This stance conveniently avoided rows with oil dictators.

California s latest building and appliance standards are expected to avoid the need for five large power plants in the next 10 years.

And if politicians choose less efficient, less coordinated cap and trade policies, the costs could escalate a further 10 to 100 times.

This freedom obviates the need for the charity of those in power, and more importantly, takes away from them the excuse for maintaining their iron grip over the economic lives of their citizens.

And we, the Member States, have refrained from opening up that subject to public discourse over the past 60 years because of what? Because sentiments of pride, mixed in with a deep sense of embarrassment, have often produced in us only outright denials.