Green Policies Damage Economy, Have ‘No Impact on the Climate’: Witnesses at PA House Hearing

Kevin Dayaratna (L), senior research fellow for the Center for Data Analysis at The Heritage Foundation, testifies about the effect of carbon dioxide emissions on the climate at a hearing of the Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee in Harrisburg, Pa., on Oct. 24, 2022. Courtesy of PA House Republican Photography

The Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee held a contentious hearing on Monday, titled “Fossil Fuels: Driving America’s Economy and Quality of Life.”

As the legislative session winds down, it is common for committees to hold informational hearings on pet issues that may set the tone for the next session. No specific legislation was attached to the conversation, but Committee Chair Daryl Metcalfe, a Republican, has vowed to get Pennsylvania out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a 12-state cap and trade program for energy producers.

No Benefit to Net Zero

Much of the conversation in the hearing centered on the United Nations initiative to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 by cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions reabsorbed from the atmosphere by oceans and forests.