A Better World
Senior citizens must reject the I got mine to bad for you creed of the Republican Party and instead embrace the Golden Rule. Although, versions of: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you,” are shared by 21 world religions, many Americans don’t subscribe to the Golden Rule. Sadly, members of Congress disregard the ethical code that states one has a right to just treatment, and a responsibility to ensure justice for others. It’s also called the ethic of reciprocity and is arguably the most essential basis for the modern concept of human rights. The young have been looking out for the old for decades and we senior citizen should reciprocate.
Congressman Arcuri supported the Cap and Tax bill, because most of us want to leave our grandchildren a cleaner Earth. The concept of cap and trade involves our government limiting the amount of pollution companies are allowed to release. Credits are issued, which allow companies to pollute a certain amount, as long as the aggregate pollution equals less than the set cap.
Since, some companies can reduce polluting emissions more inexpensively than other companies, they may engage in trading any extra permits. Companies that can more efficiently reduce pollution sell permits to companies that cannot easily afford to reduce pollution. The companies that sell the permits are rewarded while those that purchase permits must pay for their negative impact. This system would theoretically reduce carbon dioxide by over 80 percent by 2050 and significantly reduce the rate of global warming. This system would create billions of dollars for the government to spend on consumer energy programs and doing so at the lowest total cost.
Obama has proposed that the Environmental Protection Agency enforce global warming pollution limits under the Clean Air Act. The biggest polluters, Big Oil and Coal, are standing in the way because they don’t want to have to do anything to clean the environment that they’ve been polluting.
Obama has a plan that would enforce limits on global warming pollution clean up the environment, and create jobs by making factories and power plants more efficient and encourage wind and solar technologies.
Bush had refused to enforce provisions of the Clean Air Act, even after the Supreme Court ordered him to do so.

