Free Republic

The ink is dry. Hawaii has officially become the first state in the nation to impose a climate tax. It’s called the Green Fee. The name sounds harmless. The impact is anything but. Senate Bill 1396 is now law. It tacks on a 0.75% increase to the Transient Accommodations Tax. That means every hotel stay, every short-term rental, every cruise ship docking in the islands will now carry a new surcharge. The state expects this to rake in $100 million annually. This isn’t a symbolic gesture. It’s a full-scale revenue engine. The money will be funneled into climate resilience projects....

Lawmakers in Hawaii are poised to approve a $25 climate tax on tourists who visit the Aloha State in an effort to combat what they claim is an assault on the area’s natural resources. The state, which saw 9.5 million people visit last year, is recovering from the devastating wildfires in Lahaina, Maui, which killed at least 100 people and caused damages worth around $6 billion. The proposed tax will pay to protect beaches and prevent wildfires, state officials said. “It’s a very small price to pay to preserve paradise,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, told The Wall Street...

Hawaii's governor wants to impose a $25 'climate fee' on tourists, saying the funds collected would be used to protect the state's beaches and prevent wildfires. Governor Josh Green, a Democrat, last month introduced a bill that would impose the flat fee upon check-in at hotels or vacation rentals, projecting it will raise about $68 million annually. 'It's a very small price to pay to preserve paradise,' Green told the Wall Street Journal, saying the new tax would fund a state fire marshal, new fire breaks to protect vulnerable communities, and disaster insurance.

As Paris exploded with further protests and riots this weekend over French President Emmanuel Macron's liberal policies, France's so-called leader was hiding behind the majestic walls of his presidential palace as the streets of the capital erupted in fury. As angry citizens battled with authorities over policies pushed by the Macron Administration, the president skulked inside the Elysee Palace, guarded by hundreds of riot police and surrounded by armored cars bearing machine guns and grenade launchers.

A group of Republican senior statesmen are pushing for a carbon tax to combat the effects of climate change, and hoping to sell their plan to the White House. Former Secretary of State Jim Baker is leading the effort, which also includes former Secretary of State George Shultz The group will meet Wednesday with White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, senior adviser Jared Kushner, and Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council. Also supporting Baker's effort are Hank Paulson, treasury secretary for former President George W. Bush; Greg Mankiw, who chaired Bush's Council of Economic Advisers; and...

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - China led calls by developing nations for deeper emissions cuts from the United States, Japan and Europe at U.N. climate talks on Tuesday, as a study showed that this decade will be the warmest on record. The first decade of this century was the hottest since records began, the World Meteorological Organisation said, underscoring the threat scientists say the planet faces from rising temperatures. Negotiators from nearly 200 countries are trying to seal the outlines of a climate pact to combat rising seas, desertification, floods and cyclones that could devastate economies and ruin the livelihoods of millions...

Cap and trade legislation may be one of the biggest issues facing the oil and gas industry according to Dr. Daniel Fine, Associate of Policy, Strategy and Development at New Mexico Tech. He also serves on the New Mexico Center for Energy Policy which is hosting the presentation by former Shell Oil executive, John Hofmeister tonight. “What is the purpose to cap and trade?” asks Fine. “Is the purpose to raise revenue? Is the purpose to lower CO2? Or both?” The bill (Waxman-Markey) coming out of the U.S. House of Representatives claims both purposes without a clear policy declaration.

With the release of over 60 megabytes worth of incriminating emails, and the world getting a glimpse into the world of fanatical pseudo-science, there is little that can be done by the professors who are now on intellectual trial. Whether the emails were leaked or hacked, the people responsible for getting the information out have helped uncover the truth about “climate change” like no news story before it. While there have been piles of evidence to expose the global warming fraud in the past, a written exchange in their very own words is the ultimate proof. http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2009/11/28/climategate-spells-end-to-the-false-science-of-climate-change-lord-christopher-monckton-on-alex-jones-tv-15global-warming-hype-a-stink-of-desperation/

With average gas prices across the country approaching $4 a gallon, it may be hard to believe, but the U.S. Senate is considering legislation this week that will further drive up the cost at the pump. The Senate is debating a global warming bill that will create the largest expansion of the federal government since FDR's New Deal, complete with a brand new, unelected bureaucracy. The Lieberman-Warner bill (America's Climate Security Act) represents the largest tax increase in U.S. history and the biggest pork bill ever contemplated with trillions of dollars in giveaways. Well-heeled lobbyists are already plotting how to...