Originally Posted by
Leif
"global warming", "climate change", or the apocalypse legislation is silly. Here's why:
- "All the evidence" and those "hundreds of studies" can't seem to explain why current trends show that the earth is currently getting cooler.
- Capping CO2 emission (also known as plant food) is silly, considering that it composes only a small portion of greenhouse gasses.
- Temperatures have increased like 1 degree over the past century. So next time it is 105 in Phoenix.... it will be... 106!!! Oh the heat!!!
- Forcing people to live their lives in a government-approved, environmentally-friendly way is extreme. Nobody wants to have low-flow showers, electric cars, solar panels, and windmills.
- Electric cars are powered by electricity. Electricity is produced by burning coal. Ta da~ It's maaggiccc! Oh wait, we're STILL "killing" the environment
- Cap and Trade - A fine strategy if you think this is a serious problem and we can do something about it (see below). Otherwise, it is a serious energy tax, potentially the largest tax in American history, raising energy prices for all of Americans.
- Regulation = government = money = taxes.
- Cap and trade will cost millions of jobs, decrease growth, and shorten the gap between America and other competing countries.
- Companies will simply outside manufacturing to China and other countries that are more concerned with economic growth than making sure that sea levels don't gain a couple inches in a few centuries.
If you believe in climate change legislation you have to believe two things:
1) That global warming is a serious threat
2) That the US enacting policies will inspire other countries to follow suit and suddenly "care for the earth"
Nobody has proved either one of those. Nobody has proved if global warming will be a serious problem. Nobody has proved that we can do something about it if it's a serious problem. Nobody has considered whether or not we need to prioritize economic prosperity over saving the earth and to what degree. Nobody has been able to show if this potential climate change is due to natural shifts on Earth or man-made stuff.
There are dozens of questions that need answers, scenarios that need considering, evidence (or lack thereof) that needs to be analyzed, costs versus benefits, etc.
People advocating climate change legislation have not begun to even answer these questions. Who? What? Why? Where? When? How?
Right now it seems like the next excuse to expand government for the sake of expanding government. I can honestly say I am open minded on the issue of this hypothetical "climate change". Until someone has answers to key questions, nobody can responsibly take harsh actions. It's premature and completely inappropriate.