President Obama strongly indicated that the administration would address the issue of climate change during his recent inauguration address. He elevated the expectations that the issue of climate change is on their top priority list along with immigration reform, fiscal reform and gun control. President Obama said: “we will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.”
The president is hoping to be able to pass legislation to address the issue. It is looking even more likely that he will have to pass executive orders to do anything to combat the issue. “Cap-and-trade legislation (to provide a system of credits for limiting greenhouse gases) already failed in the Democrat-controlled Senate, and there is currently no appetite in Congress to go down that path again…House Republicans will continue to oppose any plan that drives up energy costs and puts American businesses at a competitive advantage.”
“Asked about whether the president might push for a big controversial legislative proposal like the cap-and-trade package that failed in his first term, White House press secretary Jay Carney suggested the president is more interested in actual change than in proposals for their own sake.” Carney went on to say: “you don’t pursue action that helps deal with that problem just because of the problem itself, but because there are huge opportunities there in alternative energy.”
My take:
It might sound delusional or even dumb but I’m not entirely convinced either way. We only have climate data for the past 150 years or so. This planet is 4.54 billion years old. We can never know if this is only a typical shift in weather. However, that does not mean that I don’t think we should do what is necessary to prevent unnecessary gas emissions. Why not implement policies, just in case?
Most scientists say that we in fact have a global warming issue because of man-made reasons. So I’m inclined to side with the weather specialists. For those who disagree I ask, why even risk it? Is it really going to kill you to limit your gas emissions?
Do you believe in global warming?
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Twitter: @adrakontaidis & @talkrealdebate
