I doubt their sincerity

HT ThinkProgress

Right now the TEA party candidates are talking about eliminating the VA, the Dept of Education, FDA and Social Security. They oppose government intervention in providing health care for all, and they claim to believe the private sector could manage all this better than government. Forgive me but I doubt their sincerity. At the end of the video he blames government for allowing drilling at 5000 ft of water in the gulf. Insanely inconsistent... on the one hand he wants no regulation and on the other blames government for not having enough regulation, in two consecutive sentences. If you read it differently, leave a comment.

In my memory I can recall just off the top of my head where government stepped in to protect us. Sometimes more effectively than others, but in not one single instance was government responsible for the disaster.


* Polio epidemic
* Thalidomide
* Lead paint and leaded gas
* Smog
* Burning rivers
* Ruined fisheries
* Ozone hole
* DDT
* Endangered species
* Asbestos
* Flu vaccines
* Mining and Oil disasters
* Acid rain

I want to hope that governments around the world can save us from the damage we've done to the climate by spewing teratons of C02 into the atmosphere.

So far many of us are getting on board as individuals. The sales of the Pruis have been phenomenal. We're conserving energy as best we can. Those who can afford it are retrofitting their homes with energy efficient stuff. Some businesses are doing the same (e.g. Walmart).
We need to continue to do that. We must be part of the solution.

We can't trust private enterprise to dig into their bottom line for the benefit of mankind. Private enterprise has no conscience. The stockholders might rebel, and force it, but so often the stock holders with leverage are not worried about climate change as much as they are about their profits. The industries we need to tow the line the most are those least inclined to, such as Oil and Coal (Shell and Exxon are doing some stuff).

That means government regulations. Put a price on carbon to motivate private enterprise to reduce emissions.
That means government subsidies for alternative sources of energy.
That means government investment in breakthrough carbon capture technologies

In 20 years the world is going to be a different place. It could be worse than now, it might be better.   We the people can put our votes where there is support for making it a better place.

No on 23 for one. California is the model for dealing with air pollution. There are clear skies over LA today.  It was a brown haze 30 years ago. California has real successes under its belt. Watch while AB32 becomes a model not only for this country but around the world, for cutting C02 emissions.

Watched Silent Running again (Netflix streaming). Timeless.