Republicans deride global warming task force

Republican state representatives and candidates called Gov. Jim Doyle's Task Force on Global Warming and the possible legislation that could come from its recommendations "harebrained" and "nonsensical" at a town hall meeting Wednesday night in Eau Claire.

Americans for Prosperity, a group that aims to limit the role of the state and federal government, organized the meeting, which brought together...area residents to discuss the global warming task force.

Doyle, a Democrat, established the task force in April 2007. In July, it released its report recommending Wisconsin's strategy on global warming. The task force - with 29 leaders from environmental, agricultural, industrial, citizen, tribal and utility areas - proposed goals and strategies such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2050. The report recommended ways to reduce emissions in utility, transportation, agriculture, forestry and industry sectors.

State Rep. Jim Ott from Mequon said passing legislation that would try to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the state would produce no benefit to residents. Even if the state were able to eliminate its emissions, the global impact would be insignificant, he said.

Instead, the legislation could hurt the economy by driving up consumer prices as businesses try to recoup costs they would spend on becoming more energy efficient, or as they pay for exceeding a possible cap on emissions, Ott said.

A major point in the argument against the task force's recommendations was that climate change might not be as serious as some people make it out to be.

"Nature, not human activity, rules the climate," said state Rep. Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls. Not only would reducing emissions at the state level be insignificant, if everyone adhered to the Kyoto Protocol - international guidelines for reducing greenhouse gases - the temperature would decrease by only a fraction of a degree, he said.

Task force members say the more than 50 policy recommendations in their report would create more jobs and help the economy while also establishing the state as a leader in addressing climate change.

"The stringent emission reduction targets combined with substantial new investments in energy conservation and efficiency and increased reliance on home grown renewable power will establish Wisconsin as a national leader on climate change while helping the state achieve greater energy independence in the years to come," Tia Nelson, Global Warming Task Force co-chairwoman, said in a statement.

Banks can be reached at 830-5840, 800-236-7077 or emily.banks@ecpc.com.