There’s no clear evidence that carbon capture and sequestration will be ready for full-scale commercial use 10 years from now. Without this technology, the goals outlined by McCain and those included in the Lieberman-Warner bill cannot be accomplished.

The so-called “green jobs” that would be created from the legislation are also largely a myth manufactured by activists. While it’s true that a proposal such as Lieberman-Warner would have a short-term benefit over the next five years, annual job losses after 2013 would exceed 500,000—even approaching 1 million in 2016 and 2017.

Manufacturing would be among the hardest hit with 2.3 million lost jobs in 2029 as a result of government-imposed changes to the economy. Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Illinois and Maryland are forecast for the biggest losses in the short term, according to the Heritage analysis.

Criticism on the Right

McCain’s embrace of government solutions for the environment represents a major shift from the Bush administration’s approach. It also means the country’s next president—Republican or Democrat—will craft a far different global warming strategy at a time when Americans are already feeling the added costs of energy.

“For the market to do more, government must do more by opening new paths of invention and ingenuity,” McCain said in Portland, Ore., drawing a sharp distinction from the conservative philosophy of former President Ronald Reagan, who famously said, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

Bob Williams, president of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation in Washington state, said he was disappointed with McCain’s reliance on government. Voters in the Pacific Northwest, Williams said, would be leery of government’s attempts to “do more.”

“In order to implement McCain’s proposal,” Williams said, “government would do more by telling the taxpayer what size car they are going to drive; when they are going to drive it; what size house you will live in; and how much electricity you will use.”

He cited government policies that destroyed thousands of jobs for the Spotted Owl, ruined the Pacific Northwest’s fishing industry, shut down America’s nuclear industry and increased the price of food through ethanol mandates in fuel.

Similar criticism is reverberating with many conservatives, who remain skeptical of global warming. These conservatives care about the environment, but want to ensure that the tradeoffs made with legislation do not pose economic problems in the future.

“I have not faced a situation where a major Republican presidential candidate sounds just like a liberal Democrat,” radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh said. “This is embarrassing, and it is frightening.” During his Fox News show, Sean Hannity quipped, “He sounds like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Conservatives are angry.”