LET'S GET POLITICAL ABOUT: GLOBAL WARMING!
Written by: Bob Metcalfe
Alright, I don't need to reiterate that we'll be cold but not the coldest later this week. The sunshine makes for a boring forecast, so I want to hear/discuss/yell/scream about a big subject on the mind of most Americans... besides health care. Let's talk global warming. I want a nice, juicy debate. I want what YOU think. I really welcome the scientific stuff too. BUT there's one rule: no rude comments, or name calling... those posts will be deleted promptly.
I read an article saying that the next big topic that Washington will attack after health care is global warming. What are your thoughts on cap-and-trade legislation? What questions do you have about global warming and the politics behind it? Do you believe it is or isn't happening? Everyone chime in! We'll leave this post open for as long as its active!
If you ask me, it's WAYYYYY too premature to start taxing the heck out of us based on a so-called "consensus" that the earth is warming due to man.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of time that we have had accurate temperature measurments is equivalent to the width of a hair on a mile long bridge. And during that mile long bridge of time, the earth has warmed and cooled in cycles MANY times. Yet somehow, this time around, the warming is all because of man? So cycles have suddenly stopped, after happening religiously for BILLIONS of years? That's arrogant to think that! My point is, we don't have a real consensus. That is a bunch of bull that the scientists are feeding us, backed by the clearly bias mainstream media and politicians. It's a scam! And if they get their way, we're going to be taxed so severely, and put so much deeper into debt that our status as a super power will be no more.
I think what makes me most skeptical about just how severe global warming is, is that there isn't much to show for it. We still get very cold in the winter, our lakes and ponds still freeze, we even have near record cold summers like last year. I look outside and I hear the weather reports, and I say to myself, where is it?
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, if I had lived under a rock for years, and only had access to the IPCC report on global warming, and listened to the politicians, I would think that I would look outside for the first time to see wild fires everywhere, oceans flooding into coastal areas, and mosquitos flying around in January. And yet, I see the same weather that has always happened. The occasional heat wave along with the occasional cold snap. Ups and Downs. That's what weather is.
I understand people not wanting to get taxed further, but what other choice do we have? Enormmous amounts of pollution is being spewed into our atmosphere every minute. These fat cat industries that are the biggest polluters need to make serious changes, and if it means us dipping into our pockets a bit more or penalizing them, then that's what needs to be done. The end justifies the means.
ReplyDeleteTo the last poster, do you even see that what you're saying is essentially it's not about the science, but about pushing an agenda to penalize industry and restricting freedom? funny how the argument always shifts to that from the global warming alarmist crowd. It's always take down the "fat cats" right? Spread the wealth, right? This whole thing is so transparent when you start to listen to what these alarmists really want to do. Then you realize it's not about global warming at all. Global warming is just the made up disaster that is needed in the socialist political formula to force a society into doing things that they otherwise wouldn't willingly do.
ReplyDeleteThe question is, does this generation have enough of a mind of its own to question things critically, rather than blindly following the mainstream? And more importantly, do they have the ambition to take on those who try to take our freedoms and screw up our constitution? I hope so, but we're all so self absorbed with our iPods and Blackberries, and reality TV shows, that I fear by the time we even realize that we've been taken, it will be too late. This nation will have already changed beyond return. And not for the better.
I think its hype just like the swine flu scare and Y2K
ReplyDeleteScott, Brian or Bob,
ReplyDeleteWhat would the main impacts be here locally if global warming really ramps up like they say it will???
That's an interesting question regarding what kind of impact Climate Change would have on our region. In a paper published in 2002 in the Journal of Great Lakes Research, basically said with warming temperatures, the Lakes would freeze over or get as cold so less heavy lake effect events and even less snow and a lot more lake effect rain events. Check it out here
ReplyDeleteAlso from the website: Union of Concerned Scientists - There concern was more with lake levels both of the Great Lakes and Finger Lakes and all the implications that would have. Like ecosystems, available water for drinking and using for agriculture. Also using water for hydro power.
I am very skeptical that taxing companies and the American people will do anything to stop Climate Change. It just makes us all poorer and more dependent on the government. Also name me one social problem government has been able to solve and fix? Drugs? Poverty? Violence? Education? Smoking? Immigration?
It takes more than government to solve these issues. You force energy companies to pay more in taxes and penalties they just pass this on to the consumer. Problem with that is many of us are having a hard time paying the bills we have.
