The Policy and Politics of Global Warming

While I am proud of NH, it should have been pointed out that we are two or three years behind our neighboring states in joining RGGI.

I think most of us believe the biggest carbon dioxide problem is the hot air coming out of our legislatures, not just from the politicians, but from interest groups bickering over details.

I run a group called Project Laundry List that tries to get people to hang out their clothes to save energy. I would argue that we have saved American households, which converted to a clothesline this year, more money and reduced their carbon footprint immensely. What we have done may add up to more than any other environmental groups program aimed at the residential sector.

It is time for Americans to take matters into their own hands and start conserving at home, instead of watching McCain argue for nukes and Dodd argue for a carbon tax while nothing gets done.

Drive 55 and inflate your tires. You will save a bundle and make a difference. Hang a rope for climate hope!

The States adopting one for or another of climate change legislation are States without oil that are being hammered by high oil prices which are hurting the economies of these States.

California needs a new economic driver to replace the computer and internet boom; it's not going to restart grow in jobs by drilling for oil, burning coal, or building nuclear power plants, because none of those can be driven down in price in order to drive them into an ever expanding market. Anyone want to imagine nuclear power plants being bought by big corporations, then small business, then consumers, then into nuclear PDAs?

Of course, New England/Northeast started almost all technology waves until recent history. From machinery like looms to manufacturing like guns with standard parts to machine tools to factory automation to data processing to computers to internet. California at least has oil fields to drill, but the closest thing in New England is trees.

The various States that have taken action on climate change are merely setting economic development policy to get the State jump started on sustainable energy development so the State's economy will improve. To focus on costs harkens back to the early days of the computer industry when computers were seen as increasing costs because they were so expensive.

The States that have acted are acting to create jobs and business growth and the kind of boom economy of past technology booms in a world where oil isn't cheap.