Energy

The gulf between the science and the politics of climate change has never been wider. Consider the Arctic ice cap, which has lost half its volume in the five years from 2005. Experts say the Arctic ice cap is now in a “death spiral”. The region is warming two to four times faster than the global average. If the ice cap melts, it will trigger two even more serious climate disasters: the melting of Greenland’s huge ice sheet and the release of methane gas from thawing Arctic soils and seabeds.

The IRS has just taken authority that is only granted to Congress: determining subsidies that cost taxpayers money. Congress ruled earlier this year to end on subsidies for wind as a form of alternative energy by bringing the federal Wind Production Tax Credit to a close at end of this year. After years of subsidizing wind power and over $120 billion in wasted efforts, even Congress had given up on wind power.

By Roger Annis