largie.com

After making a strong case for Europe to adopt the cap-and-trade strategy back in 1997, the United States took two important steps in the other direction since then.

One such development is the recent proliferation of coal-fired power plants built all over the Mid West. Within the next ten years we can expect to see dozens of coal-plants at the 1,500 MW range spewing out about a million tons of sulphur a year into the atmosphere.

The second development is the re-introduction of the Carbon Tax idea to the U.S. Congress. Dem. Pete Stark of California, for example, who proposed the first carbon tax measure 16 years ago, has again proposed to charge $25 per ton of carbon released.

The Europeans are a bit surprised that, after showing Europe how the free market forces can curb carbon emissions successfully, the US is now intending to go the other route of ‘taxation at the source’.

But the idea isn’t a new one. President Bill Clinton for example has managed to have a similar tax bill, the BTU Tax bill, go through the House of Representatives only to be stopped at the Senate. If it had cleared through the Senate, the BTU would bring tax liabilities to the ‘heat content’ of different fuels.

The attractiveness of the carbon tax is that it definitely associates a cost to the carbon content of all fuels. Polluting the environment, no matter its scale, is penalized from the get go.

In the cap-and-trade system, on the other hand, many companies might get away with carbon emissions that are below the ‘certified limits’.

(To conclude in Part 2)

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Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a senior writer & web content consultant with twenty years of experience.

Subscribe to his FREE “Weekly Success Update” newsletter today at http://www.writer111.com

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Many Think Tanks around the Global are talking about Global Warming now. All this talk, discussion & dialogue has made its way into the mainstream media & now 75% of all Americans & Europeans believe that Global Warming is being caused due to mankind’s emissions of greenhouse gases; namely CO2.

But all this belief in the surveys really has to do with the increasing number of stories in the mass media. Recently some one in our Think Tank asked of another member;

“I think what you’re saying if I may be so bold as to paraphrase-there is GCC [Global Climate Change] but it’s not being caused by man?”

The answer was very interesting indeed; ‘Yes that is what I’m saying. Sure there is a percentage of mankind’s involvement, but it’s somewhat insignificant over all & to that point it’s mankind’s arrogance to think that he is the sole cause.’ Even Al Gore who has taken it on himself to lead the US efforts in the Global Warming awareness issues;

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5621362837465161157&q=TED+Al+Gore&hl=en

Al Gore seems to agree that; lets stop fighting over it & look ahead at solutions. Clear? Indeed, our Online Think Tank has many solutions, but no one is interested in solving these issues, only political fighting over them. We see no one out planting 5 Billion Trees, collecting the CO2, or building massive infrastructures.

One member of our Online Think Tank stated last year; Call us when you get serious about Climate Change & solutions, but we’re not interested in being used to promote scare tactics onto the American People. And when you come to talk to us, be sure to have already discussed emissions with China & other polluting nations. Right. We certainly hope this article will propel thought into 2007.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts & completely unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Think Tanks are busy debating over Global Warming & some folks such as Al Gore are trying to back track now to mend fences & get folks all on the same page offering a slight consolation. Rather than calling it Global Warming, he has decided to call it a Climate Crisis, which is ½ way between Climate Change & Global Warming I suppose. Very diplomatic indeed, but does Global Warming hold water?

One think tank member says; I disagree with all your numbers & so do most all reports, each one has different numbers. Clear? Indeed, a percentage, probably very small could be said to either be aiding climate change or inhibiting it from mankind’s activities.

There are other factors, undersea volcanoes melting ice & heating ocean from under the ice, changing the water temp. We have solar activity too. We have dust storms & volcanoes, causing issues & sometimes blocking the sun to cool temps. Right. We have more ice in some places, much less in others.

We have the poles of the Earth wondering it what also appears to be a cycle. It seems the Earth goes thru these changes with or without mankind’s help. I think Global Warming is a sham. But am willing to go along with the pollution control because, there is no excuse to pollute, that takes no brains & is littering, I do not like it, it’s a dumb idea. But crashing economies to stop climate change cycles is also ridiculous.

