Our Tax Dollars at Work

Taxpayer dollars overseas...

EPA Targets $2 Million to Fight Climate Change with Projects in China, Russia, Seven Other Countries

Release date: 09/18/2007

Contact Information: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov

(Washington, D.C. - Sept. 18, 2007) China, Russia, Argentina, Brazil, India, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria and Ukraine will have projects funded under the auspices of the Methane to Markets Partnership, an international effort promoting near-term, cost-effective projects that capture and use methane as a clean-energy source.

EPA is announcing the award of $2 million for projects that will enhance the capture and use of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas twenty times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. The primary component of natural gas, methane is also a valuable and clean-burning energy resource.

"An investment in methane capture and use projects is an investment in a more environmentally sustainable future," said Bob Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air & Radiation. "By financing international projects through the Methane to Markets Partnership, the U.S. government and its global partners are cutting greenhouse gases while...(complete article here).

OK, I know $2 million is nothing to the Federal Budget, but it's our taxpayer dollars. Why is it we are spending it in this list of countries?

Argentina
Brazil
China
India
Korea
Mexico
Nigeria
Russia
Ukraine

Let's see... some of them have oil, some are important trading partners, some are just big and hairy -- I mean scarey -- I guess I don't have a clue. You spread $2 million around 9 countries and none of them get much. It's like throwing pocket change to a street beggar. Except none of these countries is on the low end of the economic spectrum. A few U.S. universities will benefit from some of the money -- including my alma mater of Texas A&M -- but this really doesn't make sense to me. I guess it provides the opportunity for the administration to pay lip service to the idea that they are combating Global Warming.