Unlike the person who said the ends justify the means, in the end the poor get poorer and those just getting by no longer can. I
Don't get me wrong, we have been very wasteful and we need to take care of our home (this planet) I don't disagree that the pollutants and our emissions are having an impact on the climate. I just question how much of the current climate is changing due to man. We should try to be green and the best way we do this is through the free markets and the entrepreneur spirit that makes this country great.
I don't consider myself a skeptic or denier because I am for doing all we can to be cleaner and less wasteful. I also want cleaner alternative forms of energy, but I don't want debate on this issue shut down. If anything debate can really open the eyes of the public and if an argument is flawed people will see that.
I want to address two good points you made, Brian.
ReplyDeleteFor one, you're absolutely right about the issues that the government has tried to take on with no success, (i.e Drugs Poverty, Violence, Education, Smoking, Immigration). I've never really thought much about those issues in the context of how much success the gov't has had in fixing them. And they haven't. That's startling. With that in mind, I don't know why so many people, mostly far left liberals, think that the government will be any more successful at climate change. Like last night's poster asked, i'm afraid that we are a generation of self-consumed people that will blindly follow, only to take a stand when it's far too late, and the damage has been done beyond repair. We're not the greatest generation anymore, that's for sure. And I don't mean that as an attack on any one individual, as i'm apart of this generation as well. We've forgetten what it's like to work hard for our success without handouts.
Secondly, your remark about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer made me think back on a Ph.D professor I had at SUNY Brockport a year ago. She told me that the greatest problem facing America in the near future is the loss of the middle class and eventual class warfare. As far fetched as that sounds, it's far more of a reality than anything. But again, it seems like the vast majority of people are just accepting everything. Maybe i'm wrong, and more are questioning things, but if you watch the mainsteam news networks (with the exception of Fox News which has it's own biases), it seems like we just follow whatever radical course is presented to us simply because it seems popular.
speaking of hydrological changes due to global warming, I remember reading an article a few years back that talked about the great lakes water levels being near record low. The article blamed it on warmer temps and less ice in the winter allowing for more evaporation. How are the great lakes water levels now?
ReplyDeleteThousands of the world's top scientists have studied the causes of global warming exhaustively. Through that research, they uncovered OVERWHELMING evidence that man's activities has caused the vast majority of global warming. With that said, the earth will continue to warm as long as we continue to pollute our atmosphere. Time has run out to cut emmissions at this point, as the tipping point is already upon us. But if we cut emmissions now, we can at least hold off the worst effects - If not for ourselves, but for our children's future on this planet.
ReplyDeleteLook, science isn't about opinion, it's about evidence, and the evidence is everywhere. Just look at what's happening in the Arctic, atop mountain glaciers and in various ecosystems. Tell me how you can question the consensus, and question cap and trade knowing what the scientific community knows???????
I don't even know what cap and trade is or what it means. Could someone tell me?
ReplyDeleteHere's an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal on America's status. Must read:
ReplyDeletehttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB123051100709638419.html
Interesting research article showing how Dr. James Hansen has manipulated the numbers. If this is true, then why is nobody covering such a sneaky fraud?
ReplyDeletehttp://wallstreetpit.com/20710-climategate-goes-back-to-1980
I like Brian's goal of being Green and efficient-- and cleaning up the environment-- regardless of whether Global Warming is affected or not-
ReplyDeleteWe are like Stewards of this planet-- We have a responsibility for minimizing waste, and Reducing our heavy foot print on the delicate flowers of the precious environment around us.
And we are getting there, Max. But it's going to be a very slow process, as we've become so dependant on using our heavy footprint for so many aspects of our everyday life. We just have to be careful not to confuse idealistic, unrealistic goals with the reality of the political environment. Even if we reduce our dependence of environment harming pollutants, we've got nations such as China and Russia, whose economies are expanding as a result of utilizing such fossil fuels. They may give us lip service, but they really have no intentions of reducing their emmissions. We need to tread very carefully in this cap and trade initiative, because in the end, we risk collapsing our already weakened economy as a result, while other countries expand and laugh at us driving around in our tiny, solar fueled golf carts with no real impact on total CO2 concentration.
ReplyDeleteOf course most climate change is not caused by humans, but we could increase carbon dioxide enough to go past several tipping points. Acidification of the oceans can change the mix of creatures that can live there.
