At about the same time U.S. representatives were joining others from big energy-consuming countries in worrying aloud about high oil prices, liberal U.S. senators were warning that they will be back next year with a climate change bill. It is a measure that both candidates for president, Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama, support.
It is little wonder that members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries think their customers, including Americans, have only ourselves to blame for high fuel prices.
On Sunday, representatives of the Group of Eight industrialized nations met in Tokyo. The organization includes the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Russia. They were joined by officials from China, India and South Korea for a discussion about rising oil prices.
Delegates to the meeting agreed that unless something is done soon to bring oil prices under control, a global recession — perhaps worse — could occur. They asked that OPEC countries increase oil production to bring down prices, but that is unlikely to happen soon.
As Group of Eight members were gathering, conservatives in the Senate blocked a draconian climate change bill, after warning that it would increase energy prices and hurt the U.S. economy badly.
But the measure’s liberal proponents said they will bring the very same bill up again next year. They simply don’t care that it would add to the burdens high oil prices already have placed upon most Americans. Thank heaven that at least the conservatives who blocked the bill have their constituents’ best interests at heart.
