Even considering the different versions of climate change legislation offered in Congress, Missouri Farm Bureau President Charlie Kruse says he doesn’t envision any that are palatable to farmers. Kruse says increases in energy costs resulting from climate change proposals will devastate farmers, small businessmen and consumers.
“I’ve said many times that if the goal of people in Washington, D.C. with cap and trade is to create the largest or one of the largest transfers of private wealth out of the pockets of citizens into the coffers of the federal government, this cap and trade idea is a great idea because that’s exactly what it’s going to do,” Kruse said during an interview with Brownfield.
AUDIO: Charlie Kruse (2 min. MP3)
Kruse further says current proposals should be discarded in favor of legislation that makes the U.S. more energy independent.
“We need to really get serious about getting more of our own coal, more of our own oil, more of own natural gas and incentivize new uses for energy, like biofuels and wind and solar and nuclear,” says Kruse. “Until we do that, we’ve got a real problem in this country when it comes to energy.”
Kruse says agriculture is such an energy intensive enterprise that increases in energy costs could ultimately affect food prices.
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[...] Tom Steever reported yesterday at Brownfield that, “Even considering the different versions of climate change legislation offered in Congress, Missouri Farm Bureau President Charlie Kruse says he doesn’t envision any that are palatable to farmers. Kruse says increases in energy costs resulting from climate change proposals will devastate farmers, small businessmen and consumers.” [...]