Sarah Palin Demands Cap and Trade System To Save Alaska’s Environment – You betcha

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

OK maybe not but all the deniers are now having to become cryers…They lost the public because they lost sight of scientific truth, which of course half of them don’t believe in anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixAGZZK_XbMkinda doesn’t matter at this point:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2IVytlHDcY

to the right of Bush/Cheney:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viFu7iB02xs

But then:

Climate change: Alaska Gov.

Sarah Palin acknowledges global warming is affecting her state

But the former GOP vice presidential

candidate contends gas drilling will help curb rising temperatures

By Kim Murphy |Tribune Newspapers

April 15, 2009

ANCHORAGE — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin acknowledged Tuesday that global warming is harming her state but said stepped-up natural-gas production could mitigate its effects.

Palin spoke at a hearing before Interior Secretary Ken Salazar — the third of a series he is holding across the country to consider renewed oil and gas leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf.

The 2008 Republican nominee for vice president said relatively clean-burning natural gas can supplant dirtier fuels and slow the discharge of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

“We Alaskans are living with the changes that you are observing in Washington,” she said. “The dramatic decreases in the extent of summer sea ice, increased coastal erosion, melting of permafrost, decrease in alpine glaciers and overall ecosystem changes are very real to us.”

In the past, Palin has questioned the science behind predictions of sea ice loss.

But at Tuesday’s hearing, she made it clear that she recognizes the problem of global warming and cast energy development as part of the answer.

“Stopping domestic energy production of preferred fuels does not solve the issues associated with global warming and threatened or endangered species, but it can make them worse,” she said.

Palin acknowledged that “many believe” a global effort to reduce greenhouse gases is needed.

“Meeting these goals will require a dramatic increase, in the very near term, to preferred available fuels—including natural gas—that have a very low carbon footprint,” she said. “These available fuels are required to supply the nation’s energy needs during the transition to green energy alternatives.”

The federal Minerals Management Service estimates that Alaska’s offshore basins could hold 27 billion barrels of oil and 132 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Drill baby Drill. Sustainability, not so much.

As this blogger points out Sarah is always kinda vague about everything. No one can figure out whether that is symptomatic of a vague mind or a generalist’s over intelligence:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/10/sarah-palin-dis.html

Sarah Palin discusses global

warming and its causes, vaguely, on CBS

Sarah Palin clearly was in her comfort zone when she chatted on-air Tuesday with conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt. As The Ticket noted , she presented a persona and offered some lines that could serve her well in her Thursday debate with Joe Biden.

Tuesday also saw the broadcast of another of her several interviews with Katie Couric of CBS.

This segment may not spark more calls from conservative commentators that Palin give up her spot on the Republican national ticket. But in front of the television cameras — and in the face of more pointed questioning — the self-assurance that marked her conversation with Hewitt continued to elude her.

One answer by Palin will do little to quell concerns about her position on global warming. As she did with ABC’s Charlie Gibson a few weeks back, she did her best to skirt a direct answer on its causes.

From the transcript:

Couric: What’s your position on global warming? Do you believe it’s man-made or not?

Palin: Well, we’re the only Arctic state, of course, Alaska. So we feel the impacts more than any other state, up there with the changes in climates. And certainly, it is apparent. We have erosion issues. And we have melting sea ice, of course. So, what I’ve done up there is form a sub-cabinet to focus solely on climate change. Understanding that it is real. And …

Couric: Is it man-made, though in your view?

Palin: You know there are — there are man’s activities that can be contributed to the issues that we’re dealing with now, these impacts. I’m not going to solely blame all of man’s activities on changes in climate. Because the world’s weather patterns are cyclical. And over history we have seen change there. But kind of doesn’t matter at this point, as we debate what caused it. The point is: it’s real; we need to do something about it.

Pardon us for asking, but would it not be difficult to devise an effective policy to mitigate the effects of global warming without a firm grasp on what caused it?

I am voting vague mind.

