Stickiness is harder than I thought

I used some portions of my paper that I thought were really the core of my argument and then tried to make them stickier. It may be little over the top but I have never been able to write something like this so I thought I would try it out.

Before we save the whales we need to save Americans. In fact, it will be average Americans and their foreign counterparts who actually do the saving. As individuals are willing to make a difference, the environment will improve. Environmental legislation that injures American families will cut any popular support for environmental reform. Images of recycling slogans, happy whales, and tender saplings are appealing but may not be America’s biggest concern right now. The costs of enacting environmentally smart ideas could be leaving struggling American families homeless and unemployed. The American economy is struggling to stay afloat amidst its worst recession since the Great Depression. Amidst this economic turmoil, there is new cap and trade legislation that has already passed the House of Representatives—the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (Waxman-Markey). This legislation might possibly help the environment but will definitely hurt the economy. The Waxman-Markey legislation should not be passed at this time because it will hurt America’s ability to recover from its current economic illness. While the bill might be appropriate in a time of economic prosperity, it would be a poisonous pill for an already sick economy. My purpose is not to analyze the environmental effects of this legislation but instead to focus only on the economic ramifications and timeliness of this bill. 

            The most immediate change felt by the American family will be the rapid increase in electricity prices. Waxman-Markey only directly regulates the emissions of on-sight energy producers: the electric, oil, and natural gas industries. While American citizens are not directly regulated they will have to bear the increased costs as businesses are charged for polluting. According to the testimony of Ben Lieberman of the Heritage Foundation before the Senate Republican Conference, this legislation could nearly double an American family’s energy bill. This does not include other debilitating rate hikes in gasoline and natural gas. These rising rates would be especially problematic for low-income families where energy costs already constitute a very large percentage of their income. It could mean the difference between making house payments and foreclosing. Countering these estimates, the Congressional Budget Office claims that energy prices would only rise by $175. The Wall Street Journal is quick to point out that this calculation is based on “so many caveats as to render it useless.” In fact, almost every other source puts the anticipated energy cost increases at around $1,500 for a family each year.  Even the Obama Administration’s calculations, initially withheld because of its potentially negative effects on the legislation, put the cost at $1,761 per year. This much money could keep a family of four fed for almost a year.

            Much of the environmental reform that has been proposed in the past is often ignored or postponed for political reasons. The Waxman-Markey legislation is another valiant attempt to save the environment. However, this legislation needs to be postponed not to save the career of some politician but until the American people are in a position to be able to support it. This legislation would push an already low economy deeper into the mire it is trying to escape. Waiting until the American people are on more stable ground would make this legislation more economically viable. Passage of the Waxman-Markey legislation right now would be a sure way to injure a crippled economy and build additional resistance to environmental reform.