In the wake of the midterm elections and looking ahead at two years of a lame duck presidency, President Obama is working harder than ever to advance his highly politicized climate agenda, even if it means ignoring the wills of Congress and the American people.
Backed by a small faction of environmentalist elites, the president is determined to pursue his political interests by whatever means necessary. In the last two weeks, that has meant making a questionable climate “deal” with China at the expense of Americans and our economy.
The president’s so-called “deal” with China will put America squarely on the losing end of the arrangement, as U.S. states struggle to meet unrealistic carbon reduction goals by 2025 while China operates as usual until 2030, when they are supposedly going to level-off their emissions. Of course the whole deal is non-binding, and skeptics aren’t sure China will honor their commitment.
One such doubter is the National Bureau of Asian Research which predicts China will continue to prioritize its economic growth over environmental policy and will resist any measure considered “restrictive” to its “conventional growth model,” which involves the use of affordable and reliable coal-fueled electricity.
The National Bureau of Asian Research raises a good point as China has experienced rapid economic development through the use of abundant and affordable coal deposits. The use of coal is bringing electrification to millions of its citizens for the first time as well as supporting its expanding manufacturing sector.
Like China, much of the world will rely on coal-based electricity to lift their citizens out of poverty and grow their economies. While these countries set their sights on a path towards economic growth and development, America will chart a different course – one plagued by lost jobs, soaring energy costs and a weakened manufacturing base.