Kathy and I have had a spirited discussion on global warming. See "Becker on Global Warming" if you want to take a look. Anyway, the Wall Street Journal had an interesting editorial on the subject of U.S. vs Europe and greenhouse emmissions.
The bottom line, despite greater economic and population growth, emmissions growth has increased more slowly in the U.S. in recent years. And the following pretty much sums it up:
"If global-warming activists were as interested in lowering air temperatures as they are in expanding the role of the state, they'd understand that the key to reducing carbon emmissions lies in unleashing the private sector, not capping it. That's the real lesson from the policies- and the results- in Europe and the U.S.
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For me the issue of Global Warming can be argued till the cows come home, maybe/probably it is happening, and maybe/probably humans are a significant contributor to causing it this time round. Regardless, we should be committed as a nation to get to alternative energy a lot quicker. Spiking energy costs and a foreign policy leveraged by oil tyrants are two good reasons. The first companies to successfully bring new energy technologies to market will be big winners and their nations will likely win jobs. Instituting huge technological changes that broadly impact all of our lives on a daily basis will likely depend on some government involvement - to accelerate deveopment, government policies that encourage or provide direct support to R & D would facilitate winning the alternative energy race. To transition from fossil fuels to new technologies large infrastructure changes would be needed - government involvement would likely be needed there too. Because of the oil bussiness circles POTUS and VP move in they're not likely to move the US towards alternative energy very fast. Remove dependence on foreign oil, create new energy technologies and the jobs that go with them, and ... improve the environment. As the competition heats up worldwide to develop alternative energy we'll have another kind of global warming, one that we want to be the leader of. Question of course is, will we?
I think we also need to end the protectionism offered to our farmers. If I am not mistaken, ethanol is produced for much less in a Latin American country but has to overcome a substantial tarriff.
Eric, Thank You!!! In essence, this is what I've been trying to say, but you've said it much better than I have.
Denis, speaking of farmers(this doesn't have anything to do with your comment, rather another green option), they have wind farms in Iowa that are in the farmers fields. While the turbines are generating power up above, the farmer is working his fields down below. I think that's really cool. As far as protectionism, there are two sides to every story. I'd have to know more about it before I could say one way or the other.
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