Global Warming

This weekend there will be a World Business Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen. Among the speakers will be Al Gore who is not only a advocate of reducing CO2 emissions but also the chair of a green private-equity firm invested in products that a climate-scared world would buy.

Now, we would not like a Exxon sponsored conference on the benefits of petroleum, would we? Shouldn't we dismiss outright such obvious conflicts of interest?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124286145192740987.html

And, of course, let's not forget about GE which stands to make a large profit on cap and trade policies. GE is the parent company of NBC, CNBC, and MSNBC, all of which, oddly enough, support cap and trade policies.

http://businessandmedia.org/articles/2009/20090520141935.aspx

How come no one has asked what seems to be a logical question: If the government "sells" indulgences and allows some to pollute, who gets the money from the sale of these indulgences? Doesn't the air belong to the people? Shouldn't money raised from this go directly to the citizens?