Here’s something to ponder this afternoon…
While the rest of us sane and rational people are concerning ourselves with the possibility of a global recession thanks to the new era of globalization, what is the almighty United Nations doing?
Well, they’re telling the world to “be bold” on climate change despite the economic recession.
Let me translate that for you into normal people speak:
“Screw the global economy and the people who are being devastated by the combined effects of a global recession and skyrocketing energy prices thanks to global warming mandates. Oh, and even though the global warming mandates are further driving the recession, don’t let that stop you from forcing them down people’s throats. It’s for the greater good.”
Yet, all the while Mr. I’m worth $100 million thanks to global warming hysteria, Al Gore, is lining his pockets even further as he seeks a $100 million IPO for his new trendy media outlet, Current.
So remember. You and I mean NOTHING. We’re pond scum. We’re nowhere near as important as global warming, carbon credits, Al Gore or the UN.
It really makes you feel warm and loved, doesn’t it?
I think I’m going to go throw up now.
Like the Sideshow Bob quote, although I don’t think I’ve ever seen it used seriously before.
I have a couple of questions for you:
How has the response to global warming caused the recession? I could have sworn it was more due to the housing crisis.
I am assuming from your post that you believe doing anything to combat global warming will be bad for America. Why? Won’t the creation of new industries (I.E. alternative energy) lead to the creation of more jobs in the good ol’ USA?
Like your blog’s theme too, I have the same one.
I’m glad you like the Sideshow Bob quote. He’s one of my heroes, right up there with Mr. Burns.
Anyway, to answer your questions…
First off, I didn’t say “caused” I said “further driving” the recession. Why would I say that? Simple. Almost every economist has warned that the so-called “answers” to the global warming issue will have severe economic repercussions. They will cut GDP, they will drive energy prices up, they will cost the average household more for their daily goods… It’s all tied together. Anybody who thought that the green push wouldn’t severely impact the economy is living in a dream world. Do you think that the average consumer gives a rip that GE and Phillips stand to make a ton of money off CF light bulbs and wind turbines? No, they care that their heating bills, electricity bills, food bills, gas bills and lord knows what else are on the rise while salaries and jobs are going the other way.
The collapse of the housing bubble is a canard, and economists could have predicted it would happen. To blame that for the onset of this economic downturn is asinine. Did it help contribute? Yes, but you’re just talking about a market correction that was overdue anyway.
Second, without being too general here, I will say that I firmly believe that we are going gangbusters overkill with global warming here. I’m not sure why anybody thinks that there will be some sudden surge in the creation of “green jobs.” If you think about it, what does that mean? Sure, it’s a sexy talking point for the global warming crowd, but do you honestly think that alternative energy will result in a surge in jobs? I’ll give you a hint, windmills need less staff than traditional power plants. So if you kill off a coal plant and replace it with wind power, you may have created new jobs, but you’re still in the negative numbers for job growth. You need to look at the big picture. No coal plants means no coal mining, no coal trucking, no coal trains, no coal power plant workers. Will some wind turbine techs be able to replace those people? Not a chance!
I agree that we could be more ecologically sound here in the US, but we need to balance that out without hurting too many people. This blind race to go green is a bad, bad idea. There’s no logic, no planning, no risk assesments, no long term impact analysis… It’s just a race to get there as fast as we can presumably with some sort of vague plan to deal with the consequences afterwards. This is not smart growth, this is knee-jerk reaction to a hypothetical crisis. Is it really worth the potential to cause serious economic harm to the country and the people over something that is more than likely a bunch of crap anyway? We’re smarter than this, but our politicians are more interested in appeasing the pop-culture crowd than using their brains, and I fear we’re going to suffer severe consequences as a result.
I agree that a move toward more ecologically sound practices needs to be planned thoroughly, but as far as jobs are concerned, I don’t see how this will be destructive for the US workforce.
Here’s why: In recent decades, factory jobs have been steadily moving out of the USA. If we take the lead on “going green” and basically put our stamp on the industry by making a concerted effort to attract businesses and researchers, it seems to me that it would offset any jobs lost. To run on your example of coal—
no coal miners —— farmers growing crops for ethanol (no not corn, switchgrass and sugar cane are far better and won’t affect food prices nearly as much)
no coal trucking, no coal trains —– ethanol will need to be delivered, parts for solar plants and wind turbines will need to be delivered too.
no coal power plant workers —– solar power plants will need technicians, but more importantly, someone will need to develop and manufacture parts for the new industry and the technology that will come with it, I think that should be the USA.
One of the worst things to happen in the last few decades was the loss of millions of factory jobs to workers overseas. The new industry of alternative energy has given us an opportunity to get those jobs back, and I think we should take it.
