newsobserver.com projects - climate change - Comments

Re: Another mission for national security

taylor — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:07:43 -0400

The vets are on to something here. Unstable weather, droughts, hurricanes and rising sea levels all bring on chaos. In addition, America's dependence on foreign oil, mostly from violent, anti-American Middle East countries, keep us under their thumb.

The pending American Clean Energy and Security Act in Congress needs to become law. The ACESA puts the environmental ball back in our court by giving us incentives for investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy such as wind and solar, and by boostering the transition to a clean-energy economy. Such new investments in clean-energy technologies would lower global warming pollution and reduce foreign oil use. It would, as well, create jobs and increase our economic competitiveness in the world.

I salute Veterans for American Power for this proactive effort. As a Vietnam veteran, I feel this is a new call to action. It may not require a uniform, as before, but it does demand our commitment to sacrifice for the security interests of our nation, and it can be done without firing a single shot.

Charles Malone
Raleigh

Candidate for NC Senate 2010

Re: NC companies oppose Chamber

BitterEXdemocrat — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:23:01 -0400

We also OPPOSE NC chambers of commerce supporting and promoting the MILEAGE TAX as is being pushed by the members of NCGO coalition...

www.NCGO.org search the members list and call them out on this!
Another EVIL progressive group trying to OPPRESS the citizens!

Re: NC companies oppose Chamber

ishley — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:33:17 -0400

neo_mom, I find it difficult to accept at least some of your logic. You argue that Apple shouldn't support cap-and-trade in the U.S. because they manufacture some of their products in China, where pollution controls are more lenient. Isn't this an example of making the perfect the enemy of the good? Kind of like arguing that a person shouldn't do a good thing because they could do a better thing?

Perhaps Apple can't justify pulling out of China entirely because this would hurt their profit margin too much, but at the same time they can justify supporting domestic cap-and-trade legislation because it would only hurt their profits a little bit and they think that the additional benefits outweigh the additional costs.

Generally, companies (and people) can perform the same act for more than one single reason...let's call that mixed motives. It bothers me not at all if some companies support cap-and-trade in part because they think it's good P.R., or because they think they can make a profit. If a company says "hey, if we support cap-and-trade and therefore our customers live longer, then those customers will probably be able to buy more of our product during their extra years alive" then that is a fine reason, even if it's not as noble as "we support cap-and-trade because it is a moral imperative."

Any corporation's primary duty is to its shareholders, and most shareholders want profit above all else. Cap-and-trade is a mechanism that requires companies to begin paying for the externalities of the pollution that they cause. It also allows the profit motive to work in a more precise fashion than our current system, in which companies don't pay for the pollution damage that they do to the global commons (i.e., all of us).

Re: NC companies oppose Chamber

neo_mom — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:55:34 -0400

forgot the blog link....

http://greenhellblog.com/2009/10/05/if-apple-was-really-concerned-about-the-environment/

Re: NC companies oppose Chamber

neo_mom — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:52:45 -0400

Its all political BS.

GE wants to sell carbon credits. Apple, Microsoft, and Nike are uber liberal. The energy companies like Excelon have lots of nuke plants and want to build more. blah blah blah

It has zero to do with "Saving the Planet". Case in point - Apple. Their HQ is in California. They build iPhones in Shenzhen, China

A blog juxtaposed pics of the air quality in both places. If Apple really cared about the planet (or folks in the US for that matter), they would shut down in China in protest to the Chinese gov't not signing on to Cap/Trade either and put some Californians to work building those iPhones. Its not like they aren't making a boatload of money off of them anyway.

Hmmmm?

Re: NC companies oppose Chamber

Kingixolib — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:10:44 -0400

Not that I think that green is bad but I trust big business as much as I trust career politicians. Rats don't leave a seaworthy vessel unless they can get something better somewhere's else.

Let's be optimistic but let's also keep our eye on the money trail.

I know the list that includes those above isn't complete but most are from broke( more than NC anyway) and ultra-liberal California.

Progress and progressives, as well as conservatives, can appear to be on the up and up but keep in the back of your mind politicians and their big business supporters will knock your **** in the dirt in a New York second for a buck and never look back.

Re: Advocate takes temperatures on climate

ishley — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:01:20 -0400

Wind power is absolutely not a joke, Paul. It is a sustainable domestic source of energy production that is almost cost-efficient now. It will play a vital role as an energy source in the near future. Parts of NC have good wind, and we should prepare ourselves to take advantage of this fact.

Being in favor of nuclear power doesn't really have anything to do with being against wind power. You don't have to call wind power "a big joke" in order to present a strong case for nuclear power. In fact, doing so makes you sound ignorant and detracts from the point you're trying to convey.

Wind an nuclear energy are both crucial for our future energy needs.

Re: Advocate takes temperatures on climate

PaulTerrell — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:12:24 -0400

Wind power is a big joke in that it will cost a whole lot more than they are telling us. And nuclear is the cleanest energy overall and most conservationsit would rather have coal energy i guess.

We currently have a well run federal and state run program. There are still issues with some super fund cleanup sites being stopped by Kerry and other northeast Democrats. And we have to rely heavily on coal until we get off our butts and put in more nuclear. Wind power just cannot cut it.

Re: Lieberman working with Burr?

beachbum3 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:01:54 -0400

IN MY ESTIMATION LIBERMAN ISNT ANYTHING BUT A DAMN REPUBLICAN ANYWAY SO HIS WORKING WITH BURR DOESNT SUPRISE ME ONE BIT IN THE LEAST THANK YOU

Re: Testing the waters

DanieJo3 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:06:44 -0400

I have always been told that the Outer Banks are constantly shifting, so how on earth could one deduct whether the sea is rising? Help me, I'm confused.

Re: Testing the waters

foresterjohn — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:37:41 -0400

how about scientifically managing the coast and not the perception of the coast. What if everyone "believes" it is happening. Are they going to tell us it is not? I "believe" I have lost my confidence that they are properly managing the resource and are instead managing their image.

Re: Club for Growth targets Dole

dahedgehog — Thu, 29 May 2008 10:56:13 -0400

When talking about cap and trade, it is important to know whether permits will be given to polluters, or if they will be auctioned to polluters. Both are cap and trade proposals, but both have some significantly different policy implications. That information would be useful for readers to know.

Thanks

Re: Five reasons Perdue beat Moore

liam — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:34:56 -0400

This is a really great roundup of the race, thanks rtb

Teachers promoted Perdue, too

bartonhayes — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:07:18 -0400

I know it's easier to talk about "attacks," but I really liked the videos that a number of North Carolina's teachers posted at YouTube. They said nothing about any opponents, only focused on the good work that Bev Perdue has done on issues related to kids and schools.

If you didn't see them, Ryan, here's a little list of them.

And I noticed too that in her speech, the first folks she thanked were North Carolina's teachers.