This I Believe – This is brought to you by a very inattentive listner

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

It’s true. I have been driving around in my car this week and listening to local Public Radio Station WUIS. They have been calling on people to write a This I Believe essay. The deadline was tomorrow.

http://wuis.org/

That generally does this:

Impact of Layoffs

February 3, 2009 — The Firestone Tire Company announced it would close its Decatur production plant back in 2001, displacing more than 12-hundred workers. Last week, another major employer, Caterpillar, announced it would be cutting jobs at its plants in Decatur, Aurora, and East Peoria. Robert Hironimus-Wendt is a sociology professor at Western Illinois University. He conducted extensive research on those Firestone workers in the months following their layoffs. In an interview with WUIS’s Jenna Dooley, Hironimus-Wendt says the experience of the Decatur workers provides some insight into the current state of the job market…

Was doing this:

http://www.wuis.org/artsentertainment/TIB_2009.html

Deadline for essay entries: Thursday, February 5, 11:59 p.m.

Entries can be delivered to:
WUIS – This I Believe
One University Plaza, MS WUIS 130
Springfield IL 62703

Or they can be e-mailed to:
WUIS@uis.edu
Questions?:
Call (217) 206-6403

March 9-20 Essays are broadcast at 7:55 a.m. & 4:45 p.m. on WUIS
WUIS encourages area high school seniors to enter the This I Believe essay contest designed to capture their viewpoints and share them with the community. During the spring 2009 semester, some area high schools have even used the This I Believe high school curriculum in their English classes.

In February, a judging panel meets to read the submitted essays and ultimately select ten winners, who will record their essays under the supervision of WUIS News Director Rich Bradley. The winners will each receive $100 scholarships from The Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise.

Listen to the winning esays on WUIS at 91.9 FM, 89.3 FM or stream them here at WUIS.org March 9-20, weekdays at 7:55 a.m. and 4:45 p.m.:}

Feeling like a fool because I had already written my essay and everyone will tell you I AM NOT a high school student, I went to National Public Radio:

http://www.npr.org/

Who normally does this:

U.S. To Cap Executive Pay
For Recipients Of Bailout Funds

President Obama announced rules limiting executive pay to $500,000 a year for companies getting taxpayer bailout funds. In addition to the salary cap, there will also be restrictions on bonuses, payouts or “golden parachute” severance packages for companies accepting taxpayer assistance.

So I scroll down past Arts and Entertainment, past Breaking News, Past a cute little article on Conquering A Baker’s Fear of Yeast, past Most Popular, past Listen Now – Helene Grimaud’s Bach, past an amusing little article – Obama Meets Spidey: The Intervention, past Sports (about a woman and her sail boat – whew hew) and there finally was This I Believe

Which is:

http://www.thisibelieve.org/index.php

What is This I Believe?

This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values that guide their daily lives. These short statements of belief, written by people from all walks of life, are archived here and featured on public radio in the United States and Canada, as well as in regular broadcasts on NPR. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

So I submitted this:

This I Believe. We must love the Earth more than we ever love ourselves. Science fiction is a myth. We are stuck on this planet for the rest of our great great grandchildren’s lives. Yet we squirt poisons into the air and the water like it doesn’t matter. Like birds and fish are not food. We use poisons on our soil to plant food. If we are not very careful soon the Earth shall tire of this. A new dominant species shall replace us. This is a practical matter this love. Past generations of humans had their faults but they were not disrespectful of Planet Earth. They sailed its waters. They traveled its land. They enjoyed its wonders without plunder. Every child should be taught from the time they are born that walking is better then riding. That riding a bicycle is better than riding on mass transportation. That taking mass transportation is always better than riding in a car. That cars when used should have more than one person in them. Every Child should be taught that there is no Away in “throwing things away”. That litter is not tolerated. That recycling of everything is mandatory. That Garbage dumps are an affront to God.

We humans have depended upon the dead for our energy. That is all fossil fuels are. Coal, Oil and Gas are the products of long ago dead forests. That is why they stink. We can no longer release them into the air. We should leave the dead to rest in peace. Burning things up is a primitive behavior worthy of Neanderthal and early Humans. It is unworthy of us. We are surrounded by energy. Our World travels at 27,000 miles an hour causing Aurora Borealis to crackle at the poles. Our Moon exerts enough power on our planet to lift water 25 feet in the air. Our Sun Burns at 27 million degrees and plasma bursts forth at 2 million degrees. It inundates the surface of this planet with 27 gigawatts of power a day in photons. Our winds blow daily. Why in the stratosphere they howl as the Earth rotates. Humans burn at 98 degrees. With properly built homes and adequate nourishment we could heat our homes with ourselves. Ironically the earth is cool at a given depth and we can cool ourselves with it when it is hot. We are engulfed with resources that we squander daily while half the world’s population lives in squalor and ignorance. This will only truly change when we use the energy that we have been given, not what we can dig up.