I actually think both of you are on the right track.
Any rationale for development of alternative energy is best divorced from the global warming hypothesis. As the real science is starting to point out, the increased temperatures are also seen on Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and a few other planets meaning the sun is just extra active. There is absolutely nothing Congress can do about that.
Diversification of our energy sources does make sense and given that it would take quite a while for any transition, I would guess it would likely be a push on job creation / loss.
But in order to advance and create the technicians necessary, we need to get the educational house in order and actually get back to teaching real facts not junk history, junk science and fuzzy math. No one would want an engineer to build a solar panel factory on guesswork science and close enough numbers.
On one hand, I agree with you. I work in manufacturing, and over the past couple of years I have had some pretty rough times. Right now I’m lucky to be in a fairly solid industry. That could change in an instant though.
But when you look at what kills jobs and what forces jobs overseas, the three biggest things are: excessive regulation, excessive taxation, excessive fees and penalties.
The global warming mandates levy all three of these things against American businesses in spades. That is not conducive to growth of the economy or of jobs.
But let’s look closer at your points for a moment…
Farm jobs are rather limited, plus farming is cyclical. I don’t know where you’re at, but out here in farm country I get to see how farming works, and I can tell you that when it comes farming grains and corn, you only need a few people to work the fields.
If biofuels are supposed to be replacing gasoline, then we already have the necessary trucking infrastructure to transport the ethanol. I don’t see job growth in ethanol transportation because it should be a 1:1 transition from gasoline trucking to ethanol trucking. The other problem is that many of these products (such as turbine parts or solar panels) are a single shot deal. Once those windmills and panels are installed, there is no more need to transport the parts whereas coal is a continuous flow.
I agree, we should be on the forefront of engineering and development. Now you’re talking about my industry. However, going back to my original point, you need to encourage this sort of business in this country first. Even in my industry, what was once a massive business has been cut down to a small engineering staff, quality and regulatory staff, administrative and sales and a few techs while the bulk of the work has been shipped overseas where they can avoid much of the excessive regulation and taxation that strangles small businesses. Is increasing this stranglehold by forcing carbon taxes, carbon caps, emission regulations, etc etc going to encourage more technology businesses in the US?
I couldn’t agree more. I have had more than one job dry up from under me over the past few years… And I agree, we have an opportunity to return to a state that we were in back in the first half of the 20th century and be a technological and industrial leader as we go through this new revolution of technology… But without a business climate that is conducive to this, we are going to continue to sink behind nations that foster growth without being continually beat up by an over-zealous government body.
Be bold?..pffttt!…dont lose your mind hun…we feel your pain!
Screw the global economy and the people who are being devastated by the combined effects of a global recession and skyrocketing energy prices thanks to global warming mandates. Oh, and even though the global warming mandates are further driving the recession, don’t let that stop you from forcing them down people’s throats. It’s for the greater good.”
Ryan is right on! Follow the money honey, it sure is going out of our pockets..Big Al isnt hurting nor the rest of the Greenies!
I am so sick of the UN and all these environmental wackos trying to tell us we have to sacrifice while they fly around the world. The only thing the UN cares about is bringing the USA down to the level of the rest of the world.
You just now realized we don’t matter?! Hahaha…I’ve felt that for, well, let’s just say a while now. I guess I’m not really sure I agree that THIS is the exact reason but I think we can agree that greed is surely king. And greed is why we are never going to be worthy…
I just had to finish an assignment at school. It was basically why is the UN so wonderful. I am pretty sure I am going to get an F on that one.
Seriously?
I didn’t know you were in school. What’re you studying?
You should post your assignment for us… Which actually reminds me, if you or Spawn ever want to guest post here, I would be honored. I would add you as a user and everything.
Let me know if you’re interested.
I am going back to school to study International Business. Its online (which is why I get to check these posts as often as I do) and it is pretty simplistic for the most part. I am now in an Ethics class which is driving me batty. Trying to give honest apraisals without pissing off the teachers. hehe.
Ethanol is a bunch of crap. It would take a farm the size of Texas to meet our nation’s ethanol goal. When I stop at the pump, the ethanol gas doesn’t cost any less that regular gas. How’s it going to help? It took the US less than ten years to put a man on the moon, but its going on 60 years to find a better means of transportation. Where’s the leadership and the common outrage?
Green energy is good when developed properly and reasonably. Most of the time though, it gets an idea and then goes overboard. Don’t worry about the coal jobs, just like spoke makers and buggy whip makers, they’ll move to another arena. We just have to make sure the arena is ready.