A global warming skeptic and a leading climate change expert are going to debate the potential impact of cap and trade legislation on West Virginia's economy.

Cato Institute Senior Fellow Patrick Michaels and Climate Change Director David Hawkins at the National Resources Defense Council will face off December 7 at the University of Charleston.

Under legislation passed by the U.S. House and now under consideration in the Senate, the federal government would set limits on carbon dioxide emissions. Businesses would then buy and sell permits to emit the gases.

Michaels says the proposal would lead to job losses in mining, trucking, railroad and other industries.

Hawkins says it would provide opportunities for economic growth.

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