I have some more videos taken while waiting in line to try to get into the Bella Center in Copenhagen (for background, see “Welcome to Disneyland in Denmark “” plus one reason Europe’s been eating our lunch on renewables, creating hundreds of thousands of clean energy jobs“).
Here is Paul Allen, Senior VP and Chief Environmental Officer, Constellation Energy, a Fortune 500 company with 7,100 megawatts of generating capacity, on why the company is a “big supporter of climate legislation, cap-and-trade”:
Constellation is the largest wholesale power seller and largest retail power seller in the country. In Part 2, Allen explains Constellation’s view of natural gas and energy efficiency and why we don’t need to wait for new technologies to address climate change now:
And yes, these (F)lip videos are too close. I wanted to make sure I got the audio in the noisy crowded line. Sadly, the Flip camera does not take the microphone attachment.
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Cap and Trade does not work people. It only allows large CO2 pumping companies to buy credit so they can pump out more CO2 emission, while other little companies pay the price of cleaning their emissions and get credits. You’re always at the same level or higher. I suppose that the companies can use carbon credit to buy a forest area and save it only to have it cut down elsewhere because the demand of wood is not going to be any less.
I find him to be hypocritical on the “we have a moral obligation to reduce CO2 argument” he stated in your video, considering Constellation Energy fought Maryland’s efforts to pass global warming legislation, a fight I was involved in, which fortunately got done in 2009 after they successfully beat it down in 2008. Check out this
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=397_1200768725
“The Maryland Chamber of Commerce, Constellation Energy and many Republicans oppose the 90 percent mandate, saying such aggressive regulation could cripple the states economy if
other states don’t have such limits”
I wonder how Jim Connaughton, Bush’s CEQ head and now a senior VP with Constellation, would respond to this interview. Connaughton obstructed any sort of sensible CO2 policy and it was under his watch that CEQ sr. staffer Phil Cooney was allowed to censor scientific reports on climate change; once his red pen political interference in science was exposed by the NYT, he quit and was quickly snatched up by Exxon Mobil. Constellation is not known for its proactive environmental record, so it looks as though Paul Allen is being disingenuous here, and that, in some sense, he got a pass. While beating up on the more C-intensive sector or corporate america isn’t the right approach, and big energy providers get credit for moving in the right direction, Constellation also needs to be recognized and admonished for its efforts to stymie and slow CO2 limiting policies. Why don’t you give Jim C a call, and see how he would answer these same interview questions?
i thought the comment by Anne in jan 7th was very interesting. is constellation talking out of both sides of their mouth? did you call Jim C to see what he said?