We can begin this change by the simple act of not doing. If for one day everyone just stopped drinking gasoline the world would begin anew. If for just one day we did not throw anything away but our love for each other, and if everyone celebrated Earth Day in awe for all we have been given, the damage could be undone. This I believe.

Maybe someday you will hear it on the Radio, but I got my doubts. They said no rants…

Will Barack Obama Make A Great President? If he stands as tall on the environment and energy as he talks

Posted on January 20, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

He has said some very good things on the “Green Economy” or Sustainability. If he does what he says he will be a great President. If he doesn’t, he won’t be a great President. Simple as that.

http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Environment.htm

Barack Obama on Environment

Democratic nomine for President; Junior Senator (IL)

Government should invest in clean energy & green jobs

Q: What would you do for the environment?OBAMA: It is critical that we understand this is not just a challenge, it?s an opportunity, because if we create a new energy economy, we can create five million new jobs, easily. It can be an engine that drives us into the future the same way the computer was the engine for economic growth over the last couple of decades. We can do it, but we?re going to have to make an investment. The same way the computer was originally invented by a bunch of government scientists who were trying to figure out, for defense purposes, how to communicate, we?ve got to understand that this is a national security issue, as well.

McCAIN: We can move forward, and clean up our climate, and develop green technologies, and alternative energies for battery-powered cars, so that we can clean up our environment and at the same time get our economy going by creating millions of jobs.

Source: 2008 second presidential debate against John McCain Oct 7, 2008

Willing to suspend ethanol subsidy to keep food prices down

Q: Ethanol usage in gas is criticized for raising food prices. Would you be willing to change ethanol subsidies so that people are not using corn for ethanol, & lowering food prices?A: We?ve got rising food prices here in the US. In other countries we?re seeing riots because of the lack of food supplies. So this is something that we?re going to have to deal with. There are a number of factors that go into this. Changes in climate are contributing. There?s no doubt that biofuels may be contributing to it. My top priority is making sure that people are able to get enough to eat. And if it turns out that we?ve got to make changes in our ethanol policy to help people get something to eat, then that?s got to be the step we take. But I also believe that ethanol has been a important transitional tool for us to start dealing with our long-term energy crisis ultimately. Over time we?re going to shift to cellulosic ethanol, where we?re not using food stocks but we?re using wood chips & prairie grass.

Source: Meet the Press: 2008 ?Meet the Candidates? series May 4, 2008

Genesis teaches stewardship of earth: sacrifice for future

Q: Could you give an example of how you relate your faith to science policy?A: One of the things I draw from the Genesis story is the importance of us being good stewards of the land, of this incredible gift. And I think there have been times where we haven?t been [good stewards], and this is one of those times where we?ve got to take the warning seriously [about climate change]. And part of what my religious faith teaches me is to take an intergenerational view, to recognize that we are borrowing thi planet from our children and our grandchildren. And this is where religious faith and the science of global warming converge: We have to find resources in ourselves to make sacrifices so we don?t leave it to the next generation. We?ve got to be less wasteful, both as a society and in our own individual lives. I think religion can actually bolster our desire to make those sacrifices now. As president, I hope to rally the entire world around the importance of us being good stewards of the land.

And he has been saying these things all campaign long:

http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/07/30/obama_factsheet/

Obama on the Issues

A look at Barack Obama’s environmental platform and record

In the early months of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, enviros were skeptical of his (now heavily qualified) support for coal-to-liquids technology and unvarnished enthusiasm for ethanol, but he earned their respect with his aggressive climate and energy plan. The plan centers on a cap-and-trade system that aims for 80 percent emission reductions from 1990 levels by 2050 and calls for auctioning 100 percent of the pollution permits. It also includes a $150 billion investment to boost clean energy and create green jobs, along with fine-grained proposals to boost efficiency, build a smart electricity grid, and encourage public transportation. Enviros have also applauded Obama’s refusal to endorse a gas-tax holiday and his now somewhat qualified opposition to offshore oil drilling. Obama earned an 86 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters for his first three years representing Illinois in the U.S. Senate (a lower score than might have been because he missed some votes while campaigning for president).

