Advanced civilizations make extensive use of energy to realize their productivity and living standards. Energy is made available primarily by burning fossil fuels and by the use of nuclear energy. One form of energy consumption is from stationary sites, as in the case of electrical power generation, or a factory that produces heat or power to be consumed on site. Another form of energy consumption is that used for transportation.

Considering the release of combustion gases into the atmosphere, some effective choices may be made in limiting the noxious or polluting gases. Natural gas is a fossil fuel and is among the least offensive for the quality of it's combustion products. Coal varies in the content of non-carbon compounds, and better quality coals are preferred. Electric utilities have been making improvements in precipitators and baghouse operations which have mitigated much of the release of noxious gases and particulates.

Some stationary sites burn oil for heating purposes. This adds to concerns about pollution, but the net useage is not very large.

Two energy sources that are considered as not intrinsically polluting are hydroelectric and nuclear, although there is discomfort among many regarding safety of nuclear plants as well as disposing of spent nuclear material.

We have arrived at a workable set of means for providing energy for our current uses, and generally they are the result of using good technology and infrastructure, as well as inexpensive fuels that are normally in adequate supply and don't have excessive contaminants.

A convergence of powerful attitudes had been developing which began to tear at the heart of a well-structured means of supplying power. Many groups and agencies began to lend their muscle to support efforts to reduce air pollution, depletion of energy reserves, restrict drilling for oil, limit the number of oil refineries, limit nuclear-supplied electrical power plants, etc.

Media was a willing accomplice in reporting on arguments offered by radical environmentalists about the hazards (real as well as imagined) of following the trajectory of the providers and users of energy, who may not have the best of interests for our environment.

Our populace had been hearing about smog in some major cities, pollution in Love Canal, and major oil spills. The China Syndrome was a book and movie that highlighted the potential hazards of using nuclear power facilities. There was a limited nuclear meltdown which was contained at Three Mile Island, and a major catastrophe at a nuclear plant in Chernobyl, Russia. Three Mile Island has a containment building and had a fair operational protocol for preserving safety. No nuclear material was released. Chernobyl had no containment building and poor safety provisions. Released nuclear material was a serious hazard for a few decades. Many people don't have a tolerance for any rational consideration of additional nuclear facilities.

Politicians found that a powerful set of conditions existed for them to regulate energy sources and users. Constituents seemed to be in favor, most lobbyists were in favor, and if regulations were implemented in pernicious ways, government could make money while seizing control over a massive portion of corporate and personal lives.

Gaining control and gaining money are powerful incentives. There are groups who are willing to make compromises to achieve each. In the case of energy, the stakes are very high. Progressive politicians are in a position to strive for additional control -- behind the scenes are some very wealthy individuals and groups who have aspirations for a world government, and are willing to fund lobbying and other activities that help implement their plans. These considerations are continually at work in setting policy.

Controlling smog was a major effort that was assisted by politicians who enacted The Clean Air Act in 1970. This act has been amended over the years to refine it's intent. It began as a means for setting limits on tailpipe emissions in new vehicles. Periodic advances in CAFE (corporate average fuel efficiency) standards lowered our use of transportation fuels. Each of these efforts had a major impact on reducing air pollution.

The largest amount of emissions come from stationary sources, so attention was focused on large commerial plants and electrical utilities. Legislative bills intended to limit emissions have been submitted and have lacked the votes to become law. The Lieberman-Warner bill came to the Senate floor during a time when gasoline was around $4 per gallon. A vote was not taken because yea votes were vanishing. The Waxman-Markey bill came up for a recent vote in the House. It passed on a narrow margin after a lot of persuading by democratic leadership. It appears that a Senate version is not likely to be palatable enough to pass. Our media has reluctantly been releasing stories that have alerted people to realize that cap and trade legislation could become the largest de facto tax bill in history, and is of a scale that matches major entitlement programs.

These bills invoke "cap and trade" of carbon (dioxide) emissions credits or debits which have a monetary value in rewarding or penalizing those entities that have succeeded or failed in meeting their emissions quotas, and whose quotas decline on a year by year basis. The government expects to develop a steady cash flow from carbon trading. The quotas and penalties are meant to be punitive, to the extent that there will be incentives to use less energy. Part of the intent is to drive up the cost of energy so that more expensive alternative energy sources will become competitive.