Back in high school my liberal feminist history teacher did an excellent job of illustrating the worldview of the American Indians as they sold their land to European settlers – she offered to purchase the air above our heads.

You see, the Indians couldn’t conceive of owning land any more than you or I can conceive of being able to sell the atmosphere above our heads. (Is it just the air at the time of the sale? Or does it move with us? What if you’re inside? Is it only the air above your head inside the building? Outside the building? Both?)

I’m reminded of this illustration because today the Environmental Protection Agency announced that carbon dioxide is a pollutant that can be regulated. That’s right: No heavy breathing for you. Who will petition the government on behalf of the plant life of the world for CO2 emissions?

This is all kinds of stupid.

Here’s a question for the watermelon left (green on the outside; red on the inside): We certainly don’t want to get rid of all carbon dioxide even if we could. Is there any other “pollutant” that, if we had the technology, would fit into the same category as CO2 where we must have some “pollution?”

This decision was predictable. The EPA will do by regulation that which could never have been accomplished had it had to go through Congress.

When energy prices start going up, you know who to blame.