06 August 2007

Climate Change and The Truth: Conclusion

Points of Agreement?

I noticed several points in your blog on which I hope we can agree. We must carefully examine each proposed solution to AGW for possible negative effects and asses whether those effects are worthwhile. The burden of any solution must not fall disproportionately on the poor in this nation or any other.

Dr. Gray agrees that we "should be putting money into alternate energy sources and making more efficient use of our fuels. But we should be doing that for its own sake" (Prendergast). This is one of several contermeasures to AGW that are good ideas for many other reasons.

Another, more radical, contermeasure was proposed by Mark Steyn for reasons of U.S. security and sovereignty. He "is very much in favor of destroying the oil industry and finding a new energy resource to make us no longer reliant on other countries. However, Steyn feels that ethanol and most of the current fads aren't going to be that solution." Could destroying the oil industry and finding new sources of energy be accomplished with acceptable economic consequences? With the proper new sources, such as solar, wind, or nuclear fission, it could drastically reduce human greenhouse gas emissions.

As a final example, you review of A Simple Plan refers to the "Biblical idea that 'the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil' (I Timothy 6:10). I suspect we would agree that greed and general materialism are doing damage to Western culture. One way to combat this sin is to live more simply, buy less, and prove to ourselves that we can lead holy lives without all the luxuries of Western society. These changes would also reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and help us fulfill our duty to keep and rule this world rather than consume it.

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1 comment:

Darius said...

Thanks for all the time you spent on this reply. I have read through it once, but will probably need at least one more read through prior to any response. In the meantime, here is a book I intend on buying when it comes out:
http://www.amazon.com/Cool-Skeptical-Environmentalists-Global-Warming/dp/0307266923/ref=cm_lmf_tit_6/002-1509949-1727217

It sounds like he is very reasonable and addresses this issue without being silly or idiotic, like the Gores of the world.

Another book worth reading (which I have barely begun to do) is Chris Horner's A Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming. He dispels a bunch of the myths and exaggerations of AGW.