Huge CO2 Emissions Disagreement Between EPA and Energy Dept. Ignored by MSM

July 8th, 2009 10:56 AM

The mainstream media loves to tell the public about how "unreliable" the blogosphere is as an information source. However, there is a huge story out there that is only being covered by the blogosphere, in particular at Watts Up With That?, which is currently being completely ignored by the MSM.

It is about a significant disagreement between the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and Energy Secretary Steven Chu over the amount of worldwide CO2 emissions if the United States acts alone should a climate bill pass in both Houses of Congress. Basically EPA's Jackson says that such a bill, if passed, would have very little effect on global CO2 emissions while Chu disagrees with that assessment.

You can see the EPA chart below the fold followed by the transcript of a video of both these Obama administration officials responding at complete odds with each other under questioning from Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe at the Senate hearing yesterday on a climate bill:

 

SENATOR INHOFE: ...This is what we determined during the Warner-Lieberman bill last year, 13 months ago, and that was the EPA that said this is the difference it would make. And let's keep in mind, the IPCC said they wanted to keep it down below 550 parts per million. And this shows by the EPA chart that with or without the developing nations it makes virtually no change. Do you still agree with this chart? I'm sure you've seen it....Okay, Dr. Chu, the Chairman wants me to direct that at you.

SECRETARY CHU: Uh, no, I don't agree with that chart.

INHOFE: Do you, Secretary Jackson?

ADMINISTRATOR JACKSON: I believe that essential parts of the chart are that the U.S. action alone will not impact CO2 levels but...

Watt's Up With That concludes with Inhofe's analysis on the effects of the bill if the USA acts unilaterally without China and India:

“I am encouraged that Administrator Jackson agrees that unilateral action by the U.S. will be all cost for no climate gain,” Sen. Inhofe said.  “With China and India recently issuing statements of defiant opposition to mandatory emissions controls, acting alone through the job-killing Waxman-Markey bill would impose severe economic burdens on American consumers, businesses, and families, all without any impact on climate.”

“...I was somewhat surprised that Secretary Chu disagreed with EPA’s analysis of what would happen if the U.S. acts alone to address climate change, which cap-and-trade supporters claim is a global problem,” Sen. Inhofe said.  “EPA’s analysis that global greenhouse gas emission levels can only be stabilized with meaningful, mandatory action by China and India is widely accepted.  I extend an invitation to the Secretary to see whether he wants to clarify his remarks.”

So without the participation of China and India, the climate bill will have virtually no impact on global CO2 emissions. And for that very limited outcome, the Obama administration wants to upend our economy.

It seems that the MSM is concentrating on the wrong Jackson. They should take just a little time out of their wall-to-wall coverage of Michael Jackson and devote some attention to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and her stunning admission of how little impact the United States acting alone would have on CO2 emissions.

Of course, such attention would run counter to their game plan of emphasizing how important the Waxman-Markham bill is supposed to be even though it will have almost no impact on CO2 emissions according to the EPA administrator.

CORRECTION: It turns out that there was ONE media outlet that did cover this story---Fox News.