The Maryland Commission on Climate Change last week released a laundry list of proposals to address a perceived threat of global warming. Their scheme will significantly reduce economic prosperity and undermine its “Free State” moniker, while accomplishing none of the goals they say they will reach.
Gov. Martin O’Malley established the commission to develop new taxes, subsidies, and regulations intended to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The Center for Climate Strategies, a Pennsylvania-based environmental advocacy group, was hired to provide the MCCC with proposals and analyses and to serve as administrators for the policy development process.
CCS has performed this function in many states and always provides the same cookie-cutter set of ideas. These include restrictive land-use regulations, penalties against individuals who drive larger automobiles or who have farther commutes, and higher taxes on energy use. As a condition of their services, CCS prohibits MCCC members from debating the science of climate change — the very basis for the policies being considered.
The reason why CCS and the governor’s Department of the Environment, which oversees MCCC, would suppress such debate is clear. There is a dearth of scientific evidence showing that a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within the state of Maryland would have any meaningful impact on climate change.
To the contrary, a recent study by the Science and Public Policy Institute shows that a complete cessation of greenhouse gas emissions in the state over the next century would only impact global average temperatures by 0.002 degrees C and would reduce sea-level rise by 0.04 centimeters. These numbers are based on computations modeled by Thomas Wigley of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a former adviser to Al Gore.
If these numbers appear minuscule, it is because Maryland’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is equally insignificant. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Maryland accounts for only 0.55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, this percentage is expected to decline as energy use increases in places such as China and India.
To achieve such an insignificant impact on global warming, Marylanders will be asked to bear a heavy burden. Because emissions caps are equivalent to a cap on economic production, their effect will be to demolish family budgets. A recent study co-sponsored by the American Council for Capital Formation and the National Association of Manufacturers shows that legislative actions to cap greenhouse gas emissions would devastate the state’s economy. Average household annual income could decline $9,157 by 2030 as a result of such actions while gasoline prices could increase by as much as $5.64 per gallon.
All Marylanders should view the work of the MCCC and CCS with extreme skepticism. The State of Maryland can have no meaningful impact on climate change, but it can deprive its people of individual freedom and their chance at economic prosperity.
Geoffrey Lawrence is a research analyst for Climate Strategies Watch, a free-market, limited-government project that assesses global warming commissions in the states.
