I agree with Gov. Mitch Daniels when he says “cap-and-trade” will cost us dearly in jobs and income, and it stands no chance of achieving its objective of a cooler Earth. Cap-and-trade is a disincentive, not an incentive.

The United States is a cleaner country today by creating incentives to reduce carbon emissions. I grew up in the 1940s and ’50s. We burned coal to heat our houses and to power our factories and rail system. Snow would turn black in three days from soot due to inefficient burning of coal. The evolution of clean-coal technology has made “black snow” a fading memory; 52 percent of our electricity comes from coal and we have a 200-year supply.

Cap-and-trade is a tax. Taxes are a disincentive. This tax will be paid by the consumer through higher energy bills. Cap-and-trade will create a new exchange, hiring brokers, who will buy and sell carbon credits. All Americans want a clean, safe and prosperous country. Cap-and-trade will not make the world a cleaner place. It will increase consumer energy bills and export American jobs to countries with no restrictions on carbon emissions.

Robert W. Spanogle

Indianapolis