These folks are a good start:

http://enviros.barackobama.com/page/content/enviroshome

Welcome to our new website, Environmentalists for Obama!

Now, more than ever, our nation and world needs a strong environmental leader as President. The challenges posed by global warming and energy needs can only be solved by someone with a proven commitment and ability to engage all people in the critical effort to provide a safe, clean future for America. Barack Obama’s dedication to the environment has been well-established during his years as a state legislator and U.S. Senator. Environmentalists for Obama know that he is the answer to the tough challenges facing us today.

We represent people from all walks of life who are eager for a leader who will promote innovative solutions and reach across partisan and societal divides in our race to save the planet. Join us now to support Barack Obama’s vision for a cleaner, more secure future.

And please join the discussion on our blog. We only ask that participants show consideration and respect for each other. The Environmentalists for Obama blog is not an expression of the positions of Barack Obama or the campaign.

Happy Martin Luther King Day – And what a day it is

Posted on January 19, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

Environmental Justice is predicated on the idea that pollution is purposely sited to poor communities, many of which are not of European descent:

maxevents-usa.com

http://environment.about.com/b/2008/01/21/honor-martin-luther-king-by-fighting-environmental-racism.htm

Honor Martin Luther King

by Fighting Environmental Racism, Promoting Environmental Justice

Monday January 21, 2008

On Martin Luther King Day, Americans celebrate the life and vision of the late civil rights leader who has inspired generations of people to work toward a society characterized by equal opportunity and free of racial discrimination.

In 1968, Dr. King’s life was cut short by an assassin’s bullet, a violent act of racism that stunned and saddened people worldwide. Today, racism still threatens the lives of millions of African-Americans and other people of color.

That threat includes environmental racism, in which the residents of poor minority communities are subject to much higher health and safety risks than people in more affluent communities because of the proximity of their homes and schools to landfills, hazardous waste sites and factories that pollute the air and water.

Environmental racism was first documented nearly 30 years ago by Dr. Robert Bullard…

For more please read the article or this wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_racism

Witches And Sarah Palin Make For Crazy Energy Policy – Better give the kids their candy or it’s a nasty trick for you

Posted on October 30, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

Witches are so cool. Feared because they were powerful woman who paid no mind to no man. But then some people fear them, well, because they are fearful all the time:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080925_13_ANCH744416

Palin once blessed to be free from ‘witchcraft’

By GARANCE BURKE Associated Press Writer
9/25/2008 9:41 AM

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A grainy YouTube video surfaced Wednesday showing Sarah Palin being blessed in her hometown church three years ago by a Kenyan pastor who prayed for her protection from “witchcraft” as she prepared to seek higher office.The video shows Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate, standing before Bishop Thomas Muthee in the pulpit of the Wasilla Assembly of God church, holding her hands open as he asked Jesus Christ to keep her safe from “every form of witchcraft.”“Come on, talk to God about this woman. We declare, save her from Satan,” Muthee said as two attendants placed their hands on Palin’s shoulders. “Make her way my God. Bring finances her way even for the campaign in the name of Jesus. … Use her to turn this nation the other way around.”Palin filed campaign papers a few months later, in October 2005, and was elected governor the next year.

Palin does not say anything on the video and keeps her head bowed throughout the blessing. She was baptized at the church but stopped attending regularly in 2002

Come on, talk to God about this woman. We declare, save her from Satan,” Muthee said as two attendants placed their hands on Palin’s shoulders. “Make her way my God. Bring finances her way even for the campaign in the name of Jesus. … Use her to turn this nation the other way around.”

Palin filed campaign papers a few months later, in October 2005, and was elected governor the next year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj-on3kfWuE
:}

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/24/video-palin-shown-praying_n_128873.html

Blumenthal, in addition to his on the scenes reporting, posts video of the sermon which Palin references (footage begins at 7:30). In it, the minister implores Jesus to protect Palin from “the spirit of witchcraft.” Earlier, he states, “We need God taking over our education system. If we have God in our schools, we will not have our kids being taught how to worship Buddha, how to worship Muhammad. We will not have in the curriculum witchcraft and sorcery.” He also preaches, “The other area is the media. We need believers in the media. We need God taking over the media in our lives.”

