John Bryson, Commerce Secretary, Appointed For Jobs or Climate Change?

If confirmed, Commerce Secretary John Bryson will be tasked to double U.S. exports over five years. He is a long time dedicated green environmentalist. With all that, maybe we ought to wonder what Bryson will be exporting over the next five years.

Last year, John Bryson served on the United Nations advisory group on Energy and Climate Change; they established a course of action in meeting Millennium Development Goals by 2015. It calls for “policy-makers and business leaders” to transform the performance of energy sources over the coming decade. There were eight Millennium Goals that includes ending poverty & hunger, universal education, gender equality, environmental sustainability and global partnership. In their report, “Energy for a Sustainable Future: Summary Report and Recommendations,” high-income nations may increase R&D investments and focus more on supporting developing countries. They also “encourage the United Nations and its Member States, other multilateral institutions, and the private and non-profit sectors to take the actions needed to achieve its goals.” According to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon stated “Addressing the challenges is beyond the reach of governments alone. It will take the active engagement of all sectors of society: the private sector; local communities and civil society; international organizations and the world of academia and research.” It appears that the advisory group he participated supports the United Nations Climate Change movement.

In addition to serving on the UN advisory group, John Brysonalso co-founded the National Resource Development Center (NRDC), an international nonprofit environmental organization that protects the world’s natural resources, public health and the environment. Their mission is “to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals and the natural systems on which all life depends.” They strive to create a new way of life for humankind, one that can be sustained indefinitely without fouling or depleting the resources that support all life on Earth.” Apparently, the center he founded supports the Global Climate Change movement.

Bryson does have some business experience as the CEO of a California’s power company, Edison International. After 18 years as CEO, he retired in 2008. In the 2000 and 2001, his company was in involved with the California blackouts and a subsidiary of Edison International nearly went bankrupted. His experience also expands to sitting on a board of Walt Disney Co and Boeing Co. where he was director.

Apparently, the Republicans sought to oppose confirmation unless the Obama Administration submits to trade agreements with Panama, Colombia and South Korea. Jim Inhofe’s Press office released this YouTube video on John Bryson discussing the Hidden Carbon Tax. Darrell Issa also referred to Bryson as a “green evangelist.”

As the Business Roundtable and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce give him positive responses, it appears that John Brysonwill be doubling U.S. exports over five years. We should have learned our lesson when someone states they are going to fundamentally transform America, we may want to ask…to what? Maybe one of the first questions we should ask of John Bryson…export what, jobs, money, goods & services?