Does America have the energy to be serious about global climate change?

Question

Do we have the energy to do big things in a sustained, focused and intelligent way? Some say we are in the midst of a national political brownout, given that Hillary Clinton sides with John McCain on a gas holiday proposal to push for suspension of the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon, for this summer's travel season.

Also, it seems, Congress has been bickering over whether and how to renew the investment tax credit to stimulate investment in solar energy and the production tax credit to encourage investment in wind energy.

I love the name of the article.

http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_read.asp?id=1011164302008

Answer 1

Maybe.  But not as long as people don't understand the facts and the complete reality of this statement:

"This is money laundering: we borrow money from China and ship it to Saudi Arabia and take a little cut for ourselves as it goes through our gas tanks. What a way to build our country."

I've rarely been so discouraged here as I have by the inability to understand that simple truth.  We owe the Chinese vast amounts of money we've borrowed.  Hundreds of billions.  And a lot of that money went to Saudi Arabia to buy oil.  We are truly "Dumb as We Wanna Be", if we don't understand the complete madness of what we're doing, with our insane dependence on oil.

Friedman is a brilliant guy, who has written very well on our inability to adapt to the modern world of foreign competition and expensive oil which we now are completely reliant on.  An excellent book of his is "The World is Flat".  I suppose some won't get that title, either, but the basic idea is that cheap transportation and communication have leveled the playing field of world commerce.

We desperately need a crash program to develop home grown energy; nuclear, solar, wind.

Answer 2

As an American living in Italy, it's horrifying to see the popularity of SUV's here where the average street is about as wide as my driveway was back home in the states.

I think the problem we're dealing with here isn't only an American issue.  It isn't a government issue.  It's a PERSONAL issue.  The question we have to ask ourselves everyday is:

What did I do today to make the world

a cleaner,

safer,

friendlier,

or greener place?

We can only change our own behaviour.

We must stop waiting for someone else to do it for us.

Stop thinking big.

Think small.

Think personal, or neighbourhood and community not nation.

That's where we have to start.

Some may think it's too late to change anything at all, or maybe they think it's ignorant or arrogant to think that one person can make a change.

I'm certainly glad that Ghandi, Mother Theresa, and Rosa Parks didn't think that way.

They stopped complaining and did what they had to do.

Now I'm no saint, but I do my little part to contribute.

Even if it's just writing a little blurb on Yahoo about some crazy idea.

Answer 3

I can't speak for america but I do believe americans have the energy its a matter will.

Answer 4

I stopped reading the article here:

"This is money laundering: we borrow money from China and ship it to Saudi Arabia and take a little cut for ourselves as it goes through our gas tanks. What a way to build our country."

I now see why so many people believe in AGW.  And yes the title DOES fit, just not as the author intended.

Edit:  Wow, Bob, I wasn't going to point fingers.  Thanks for volunteering!

Edit:  Fine...I read further.  I had to stop again here:

"These credits are critical because they ensure that if oil prices slip back down again — which often happens — investments in wind and solar would still be profitable. That's how you launch a new energy technology and help it achieve scale, so it can compete without subsidies."

I'm sorry...if you're not laughing at the above statement, you're not paying attention.

One more:

"While all the presidential candidates were railing about lost manufacturing jobs in Ohio, no one noticed that America's premier solar company, First Solar, from Toledo, Ohio, was opening its newest factory in the former East Germany — 540 high-paying engineering jobs — because Germany has created a booming solar market and America has not."

First Solar is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ (not Ohio).  It's a 22 BILLION dollar, international corporation.  Even at this size, it's growing in leaps and bounds due to the global market for it's products (thanks to government subsidies/regs in other countries).  Its earnings are predicted to grow at a staggering 46% annually over the next 5 years!  The author is trying to say this company can't compete without taxpayers subsidizing it in the states??  

LOL!!!  What an excellent title!

Answer 5

Now you know why America is slipping down while other countries are progressing.

Answer 6

Global Warming is a scam . The green house gas is not there. Gore has done good at propagating this lie. How did U fall for it.

Answer 7

No never

All the Energy goes into exploiting the planet

and its a bother to change habits

kind of strange

Who would  want to rule a devastated world

Answer 8

Not that many are very interested in this around the world. A lot of commercials have "How to live green" or other stuff. Overall it is like 50% want to help and the other 50% care about other stuff that they think is more important.