Going Morgue

Palin book signing
“No, carbon dioxide comes from a car, silly tree hugger!

Photo from the following news story on KSL.com

On Wednesday December 9th, the former Alaskan governor was busy signing books for Mitt Romney fans in the state of Utah. But that didn’t stop Sarah Palin from extending her media coverage the same day to both national and international levels with an Op-Ed piece she wrote in The Washington Post regarding the emails hacked from a server at a prominent climate research center in Britain.

Her piece basically slams global warming and says any efforts to prevent it are a burden to tax payers. At least she admits that it’s all about the money, specifically to the tax paying citizens of this country.

This newly hacked ammunition to help the naysayers support their hoax theories, is now placed on top of a pedestal by the most popular of the GOP, who ironically doesn’t currently hold an elected position in her party. But yet three months as a running mate and less than three years as a governor, we are expected to regard her as some sort of expert on global warming and why drilling for oil is a better solution for the American public.

Well, I’m no scientist myself, but I do believe that climate change is happening. And anyone that debates me on it, I have a simple reply to them. Let me walk you though a recent conversation I had regarding climate change:

    ME: I think climate change is happening and is being caused by humans and other factors and we need to take measures to prevent it.
    THEM: Oh really? Well what about 10,000 years ago when the ice caps melted and there wasn’t hardly any humans on the planet. How do you explain that?
    ME: Oh yes. I forgot that 10,000 years ago, the cars that spewed carbon monoxide and the plastic bottles that people drank water from helped cause that.
    THEM: What are you talking about? There weren’t cars and plastic bottles 10,000 years ago.
    ME: Precisely.
    THEM: Well.. you know what I mean. The changes in the earth on it’s own happens every so often. This is the same thing.
    ME: So the cars and plastic and other pollutants we have today aren’t causing any damage?
    THEM: Well, I’m sure they are. But it’s not the same.
    ME: Again, that’s my point.

Show Me The Money

Ok, so maybe my point is too simple and doesn’t take into effect many other factors and details, but think about it. Pollution and waste doesn’t make the air clean and the ground pristine. And consuming more and more energy generated by dirty sources isn’t helping either. But what about this tax payer burden Palin refers to in the article? How we can spend money we don’t have to clean up the planet? I know there’s a lot of you out there that hate to see your tax dollars be used for something you don’t support or believe in.

Fortunately, Thomas Friedman, who is a well respected and intelligent individual, wrote his own Op-Ed piece in the New York Times a few weeks ago and offered some very sound advice and solutions for climate change.

Basically, he suggests that there is lots of money to be made in producing clean energy and renewable sources of power. Sure, it’s not money that’s there today. It’s not about instant greed and wealth. It’s about security wealth and economic stability for the future. Meaning that in just a few short years from now, billions and billions of dollars can be made, and at the same time, saving the planet from further deterioration.

I would much rather trust Mr. Friedman than any elected official [or non-elected, as in the case with Palin] – Obama included – on matters of climate change. Thomas’ interest is based on fact, not some corporate lobby in his back pocket. His interest is personal, which he has written about many times. His logic makes perfect sense, even to the most inane supporters of the “Drill-Baby-Drill” club.

Just Not Political

So I’ve outlined that I’m no scientist. And I have no background on global warming or climate change. But I do understand basic logic. And basic logic tells me that when I drive my car, I’m polluting the air. Switching to a vehicle that uses less air-polluting fuel is a step in the right direction. Eventually moving to a zero-emission vehicle should be the plan to even further reduce our carbon footprint. Recycling plastic instead of throwing it the regular trashcan will help prevent our landfills from becoming larger piles of non-renewable products.

I should also mention that I honesty don’t think Palin is an idiot. In fact, I think she’s actually quite smart. But on a political level, she’s got too much invested in oil, gas and other non-renewable energy sources, ignoring the obvious in exchange for protecting the current monetary stream. She’s hoping to get as many on-board with that with the concern of stealing tax dollars to “save the polar bears” is not worth believing a “bunch of science people’s made up theories.”

I know there’s enough of you reading this that will never change your minds and follow down the “it’s a hoax” path. But for me, I’m convinced that doing my part can and will make a difference. And I hope that there’s enough people in the energy sector that will share my concerns in their efforts to clean up the sources they use now to generate power. Then someday in the near future, we all can look back and see the difference that was made, instead of seeing bankrupt fat cats wondering what happened.

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