This stuff seems rather ho hum until you go from Halloween to the real world.

🙂

MINISTRY STUDENTS: Governor asked them to pray for troops, pipeline.

By GENE JOHNSON
The Associated Press

Published: September 4th, 2008 01:50 AM
Last Modified: September 4th, 2008 06:35 PM

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told ministry students at her former church that the United States sent troops to fight in the Iraq war on a “task that is from God.”

In an address last June, the Republican vice presidential candidate also urged ministry students to pray for a plan to build a $30 billion natural gas pipeline in the state, calling it “God’s will.”

Palin asked the students to pray for the troops in Iraq and noted that her eldest son, Track, was expected to be deployed there.

“Our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God,” she said. “That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God’s plan.”

A video of the speech was posted at the Wasilla Assembly of God’s Web site before finding its way on to other sites on the Internet.

Palin told graduating students of the church’s School of Ministry, “What I need to do is strike a deal with you guys.” As they preached the love of Jesus throughout Alaska, she said, she’d work to implement God’s will from the governor’s office, including creating jobs by building a pipeline to bring North Slope natural gas to North American markets.

“God’s will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that,” she said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhs-Faxi55o

Now I know what you are thinking, many oil Executives have prayed and prayed that their pipelines got done on time and under budget. But that was so they didn’t lose any money. Sarah’s praying to get the pipelin to happen. Geez, I thought that was Congress and the EPA’s job. Happy Halloween!

Oh and for a real witch:

http://bizarrocomic.blogspot.com/

Dan he is funny, oh I mean damn – never mind

Green Sex Life – Yes its true, you can do it in the dark

Posted on October 23, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

OKOKOK talk about pandering:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/sex/index.html

How to Go Green Sex..:}

[by Jacob Gordon]

Whether you’re single and playing the field, settled down with that special someone, or someplace in between, most of us consider good, satisfying, sexy sex an important part of this complete breakfast. It might not be the first thing we think of while working towards a sustainable and graceful life on this fragile planet, but there’s a lot we can do to make our sex lives greener. In the process of greening the ecological footprint of our love making, we might also open up some new doors to deeper pleasure, satisfaction, and romantic connection.

Buzz up!I can’t go on but for more you can go here:

http://evilbeet.blogspot.com/2007/03/green-sex.html http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2005/04/13/gree.DTL

http://blogs.takepart.com/2008/04/09/top-10-ways-to-green-up-your-sex-life/

http://buzzfeed.com/buzz/Green_Sex

http://www.eartherotics.com/

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/eco-sex-guide

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/03/eco_kink_japans.php

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19333870/

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/fresh-greens/2008/10/15/sex-sells-green-pinup-girl-calendars.html

I could go on but I think they already have.

Barack Obama’s Global Warming Policies – OH he calls it Climate Change as well

Posted on October 10, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

Obama’s Climate Change Initiatives are kinda short, but at least he addresses energy conservation. This in a country that should only use 9% of the world’s energy but uses 25% instead.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy_more#emissions

Reduce our Greenhouse Gas Emissions 80 Percent by 2050

Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.The Obama-Biden cap-and-trade policy will require all pollution credits to be auctioned, and proceeds will go to investments in a clean energy future, habitat protections, and rebates and other transition relief for families.
Make the U.S. a Leader on Climate Change. Obama and Biden will re-engage with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) — the main international forum dedicated to addressing the climate problem. They will also create a Global Energy Forum of the world’s largest emitters to focus exclusively on global energy and environmental issues.

« Return to New Energy for America

Create Millions of New Green Jobs

Ensure 10 percent of Our Electricity Comes from Renewable Sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.
Deploy the Cheapest, Cleanest, Fastest Energy Source — Energy Efficiency.Obama and Biden will set an aggressive energy efficiency goal — to reduce electricity demand 15 percent from projected levels by 2020.
Weatherize One Million Homes Annually. Obama and Biden will make a national commitment to weatherize at least one million low-income homes each year for the next decade, which can reduce energy usage across the economy and help moderate energy prices for all.
Develop and Deploy Clean Coal Technology.Obama’s Department of Energy will enter into public private partnerships to develop five “first-of-a-kind” commercial scale coal-fired plants with clean carbon capture and sequestration technology.
Prioritize the Construction of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline. As president, Obama will work with stakeholders to facilitate construction of the pipeline. Not only is this pipeline critical to our energy security, it will create thousands of new jobs.

