepubliBagger Koch Klowns poised to screw America and fatten their fat bellies...

http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175376/tomgram%3A_ellen_cantarow%2C_dirty_energy%27s_dirty_deeds

[highplainsdem]

5. SpiralHawk, did you see this investigative series on the Kochs and US-Canada tar sands politics?

DU topic linking to it:

Major Investigative Series Into US-Canada Tar Sands Politics (including the Kochs)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x718145

[SpiralHawk]

7. Thank you. Had not seen it...

The Republicon rot & attack on America is so stanking pervasive...

[highplainsdem]

9. I thought you might have missed it. I'd posted it just a couple of days after

the UN intervention in Libya began, and a post on tar sands politics just couldn't get much attention on DU then (even with the Kochs involved). I put it in my journal, even though it didn't get a lot of replies, so I could keep track of it.

[catbyte]

2. When are those Octogenarian assholes gonna drop dead already?

They are the most detrimental things walking the planet these days. :mad:

[Uncle Joe]

3. I honestly believe that if the Koch brothers were officers of the Titanic when it hit the iceberg,

they would turn the ship around and hit it again, just to make sure the job was done right.

Thanks for the thread, highplainsdem.

[highplainsdem]

6. You're welcome, Uncle Joe! And I agree the Kochs would've sunk the Titanic if they saw a profit in

it.

[highplainsdem]

4. I edited the OP to add more info & links -- the Koch groups' threats worked, since Christie is now

talking about withdrawing NJ from RGGI.

[OnyxCollie]

8. K&R. nt