Romney Attacked Obama On Cap And Trade Despite Agreeing To Have Massachusetts Enter a Regional Cap and Trade Program As Governor
Romney Wrote That Obama’s Promotion Of Cap And Trade Prevented “Expansion By Employers In The Energy Sector.” Romney wrote, “Promoting an open-ended cap-and-trade tax dissuades expansion by employers in the energy sector.” [Romney Op-Ed, Boston Globe, 8/18/10]
Romney Wrote That Any Discussion Of Cap And Trade Should Be Abandoned In Favor Of Nuclear Energy And Natural Gas. In an op-ed, Romney wrote, “Close down any talk of carbon cap-and-trade. It will burden consumers and employers with billions in new costs. Instead, greatly expand our commitment to natural gas and nuclear, boosting jobs now and reducing the export of energy jobs and dollars later.” [Romney Op-Ed, USA Today, 12/3/09]
Romney Said That Cap And Trade Will Place Additional Burdens On Americans. Appearing on Fox News, Romney said, “And the idea of putting an additional burden on Americans that are currently suffering by virtue of the downturn we’ve got. So many people are out of work. Saying we’re going to charge people more money for our cap and trade program and for this health care plan, that is just not right and that, I think, is going to mean that a lot of Democrats, if they support that, will find that Election Day is not a happy day for them.” [Hannity, Fox News, 10/14/09]
Romney Once Supported Cap And Trade
December, 2005: Romney Announced “Toughest In The Nation” CO2 Emission Limits On Power Plants In Massachusetts. A Romney administration press release stated, “Governor Mitt Romney today announced that Massachusetts will take another major step in meeting its commitment to protecting air quality when strict state limitations on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants take effect on January 1, 2006. ‘Massachusetts continues to be committed to improving air quality for all our citizens. These carbon emission limits will provide real and immediate progress in the battle to improve our environment,’ Romney said. ‘They help us accomplish our environmental goals while protecting jobs and the economy.’ Massachusetts is the first and only state to set CO2 emissions limits on power plants. The limits, which target the six largest and oldest power plants in the state, are the toughest in the nation and are designed to lower emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and mercury from power plant smokestacks.” [Governor Romney Press Release, 12/7/05]
November, 2005: Romney Supported A Regional Cap And Trade System, Saying “This Is A Great Thing For The Commonwealth … I’m Convinced It Is Good Business.” According to the Boston Globe,“Governor Mitt Romney signaled his support yesterday for a regional agreement among Northeastern states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, despite opposition from power companies and other business interests that have been lobbying the administration against the plan. In opening remarks to a clean-energy conference in Boston, Romney said the first-of-its-kind agreement, under which Massachusetts and eight other states could be required to cut power plant emissions by 2020, will not hurt the economy, as some have charged. He argued that it would spur businesses to develop clean — and renewable-energy technology to market worldwide. ‘This is a great thing for the Commonwealth,’ Romney said, his strongest endorsement of the pact to date. ‘We can effectively create incentives to help stimulate a sector of the economy and at the same time not kill jobs.’… Romney said yesterday that he had some concerns about the agreement, known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, but he endorsed this and other clean-energy initiatives by saying they would stimulate the development of technology that Massachusetts companies could sell to other states and countries, as the emphasis on climate change grows. ‘I’m convinced it is good business,’ Romney said.” [Boston Globe, 11/8/05]
2003: Romney Joined Pataki Plan To Limit Greenhouse Gases Saying “Now Is The Time To Take Action Toward Climate Protection.” According to the Telegram & Gazette, “In another nod to environmentalists, Gov. Mitt Romney has joined with New York Gov. George Pataki in a plan to limit greenhouse gases from Northeast power plants. In a July 21 letter to Mr. Pataki, Mr. Romney acknowledged that carbon dioxide emissions are harming the environment and agreed to help design a regional emissions cap for power generating plants. Mr. Pataki last spring invited New England and mid-Atlantic state governors to spend two years on a plan to bring about significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. ‘I concur that climate change is beginning to affect our natural resources and that now is the time to take action toward climate protection,’ the governor wrote. ‘I share your interest in ensuring that the economic and security contributions made by our electricity generating system are not negated by the impact of emissions from that system on the health of our citizens,’ he continued… ‘Our joint work to create a flexible market-based regional cap and trade system could serve as an effective approach to meeting these goals,’ Mr. Romney wrote in the letter.” [Telegram & Gazette, 8/6/03]
Romney Can’t Decide if global warming is real or caused by Humans
August 2011: Romney Flip-Flops on Global Warming in a Single Sentence
August 2011: Romney Said “I Don’t Know” If The Earth Is Getting Hotter, But Then Said He “Thinks That It Is,” And Then Said He Did Not Know If It Was Mostly Caused By Humans. ”Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, also said he does not know if human activity is the primary cause of climate change and does not favor spending heavily on climate solutions. Asked about global warming at a town hall meeting in Lebanon, New Hampshire, Romney said he believed the world is getting hotter and humans contribute in some way to the change — but could not judge to what extent. ’Do I think the world’s getting hotter? Yeah, I don’t know that but I think that it is,’ he said. ‘I don’t know if it’s mostly caused by humans.’ ’What I’m not willing to do is spend trillions of dollars on something I don’t know the answer to.’“ [Reuters, 8/26/11]
July 2011: Romney Said Carbon Is Not a Harmful Pollutant
In 2011, Romney Said Carbon Is Not A Harmful Pollutant To Human Bodies. According to Think Progress, Romney said, “I believe we should keep our air and our water clean. And that we don’t want to have pollutants that are interfering with our health and damaging the ability of our children to enjoy good health… Do I support the EPA? In much of its mission yes, but in some of its mission no. The EPA getting into carbon footprints, and… I think we may have made a mistake… in saying that the EPA should regulate carbon emissions. I don’t think that was the intent of the original legislation, and I don’t think carbon is a pollutant in the sense of harming our bodies… My view is that the EPA getting into carbon and regulating carbon has gone beyond the original intent of the legislation. I do believe we should reduce the pollutants that harm our health.” [Think Progress, 7/19/11; Politico, 7/18/11]
June 2011: Romney Said Humans Contributed to Global Warming
In June, 2011 Mitt Romney Said He Believed Humans Contributed To Global Warming. The New York Daily News reported Romney said “I don’t speak for the scientific community, of course… I believe the world’s getting warmer.” Romney then added, “And number two, I believe that humans contribute to that.” [New York Daily News, 6/3/11 ]
Published: Jan 1, 2011