« Return to New Energy for America

Well at least with Obama it is short enough that people will likely read through it. Still there is the nasty Cap and Trade stuff that will do no good for anyone. We are up against some very hard changes that we need to make in our industrial infastructure. Coal and Oil just won’t cut it as energy sources anymore. Clean Coal technology is a myth. While Obama talks about cutting emmission by 80% he does not say whether that is current emmissions or the 1990 emmission levels. Again there is just enough GOOD energy policy here to give one hope, but enough BAD energy policy here to think that he is pandering again.

AND the Winner is? Try back on Monday this has tuckered me out.

John McCain’s Global Warming Policy – Well, he calls it Climate Change

Posted on October 9, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

But you know what he means, right? nudge nudge wink wink Know What He means?

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/da151a1c-733a-4dc1-9cd3-f9ca5caba1de.htm

Climate Change

John McCain will establish a market-based system to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mobilize innovative technologies, and strengthen the economy. He will work with our international partners to secure our energy future, to create opportunities for American industry, and to leave a better future for our children.John McCain’s Principles for Climate Policy

	•	Climate Policy Should Be Built On Scientifically-Sound, Mandatory Emission Reduction Targets And Timetables.
	•	Climate Policy Should Utilize A Market-Based Cap And Trade System.
	•	Climate Policy Must Include Mechanisms To Minimize Costs And Work Effectively With Other Markets.
	•	Climate Policy Must Spur The Development And Deployment Of Advanced Technology.
	•	Climate Policy Must Facilitate International Efforts To Solve The Problem.

John McCain’s Cap and Trade PolicyJohn McCain Proposes A Cap-And-Trade System That Would Set Limits On Greenhouse Gas Emissions While Encouraging The Development Of Low-Cost Compliance Options. A climate cap-and-trade mechanism would set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions and allow entities to buy and sell rights to emit, similar to the successful acid rain trading program of the early 1990s. The key feature of this mechanism is that it allows the market to decide and encourage the lowest-cost compliance options.

How Does A Cap-And-Trade System Work?A cap-and-trade system harnesses human ingenuity in the pursuit of alternatives to carbon-based fuels. Market participants are allotted total permits equal to the cap on greenhouse gas emissions. If they can invent, improve, or acquire a way to reduce their emissions, they can sell their extra permits for cash. The profit motive will coordinate the efforts of venture capitalists, corporate planners, entrepreneurs, and environmentalists on the common motive of reducing emissions.

Greenhouse Gas Emission Targets And Timetables

2012: Return Emissions To 2005 Levels (18 Percent Above 1990 Levels)2020: Return Emissions To 1990 Levels (15 Percent Below 2005 Levels)

2030: 22 Percent Below 1990 Levels (34 Percent Below 2005 Levels)

2050: 60 Percent Below 1990 Levels (66 Percent Below 2005 Levels)

The Cap And Trade System Would Allow For The Gradual Reduction Of Emissions.

The cap and trade system would encompass electric power, transportation fuels, commercial business, and industrial business – sectors responsible for just below 90 percent of all emissions. Small businesses would be exempt. Initially, participants would be allowed to either make their own GHG reductions or purchase “offsets” – financial instruments representing a reduction, avoidance, or sequestration of greenhouse gas emissions practiced by other activities, such as agriculture – to cover 100 percent of their required reductions. Offsets would only be available through a program dedicated to ensure that all offset GHG emission reductions are real, measured and verifiable. The fraction of GHG emission reductions permitted via offsets would decline over time.Innovating, Developing and Deploying Technologies

To Support The Cap And Trade System, John McCain Will Promote The Innovation, Development And Deployment Of Advanced Technologies. John McCain will reform federal government research funding and infrastructure to support the cap and trade emissions reduction goals and emphasize the commercialization of low-carbon technologies. Under John McCain’s plan:

Emissions Permits Will Eventually Be Auctioned To Support The Development Of Advanced Technologies. A portion of the process of these auctions will be used to support a diversified portfolio of research and commercialization challenges, ranging from carbon capture and sequestration, to nuclear power, to battery development. Funds will also be used to provide financial backing for a Green Innovation Financing and Transfer (GIFT) to facilitate commercialization.John McCain Will Streamline The Process For Deploying New Technologies And Requiring More Accountability From Government Programs To Meet Commercialization Goals And Deadlines.

