http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010318/ts/energy_lindsey_dc.html
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush's chief economist said Sunday that the United States cannot afford to curb carbon dioxide emissions because it is in the midst of a ``major'' energy crisis.
Speaking on NBC's ``Meet the Press,'' White House chief economic advisor Lawrence Lindsey said carbon dioxide caps could cause more energy blackouts like the ones that have plagued California.
``We have a major energy crisis ... We have a choice in this country of having the lights on or, at least in the short run, having more carbon dioxide,'' Lindsey said.
President Bush announced last week that he would not seek mandatory limits on carbon dioxide emissions, abandoning a campaign promise and angering environmentalists.
Carbon dioxide is widely believed to be a major contributor to global warming and climate disruption.
Lindsey said the country's energy woes -- including shortages and high prices -- were caused by a failure to build infrastructure.
``We need more refineries, we need more power plants, we need more pipelines,'' he said.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010318/ts/energy_lindsey_dc.html
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