tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post8902616651321758824..comments2023-11-03T11:37:04.473+00:00Comments on nothing new under the sun: USA failbyron smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-70641485430797014922012-07-07T01:55:00.125+01:002012-07-07T01:55:00.125+01:00Grist: Another account of the failure. This one a...Grist: <a href="http://grist.org/politics/how-environmentalists-win/" rel="nofollow">Another account of the failure</a>. This one argues that environmentalism needs to make corporate allies or it won't succeed.byron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-1352587880190909422010-08-03T07:44:19.888+01:002010-08-03T07:44:19.888+01:00Thanks Byron,
Your a hard man to keep up with.
I...Thanks Byron,<br /><br />Your a hard man to keep up with.<br /><br />I do agree with this statement of yours<br /><br /><i>So implementing a modest system with scope to be ramped up once the public support consolidates is an important short term goal.</i><br /><br />with two provisos that 1) a system of checks and balance are in place that demonstrates the action is cost effective and 2) I would David Palmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12915892358086536345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-86128915223269600342010-07-31T13:17:27.425+01:002010-07-31T13:17:27.425+01:00G. P. Wayne: Why most of the post-mortem analyses ...G. P. Wayne: <a href="http://gpwayne.wordpress.com/2010/07/31/523/" rel="nofollow">Why most of the post-mortem analyses miss the point</a>.byron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-39269970640447785372010-07-30T16:40:26.808+01:002010-07-30T16:40:26.808+01:00PPS Most Australians also want a stronger ETS than...PPS <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/most-want-action-now-on-emissions-20100729-10wdr.html" rel="nofollow">Most Australians also want a stronger ETS than the one Rudd was proposing</a>.<br /><br />"The two-year emissions trading scheme study found the majority of the 7000 randomly selected people wanted to see carbon trading operating before 2012, even though it byron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-69408825195155682552010-07-30T15:36:22.045+01:002010-07-30T15:36:22.045+01:00PS One more highly relevant post from last week.PS One more highly relevant post from <a href="http://nothing-new-under-the-sun.blogspot.com/2010/07/perplexed-but-not-in-despair-christian.html" rel="nofollow">last week</a>.byron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-4274407204302952442010-07-30T15:13:12.660+01:002010-07-30T15:13:12.660+01:00If we only reach 5% reduction, that is better than...If we only reach 5% reduction, that is better than nothing. Even if we just level off, that is better than nothing. It is a cumulative problem, so the less CO2 (and CH4 and so on) that reaches the atmosphere, the better. I agree that the kind of reductions required to reach levels where the damage will only be severe are very, very difficult (at least politically, though the technology all existsbyron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-36721477628160008592010-07-30T14:24:48.718+01:002010-07-30T14:24:48.718+01:00PS Public support often follows policy. All kinds ...PS Public support often follows policy. All kinds of things that are now seen as political no-brainers with broad public support began life as partisan and controversial ideas. Public opinion can change rapidly, as can be seen looking at polls about the popularity of off-shore drilling in the US before and after the BP catastrophe.<br /><br />So implementing a modest system with scope to be byron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-76225900621411083612010-07-30T14:21:04.270+01:002010-07-30T14:21:04.270+01:00But we can trade polls all day and frankly I think...But we can trade polls all day and frankly I think they are all somewhat irrelevant because governments ought not simply do what people want, but <a href="http://nothing-new-under-the-sun.blogspot.com/2007/12/political-representation.html" rel="nofollow">they ought to make good decisions on the best information whether they are popular or not</a>. Polls are not a mandate and poll-driven politicalbyron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-77487039777756564152010-07-30T14:20:46.378+01:002010-07-30T14:20:46.378+01:00The Niall Ferguson article is indeed interesting. ...The Niall Ferguson article is indeed interesting. Thanks for the link. I have been blogging about the possibility of collapse for some time. Have you read Jared Diamond's book called <i>Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed</i>? I think you might really like it. I have recently finished Joseph Tainter's important (but more academic) work <i>The Collapse of Complex Societies</ibyron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-38742222488925907782010-07-30T13:43:47.969+01:002010-07-30T13:43:47.969+01:00I note you do not accept my argument that the cost...I note you do not accept my argument that the costs of undertaking action are enormous.<br /><br />In response let me say I think your arguments are entirely spurious.<br /><br />Your statement that “every tonne kept out of the atmosphere” doesn’t amount to anything. A 20% reduction by 2020 amounts to a good deal more than “every tonne kept out of the atmosphere”.<br /><br />I don’t wish to argueDavid Palmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12915892358086536345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-26704211811677722772010-07-30T13:22:32.028+01:002010-07-30T13:22:32.028+01:00Support in the US for reducing carbon pollution, e...<i>Support in the US for reducing carbon pollution, even if it involves rising energy costs was at 76% in June. There have been poll after poll showing similar levels of support for some time.</i><br /><br />If you check back through Roger Pielke Jr's blog to 11th June, you will find some useful discussion on US public opinion.<br /><br />The issue is not support for reducing carbon missions David Palmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12915892358086536345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-54629850040775251492010-07-30T12:16:41.421+01:002010-07-30T12:16:41.421+01:00CSM: Obama's environmental failures.
No leade...CSM: <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2010/0725/Activists-frustrated-at-Obama-s-environmental-record" rel="nofollow">Obama's environmental failures</a>.<br /><br /><i>No leader can act without a mandate (=support) from the people, particularly on an issue as big as this one. Julia Gillard has made this clear, rightly so in my opinion.</i><br />Support in the US for reducing byron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-20333559006127627062010-07-30T05:39:35.897+01:002010-07-30T05:39:35.897+01:00No leader can act without a mandate (=support) fro...No leader can act without a mandate (=support) from the people, particularly on an issue as big as this one. Julia Gillard has made this clear, rightly so in my opinion.<br /><br />Two more points.<br /><br />The costs of action for the West to do something useful in stopping the rise in CO2 levels, let alone reducing CO2 levels (I'm just thinking of 20% reduction by 2020, forget 2050), is David Palmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12915892358086536345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-63067834711212901652010-07-29T18:48:04.104+01:002010-07-29T18:48:04.104+01:00Climate Progress: How the status quo media failed ...Climate Progress: <a href="http://climateprogress.org/2010/07/29/how-the-status-quo-media-failed-on-climate-change/" rel="nofollow">How the status quo media failed on climate change</a> (and why did Eric Pooley leave the media out of his list?)byron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-27952670754795797062010-07-29T18:24:07.554+01:002010-07-29T18:24:07.554+01:00Guardian: Geoffrey Sachs says Obama must take a le...Guardian: Geoffrey Sachs says <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2010/jul/28/sachs-obama-climate-change" rel="nofollow">Obama must take a lead on climate change - and soon</a>. He points out four factors making the situation difficult: the complexity of the economics, the complexity of the science, the misinformation campaign and the failure of nerve from US politicians.byron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28189019.post-16004093865051519692010-07-29T18:20:13.906+01:002010-07-29T18:20:13.906+01:00Guardian: Where next for the wrecked US climate bi...Guardian: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jul/29/wrecked-us-climate-bill" rel="nofollow">Where next for the wrecked US climate bill?</a> Eric Pooley attributes blame a little differently, putting the deniers 1st, then republicans, then democrats, then the green group (for aiming too high, which is crazy, since if just one of the other groups had shifted, it could have happenedbyron smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17938334606675769903noreply@blogger.com