I am a believer -- my goodness I am a Republican -- I happen to believe there is a problem with climate change. I don't want to overreact to it, I can't measure it all, but I respect the creation that the Lord has given us and I want to make sure we protect it".
But we can't overreact to it and make things up, but it is something we have to recognize is a problem."
We are going to continue to work on cleaning coal, but I want to tell you, we are going to dig it, we are going to clean it, and we are going to burn it in Ohio, and we are not going to apologize for it".
I believe there is something to [climate change], but to be unilaterally doing everything here while China and India are belching and putting us in a noncompetitive position isn't good, but some of that is the presidential leadership". I am just saying that I am concerned about it, but I am not laying awake at night worrying the sky is falling. [emphasis added]
If you say you believe one thing, but act as if you believe another"
Gov. Kasich may or may not be worrying about the sky falling, but he's taken actions that will help pull it down. This June, on Friday the 13th, Gov. Kasich signed the bill that put his state in the lead in the fossil fuel industry's attack on alternative energy. Gov. Kasich chose this pro-global-warming path despite significant opposition from some big businesses (Honda, Whirlpool, Honeywell, Owens-Corning), as well as most environmentalists and climate scientists.
In 2008, the Ohio legislature voted nearly unanimously (one No vote) to establish alternative energy standards for Ohio that would help slow climate change. This "renewable portfolio standard" was signed into law by then-Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat. Under this act, Ohio energy generation by 2025 had to come 25% from alternative energy sources, and half of that (12.5%) from renewable energy sources; the bill also required consumers to be 22% more energy efficient by 2025.
By 2010, the state ranked #2 in solar production (behind Oregon) and was reliably in the top five for "green energy." Ohio utilities were required to buy their renewable energy from Ohio companies. An April 2014 poll showed more than 70% of Ohioans supported the 2008 energy bill and its achievements over six years. As Climate Progress noted about the alternative energy standards of 2008:
Since the standard came into effect, Ohio's clean energy sector provided 25,000 jobs and at least $1 billion in private sector investment. This has saved ratepayers roughly $230 million, dropping electricity rates by almost a percent and a half".
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