Reality deniers are hard at work, with $100s of millions supporting them, arguing that doing something about global warming would be disastrous for the economy. Let us be clear: THIS IS FALSE! Smart climate policy will, even within traditional economic definitions, pay off for the economy. But, in fact, there are a multitude of payoffs here:
Insurance: Reducing emissions (even going to carbon negative) is an insurance policy against potential impacts of catastrophic climate change. There will be impacts but we have, hopefully, the chance to control how bad they will be.
Security: Reducing Global Warming impacts will improve national security (by reducing risks), but a key path will also mean reduced oil imports which might lead to lower global tensions and fewer drives for deployments of military forces into conflict situations.
Economics: Well, the economic payoffs are enormous, from reduced health care costs from lowered pollution, to improved balance of payments due to lowered oil imports and increased exports of green technologies, to green jobs, to …
As for the last, let’s take two great examples from the Sightline Institute that each highlight the payoff potential, along with innovative thoughts on how to accelerate and improve the payoffs.
It had seemed that ABEC had bit the dust, having been transformed into ACCCE. But, it seems that obituary might have been a bit too soon as my in-box just was filled with truthiness and deception from the astroturfing Americans for Balanced Energy Choices. Let’s take a brief look at this material from America’s coal power purveyors.
Robert J. Samuelson simply doesn’t believe in America, in American ingenuity, in Americans ability to rise to challenges and solve problems.
From an acquaintance,
This week’s Newsweek magazine carries a column by Robert Samuelson, titled Just-Call It Cap-and-Tax. Samuelson likes to say he’s not an economist. In this column, he certainly showed that to be the case.
Join me after a fold for a stroll through some of Samuelson’s reckless truthiness.
We could easily ask: Washington Post editors, are you idiots? In publishing George F. Will’s Carbon Power Brokers, the Post editorial board is complicit in the dissemination of deceptiveness and falsehoods surrounding policy making on what likely will be the most significant issue of the 21st century. The Post published this deceptive drivel the day before the US Senate begins debating the Lieberman-Warner Climate inSecurity Act. While, clearly, I have quite serious problems with the CiSA and do not support its passage, this debate and discussion should be on the basis of fact and truth, rather then deceit and truthiness.
As an example of a direct falsehood, Will writes that John McCain supports the bill. Oops, BUZZ, false. John McCain has mouthed some strong words on Global Warming but has managed to be AWOL on every vote that matters when it comes to clean technology and environmental issues in the past year. His staff has already announced that this won’t be an exception to that rule. John McCain doesn’t support Lieberman-Warner (his two biggest Senate supporters) and won’t be there to vote on the bill. McFlip McFlop McSame McCain‘s deceptive sleight of hand continues: listen to what I say, don’t watch what I do when it comes to the reality of Global Warming. That is, unless you’re in the reality-denial world, then ignore what I say and watch what I do. There seems to be an expression for this. What is it? Oh, yeah, “McCain wants to have his cake and eat it too.” To share that cake with George W Bush no matter what storms hit America’s shores.
Join me for a stroll through Will’s willful ignorance …
She spoke about the urgent need for our nation to act on global warming before it’s too late.
This talk has material that merits cheering and other parts that merit groans. Join me after the fold for an examination of why Senator Boxer merits some Cheers and some (strong) Jeers.
June 1st, 2008 · Comments Off on Coal says “Goodbye …”
The latest advertisement from the coal industry warns us that without drastic measures to embrace Clean Coal, we risk saying “Goodbye to the American way of life that we all know and love.”
May 31st, 2008 · Comments Off on Physicians take a Socially Responsible Stand on Lieberman-Warner
The Physicians for Social Responsibility have stepped with a strong statement about the Lieberman-Warner Climate inSecurity Act’s inadequacies and requirements for strengthening it.
In June the U.S. Senate will begin debate on legislation to address global warming. The Climate Security Act, S. 3036, fails to meet the scientific targets that will be necessary to avoid the worst affects of climate change.
May 30th, 2008 · Comments Off on Agricultural Geogineering: Planting wheat for carbon sequestration?
While there is continued emphasis on developing “Carbon Capture and Sequestration” to ensure a continued life for Somewhat Less Dirty Coal (euphemistically called “Clean Coal“), there are win-win-win options for geoengineering and carbon capture, like biochar, that merit far greater attention and active pursuit. Le Monde reported several days ago on yet another potential path for adapting agricultural practices to capture and sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
CNN Senior Business Correspondent Ali Velshi hosts a live radio broadcast today at 10 a.m. (ET) on CNNRadio and CNN.com Live. “It’s Not Just Gas” takes an in-depth look at why oil is bought and sold on speculation, how the oil market is different or not from the housing and stock market and what’s the real long-term projection for oil and gas prices.
Notice the focus here: “speculation” … “market …” before we get to the fundamental issue, “the real long-term projection …” [Read more →]
in American ingenuity, in Americans ability to rise to challenges and solve problems.
falsehood, Will writes that John McCain supports the bill. Oops, BUZZ, false. John McCain has mouthed some strong words on Global Warming but has managed to be AWOL on every vote that matters when it comes to clean technology and environmental issues in the past year. His staff has already announced that this won’t be an exception to that rule. John McCain doesn’t support Lieberman-Warner (his two biggest Senate supporters) and 
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with a strong statement about the Lieberman-Warner Climate inSecurity Act’s inadequacies and requirements for strengthening it.
like