Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant
Topic: Maine and Climate Change: What Choices Do We Have Now?
What is the Marine Extension team? How is the Natural Resources Council of Maine working to address climate change issues? What niche is emerging for Chewonki Foundation in terms of pilot technologies that may reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Guests: Esperanza Stancioff, University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant; Dylan Voorhees, Natural Resources Council of Maine; Peter Arnold, Chewonki Foundation
Call in show
I called in to this show and brought up the fact that global warming is a theory. One point I was hinting at and wanted to elaborate on is the issue of analyzing the problems and solutions. We must know that making a law doesn’t solve problems per se. I heard Ron Beard say that we are all working on solutions and dealing with a problem that was brought about through the market. Of course, ethanol was being discussed. And this is one of the fundamental issues that needs to be dealt with: Ethanol is subsidized!! This is not a free market problem because we don’t have a free market. But all one hears these days is how the market has been failing left and right.
So my point is this: before we can have an effective solution we must correctly assess the situation. Too often the effects of government interventions are ignored and therefore the true cost is unknown and more laws/regulation will be inadequate and ineffective.
One way I see the world situation is this: On one side we have “global warming” and on the other we have “the war on terror”. So we have two wars that are going to adversely affect all areas of life for everyone in the world and the whole situation is a giant power grab for the unelected officials (read: bureaucrats) in world government bodies and the corporations that are subsidized and empowered through these global agencies by taxpayers worldwide.
What kind of negative effects will this have? Hard to say, but my guess is that it won’t be good. This is why I like WERU, because it is localized, not global. We may talk about global issues, but we should be very careful about what measures we advocate for the world.
There are obvious reasons as to why one should be skeptical. Just look at the first Earth Day celebration. Can anyone say ” ice age”? Now the tables are reversed and the outcome is the same: people are in danger and something needs to be done now!!
Both the war on terror and the global warming crisis can and will be exploited for alterior motives and must be heavily scrutinized.
Measures taken to minimize risks and ensure life and prosperity should be done as locally as possible and power should not be delegated to a global body!
Education is the key!!
It’s About Freedom, Not Climatology
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig9/floy2.html
I am not out-right making claims against those who advocate for clean-air, recycling, conservation, changing behaviors and attitudes regarding the environment, etc. I am only tring to add to the discussion.
I think that “sustainable developement” sounds great, but we have to define what that is. Just as “freedom” sounds good, what is one going to do to get it? Are you going to raise taxes? Send in armed forces?
I am all for alternative energies, but are we going to tax and subsidize? Or are we going to educate and produce to provide for the common good.