A coalition of some very large Corporations and environmental groups that includes the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the Environmental Defense Fund and the World Resources Institute have join in a call for a federal policy to reduce green-house gases and to speed adoption of climate-friendly technologies.
It is about time, I hope Congress takes up this challenge and does not wait two more years.
List of tired excuses why we should not work on this:
It is too big off a problem; we cannot stop global warming anyway.
It is not caused by human pollution. There are even a few crackpot scientists still support this idea.
We should not bother trying, China is about to become the number one producer of Green House gases anyway.
We can stop global warming. We can do much. There are many technologies to use and many small things that could add up to huge reductions. As we develop new technologies, we can ramp up industry to sell these products around the world. Solar, Wind and Fuel Cells have vast commercial potential. More nuclear power in nations already part of the nuclear club could be a big boost. Efficiency in appliances, lighting and vehicles is even more important. It is possible to make Coal plants much cleaner. Our own Una could speak from authority on this issue. We can beat global warming before we lose the coast cities and set of all the additional problems associated with global warming.
As we reduce our Green House gas production, we also reduce our dependency on foreign oil. This will help keep oil prices lower around the world and reduce some of the money that funnels its way to fund terrorism. We are still the #1 consumer of oil at this time. It will have an effect. In the long run if Japan, Europe, China & the US start producing primarily alternate fuel and very efficient hybrid cars, the demand for oil will drop by an enormous amount. This could be our best way to fight terrorism along with the more important goal of stopping global warming.
I’m with Pelosi. This is too big to be used just as a political football; we owe it to our descendants - as well as our future selves, since most of us expect to live a good while longer - to start dealing with this as soon as possible.
If the companies mentioned in the first article are willing to work in concert with Pelosi and put some serious lobbying muscle behind her efforts, then we might get a carbon cap-and-trade bill through Congress this year. If it does, that means Imhofe will have failed on, or given up on, filibustering, and hopefully Bush will realize that he’s fairly isolated on this issue and not veto.
I’m delighted to see Pelosi putting global warming on the front burner. The thought of four more years of inaction on global warming was, for me, the single most depressing aspect of Bush’s win in 2004.
Just wondering what’s stopping these very large corporations from reducing greenhouse gasses on their own. Why does it take an act of congress? If every very large, or even very medium corporation did something to reduce GH gasses, I’m sure it would have an impact.
Guess that’s the libertarian in me. If you see a problem, act. Don’t wait for big brother to tell you to act.
That being said, we don’t live in a libertarian society, so having congress pass some laws would be a good thing too.
If Company A spends money without any (realizable) return on investment, and Company B doesn’t, which one’s strengthened, and which one’s weakened, their competitive positions?