John McCain Will Ensure Rapid Technology Introduction, Quickly Shifting Research From The Laboratory To The Marketplace.

John McCain Will Employ The Inherent Incentives Provided By A Cap-And-Trade System Along With Government-Led Competitions As Incentives For New Technology Deployment.

John McCain Will Foster Rapid and Clean Economic Growth

John McCain Believes An Effective And Sustainable Climate Policy Must Also Support Rapid Economic Growth. John McCain will use a portion of auction proceeds to reduce impacts on low-income American families. The McCain plan will accomplish this in part by incorporating measures to mitigate any economic cost of meeting emission targets, including:

Trading Emission Permits To Find The Lowest-Cost Source Of Emission Reductions.Permitting “Banking” And “Borrowing” Of Permits So That Emission Reductions May Be Accelerated Or Deferred To More Economically Efficient Periods.

Permitting Unlimited Initial Offsets From Both Domestic And International Sources.

Effectively Integrating U.S. Trading With Other International Markets, Thereby Providing Access To Low-Cost Permit Sources.

Establishing A Strategic Carbon Reserve As A National Source Of Permits During Periods Of Economic Duress.

Early Allocation Of Some Emission Permits On Sound Principles. This will provide significant amount of allowances for auctioning to provide funding for transition assistance for consumers and industry. It will also directly allocate sufficient permits to enable the activities of a Climate Change Credit Corporation, the public-private agency that will oversee the cap and trade program, provide credit to entities for reductions made before 2012, and ease transition for industry with competitiveness concerns and fewer efficiency technology options.

A commission will also be convened to provide recommendations on the percentage of allowances to be provided for free and the percentage of allowances to be auctioned, and develop a schedule for transition from allocated to maximum auctioned allowances. Cap-and-trade system will also work to maximize the amount of allowances that are auctioned off by 2050. John McCain Will Provide Leadership for Effective International Efforts John McCain Believes That There Must Be A Global Solution To Global Climate Change. John McCain will engage the international community in a coordinated effort by:

Actively Engaging To Lead United Nations Negotiations.Permitting America To Lead In Innovation, Capture The Market On Low-Carbon Energy Production, And Export To Developing Countries – Including Government Incentives And Partnerships For Sales Of Clean Tech To Developing Countries.

Provide Incentives For Rapid Participation By India And China, While Negotiating An Agreement With Each. John McCain Will Develop a Climate Change Adaptation Plan John McCain Believes A Comprehensive Approach To Addressing Climate Change Includes Adaptation As Well As Mitigation. He believes:

An Adaptation Plan Should Be Based Upon National And Regional Scientific Assessments Of The Impacts Of Climate Change.An Adaptation Plan Should Focus On Implementation At The Local Level Which Is Where Impacts Will Manifest Themselves.

A Comprehensive Plan Will Address The Full Range Of Issues: Infrastructure, Ecosystems, Resource Planning, And Emergency Preparation.

There are a ton of problems with this plan but the first of the problems is IT”S TOO LONG. In fact, I doubt that anyone will ever read these words, and not just because this is an obscure blog at an obscure site. Nobody will ever get this far! The other problem is it takes too long. I mean no significant reductions before 2050. Who is going to be left alive at that point? But the real killer is the Cap and Trade system. This is just an industry fudge to get around the Clean Air Act. We need to shut down every coal fired powerplant in this country. Contrary to T. Boone Pickens, we need to convert all of those plants to natural gas, until we can get rid of them. We need to start at least three major “Hot Rocks” projects here in the US now. More about Cap and Trade when we look at Obama’s environmental proposals.

Happy Labor Day Everyone! Remember when?

Posted on September 1, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

I walked in the Labor Day Parade today and it brought back memories of the times when we did not try to burn up this planet and squandered every energy resource we have.

. Remember when we used to walk to go to the store to get groceries?