ReplyDeleteI don't go for the instant leap to "cap and trade." Directly addressing overpopulation may well be more effective. The Pope's very unfortunate animus against barrier contraception methods and their funding should be actively criticized. Advances in health lead to longevity, but also put pressure on water, land fertility, the carrying capacity of all the earth's land.
NASA has an article on how the Maya overbuilt their area and collapsed.
We need to get much more serious about protecting more of wetlands. I would like to see those concerned with global warming issues to come forward with many more proposals than just jumping to "cap and trade." This begins to feel like a big money gimmick, and is deepening public denial of the real problems we face.
Encouraging directly energy methods that generate less carbon dioxide may be money better spent than forcing polluters to bankroll companies allegedly polluting less.
William Kinney
I think you bring up a good point, Mr. Kinney, with regard to the government's narrow mindedness when it comes to how to approach the global warming issue. I think that the governement believes they're more clever than they actually are with regard to their motives when it comes to cap and trade, among other things. To impulsively jump on one strategy is irresponsible and reckless. And yet we're supposed to just sit back with ease and trust that the government knows best? Furthermore, it is misleading to give the American people the impression that this issue can be "solved" by simply cutting emmissions. That is simplifying a very complex, and not fully understood science. I get disgusted looking through the "nature" section of any major book store, with all of their handbooks on how to "solve global warming." We're mere human beings on this great earth, we CAN'T solve the climate of an entire planet. And besides, does anybody know what that even means? What's the ideal climate, anyway? It sounds lovely, though, doesn't it. Bottom line, it's arrogance at its finest. As Brian pointed out, there are so many tasks that the government has attempted to take on that have been failures. Just look at the "War on Drugs." There are no less drugs today than there were a decade ago. The government did nothing to "solve" that problem. All we have now are overpopulated prisons filled with people who will leave there worse off than when they came in, and a judicial system raking in money from fines. But hey, I suppose things could be different this time around, and the government will be able to help "solve" (whatever that means), the climate of an entire planet. Miracles can happen, right?
ReplyDeleteCap and trade is basically legislation that would regulate (cap) the amount of co2 emissions that companies can produce. They would then be able to buy/sell carbon "credits" on the open market. So, the big guys can purchase them while the greener companies can sell the ones they don't use. Pretty much a way to capitalize on this global warming situation, just like so many (Gore) have so far!
ReplyDeleteI like the whole ethanol farce. It's almost impossible to find pure gas anywhere, as I always see that "up to 10% ethanol used here". Now some people may get a warm fuzzy feeling when they fill up with this junk, but I get disgusted. Ethanol is a by-product of corn. It's mandated that a percentage of the corn crops in this nation go to ethanol production. This takes away from our food stores and raises the prices.
Also, ethanol is supposed to cut down on carbon emissions. I'm not sure if you're aware, but it takes a ridiculous amount of energy and carbon to harvest corn and then refine it to ethanol. I've read several articles suggesting that the net effect is actually WORSE for the environment from using ethanol. But on paper and with a few well placed ads and stickers... the consumer loves it!
Just my two cents.
Yeah, I was just about to point that out too, Bob, but you beat me to it. It cost so much more to produce ethanol. Another brilliant Gov't concoction. Just like the decision to change the date of when our daylight saving time is. Turns out, it actually doesn't save energy at all. But that is what these radical liberals are about....the fuzzy feeling, and the things that look good on paper. What's ironic, however, is that the very things that they pretend are better for us, will only further hurt us in the end.
ReplyDeleteI read a startling article about how many jobs will literally dissolve due to cap and trade, not to mention the cost of countless everyday items that we rely on.
It comes down to this: The United States simply can't afford another financial stress on it. As it is, there is a risk of a double dip recession, and another bank failure on the horizon. We're told health care will reduce the deficit, but I highly doubt it will.
You know, people like to make fun of guys like Glenn Beck. And I can undertand how he serves as an easy target to be labeled as some nut-job right wing loon. But if you listen to some things he says about where America is headed, you realize that he's not that far off. It makes sense. We simply can't sustain the route we are traveling as a people. America is in big trouble if we keep heading in the direction we are going. Our values, liberties and morals are falling apart before our very eyes. Deception rules the nation.
Our founding fathers are turning in the their graves, and nobody seems to care.
The Dept. ov Energy has funded several studies on better scrubbing methods for getting CO2 out of power plant smokestack emissions. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100324141953.htm that are actually cheaper than some currently used scrubbing. I think you will find companies voluntarily updating. Here is a case of government foresight in real problems we face.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Kinney