Filed under: Beanstockd
Barack Obama may still have that pesky “elect” in front of his name, but that doesn’t mean he has time to rest. Besides figuring out who to name (Secretary of State Hillary Clinton? John Kerry?) to the existing Cabinet, there’s the matter of adding to the Cabinet – Climate Czar anyone? Obama’s transition team still hasn’t put out any final word on this potential post, but favored Al Gore has already said he wouldn’t take the job anyway. Well, Ted Stevens, whose expulsion vote from the Senate has been postponed, also said he didn’t do anything wrong, and we all know how that one turned out.
Also deceiving are the numbers from the UN about the Kyoto Protocol. It seems like the 40 countries that signed the protocol actually managed to reduce emissions by the agreed average 5 percent below 1990 levels. Unfortunately, this basically only happened because all those ex-communist eastern European countries have taken such a dive financially. As for the rest of the countries, emissions actually have risen since 2000.
Great Britain became the first country to pass actual legislation regarding climate change yesterday when it finalized a bill to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. In addition to reducing plastic bag usage and establishing emissions trading programs, a committee will be created to monitor climate change and cap pollution during five-year periods.
America could take a tea leaf out of Britain’s book. In its final weeks, the Bush administration is working to ensure the country’s dependency on oil. It established the basis for oil shale drilling on federal lands in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, where a supposed 800 billion barrels of oil is located. Of course, oil shale is only, you know, twice as costly in terms of energy to produce than crude oil.
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If Barack doesn’t create a Climate Czar post, he can at least replace the current EPA director, Stephen Johnson, with someone who actually gives a shit and isn’t simply a political hanger-on like “Brownie” was for FEMA.
I love the Clintons—I mean Hillary—as much as anybody, but my gut wants NEW people…especially in the state department. They will always be pegged as a package deal and they will always have baggage and they will always be hated by the right. I feel like Hill would be way more helpful and productive in the Senate and Bill would be way more helpful and productive if he kept his dick in his pants, stopped trying to fight reporters, and continued to do his thing with philanthropies and the private sector.
I saw a PBS thing about oil shale drilling in Canada a few weeks ago. It’s horrible. Basically, they dynamite the shit out of these oily mountains, mix the rubble with water and pipeline it to refineries all over North America. You’re right about the energy yield, too. It’s like climbing to the top of an apple tree to find a tiny apple that’s shriveled up and wormy. It’s not worth it.
Comment by Bacon Bits 11.19.08 @ 11:41 amI have a feeling Hill’s going to stay in the Senate for those very reasons. And as for Stephen Johnson, hopefully we can get someone who’s not in favor of using people — namely infants — as test subjects for pesticides.
Comment by Irene 11.20.08 @ 8:29 amLeave a comment
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