. Remember when we used to walk to church. It was great because we met people along the way who were going to the same church or different church and could talk?

. Remember when we made things ourselves and everyone had a job if they wanted one?

. Remember when kids played outside until dark or later?

. Remember when we threw the windows open in the spring and fall. The air never tasted so good?

. Remember when we had a snow storm every year before Thanksgiving?

. Remember when you could get cars that went furhter than 30 miles to the gallon?

. Remember when it was safe to swim in the creeks and streams?

. Remember when there were butchers in every town?

We have taken a wrong turn and need to change.

They Died For You – Energy Warriors

Posted on May 26, 2008 by Doug Nicodemus

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pgms/worknotify/uranium.html

2000

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is a part of the US Public Health Service (PHS). The PHS and NIOSH have conducted a series of studies since 1950 on the health of uranium miners. The following has information about the results of the latest study.

Background

The PHS began the study in 1950 because of concerns that uranium mining causes lung cancer. (We know that miners were not informed of these concerns at the time). We call it a mortality study because it looks at whether miners have been dying of certain diseases at a higher than normal rate.

NIOSH researchers took over the study in the 1970s, and it has been “updated” several times. The following describes the results of the most recent update.

How the Study Was Done

The mortality study did not include all uranium miners. The study group was only made up of uranium miners who worked underground for at least one month. Also, each miner must have taken part in at least one of the medical exams conducted by the PHS between 1950 and 1960.

First we obtained miners’ work histories. We obtained smoking histories from the medical exams. Next we used death certificates to find out what miners died from. Then we compared the death rates in miners to death rates in the general population of the mining states. The rates in the general population gave us the number of expected deaths in miners. When the number of deaths in miners is greater than the expected number, then an association with mining is suspected.

Because death rates are different for people of different races, we did one study on 3,238 white miners. We did a second study on 757 Native American, African American, and Asian miners. (All but 4 of the 757 miners were Native Americans, mainly Navajo). The following will review the results from each study.

Radon Gas and “Radon Daughters”

From the start, radioactive radon gas and radon “daughters” in the air were suspected as the cause of the lung cancer. Radiation can be thought of like invisible radio waves (only radio waves are harmless) or like specks of dust so tiny they are invisible. We estimated how much of the radon daughters each miner was exposed to by a unit called the working level month. We then looked to see if death rates increased with higher working level months.

This exposure-response relationship is strong evidence of an association between disease and exposure. It is used to show that the longer a miner is exposed to radon gas, the greater may be the risk of lung cancer.

Results for White Uranium Miners

The study looked at all causes of death. Only the causes of death listed below were significantly above normal. The results for all other causes of death were within the normal range.

We found strong evidence for an increased risk for lung cancer in white uranium miners. We expected about 64 deaths, but found 371. This means we found about 6 times more lung cancer deaths than expected.There was an exposure-response relationship with exposure to radon daughters in the mines. When radon daughters are breathed in, they decay radioactively in the lung. This can cause lung cancer.
We also found strong evidence for pneumoconiosis, a type of lung disease (other than cancer) which is caused by dust. We expected less than 2 deaths, but found 41. There were about 24 times more of these deaths than expected.This category includes silicosis, a disease caused by breathing in a particular mining dust, silica. Silicosis causes scarring of the lung and severe breathing problems. The risk of these lung diseases was greater the longer miners had worked in the mine.
We expected to see about 3 ½ deaths from the infectious lung disease tuberculosis (TB), but we saw 13. This is about 4 times more deaths than expected. This could have been related to the silicosis. People with silicosis are more likely to get TB.
We expected to see about 22 ½ deaths from emphysema but found 56. This is 2 ½ times more deaths than expected. Some of this result could have been related to cigarette smoking. People who smoke are more likely to get emphysema.
We expected to see about 68 deaths from injuries and found 143. This is over 2 times more deaths than expected.
We also saw a greater risk of deaths from the categories “benign and unspecified cancers” and “diseases of the blood”. Both of these categories had small numbers of deaths. Therefore, it is possible that the increased risk may not be due to mining.
Finally, we saw a greater risk for “all deaths combined”. We expected 986 deaths and found 1,595. This is 1 ½ times more deaths than expected.

Results for Non-White Miners