Perhaps it takes a newspaper outside our tempest-in-a-teapot country to point out the obvious to us: we won't get any climate or energy legislation passed if we don't elect people who believe it's a problem. And there are plenty of unbelieving candidates out there right now, the London Guardian reported, according to a new report released by ThinkProgress, a project of the Center for American Progress. Originally, the study noted that almost all Republican Senate candidates did not believe in climate change or didn't think it was a problem. But that was before Delaware Senate candidate Mike Castle was defeated by a Tea Partyer in a recent Republican primary. Now, none of them do. And the fossil fuel industry is influencing this election with its moneypot to ensure that none of these are even tempted to enact any legislation that reduces fossil fuel use.

The implications are staggering for our economy, given the predictions of big gains by Republicans this November. Why? New York Times columnist Tom Friedman did a great job of laying it all out. China's leaders, who are mostly trained engineers and scientists, recognize not just the climate but health savings of reducing fossil fuel use. Indeed, the annual health savings from fossil fuel pollution alone for the European Union was recently estimated at $43 billion if it simply increased its 2021 emissions reduction target by 10%, and it would be considerably more if the health problems from climate change -- spread of infectious disease, floods, storms, etc -- were included. Imagine what the health savings would be for China, which suffers from rampant pollution, much of it caused by fossil fuel burning. Apparently, some Chinese leaders do. Basically, the best policy for addressing climate change is increasing energy efficiency and switching to clean energy production to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, we're doing relatively little of either, and it shows on the international chess board, where China is charging full steam ahead on conserving energy and starting to dominate the global clean energy manufacturing market. And other countries are scampering behind them.

Read more here at HP