Fight the battles you can win said Sun Tzu. When Green Peace wants us to shut down all our economies so polar bears do not have to swim so far, well then build polar bear mini-ice berg robotically powered taxis, but lets not shut down human civilization on some pie in the sky, re-distribution of wealth program.

If this is so bad, then lets beef up our human civilizations to get ready to deal with such a future or calamity, not shut it down in doom, gloom & despair. Now then you can see why the debate rages on & I hope this article might share some perspective with you for intellectual thought in 2007.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts & completely unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

As you may recall from Part 1 of this article, in the cap-and-trade system many companies might get away with carbon emissions that are below the ‘certified limits’. And that is a crucial point since cap-and-trade policy might bog down in implementation nightmares. Right. Who is going to determine the ‘caps’ on an industry by industry, & company by company basis? Wouldn’t that require a new immense federal bureaucracy of its own?

However the momentum right now seems to be still with the cap-and-trade idea. As of this writing in April 2007, five different cap-and-trade measures are currently being evaluated in the U.S. Senate.

However, if the United States ends up adopting a carbon tax approach, it will by default withdraw itself from the increasingly lively cap-and-trade market in Europe & other parts of the world. India, to wit, is fast credentialing many of its utility companies with the U.N. to earn carbon credits to trade in EU. China will not actually be too far behind India in creating a new cash cow out of the ‘carbon cap credentialing’ business.

If the U.S. also joins the cap-and-trade bandwagon in earnest, many experts agree that the New York City might easily become the leading carbon credit trading capital of the world. Until then, New York must suffice by watching the amazing growth of the London carbon credit exchange.

However, regardless of which policy approach is finally adopted, neither yet clearly answers how the ‘proceedings’ will end up being used to slow down & eventually reverse the global warming. I am afraid the task is too monumental to be achieved by just merely ‘planting more trees’ with the revenues accrued through one or the other approach.

Both of these proposals represent the ‘fund raising’ phase of the global campaign to stop global warming. But once the funds are there, how will they be spent to have a real impact on global warming? That question is still not answered.

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Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a senior writer & web content consultant with twenty years of experience.

Subscribe to his FREE “Weekly Success Update” newsletter today at http://www.writer111.com

P.S. FREE BONUS “Writing & Marketing Tips” for new subscribers.

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While many realize that global warming is occurring on our planet, few understand the implications that this may have on our way of life. These rising global temperatures are going to cause a host of changes on our planet, & we need to act now or prepare to adjust to some very profound changes.

First, these rising temperatures present a enormous threat to our ice-caps. Layers of ice that have not melted for thousands of years are beginning to break apart & fall into the ocean. One of the biggest ice sheets on the planet, located on Greenland, is at a great risk of splitting apart & falling into the ocean. While it does not sound like too big of a deal, the loss of the Greenland ice sheet will cause catastrophic circumstances world wide. The world’s sea level is expected to rise as much as 23 feet when the sheet falls, & that spells disaster for the coastal cities that represent some of the largest & most important centers of trade & commerce across the planet. Manhattan would be sunk; much of Florida would be underwater, & that is not even to mention the worldwide consequences. Every area of the globe would be affected by this rising of sea levels, & the disaster caused would make hurricane damage seem like a blessing. Millions of refugees from the coastal cities will be without home or workplace; it would be one of the hugest human issues ever faced in our history. The changing of the climate could also affect a host of circumstances on our planet; crop yields can be affected by the rising temperatures, which would also pose significant problems to a planet of refugees. Much of the land may become barren due to the effects of temperature change, & we may find some of our most arable lands subject to the effects of soil erosion, & eventually, a transition into desert land. Also, water supplies, forests, & plant & animal life would be affected by the planet’s changes, & we may not actually be easily able to see how significant these changes may affect our lives until they’re already upon us. For that reason, it is important that we increase our knowledge of global warming, & do our best to stop it in the coming years. Right. While it may have adverse affects on our economy & our way of life, we owe it to our children to give them a peaceful, safe planet to grow up in.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Weather, Employment, & Aging

Many people wonder what they can do to help dampen the effects of the climate crisis. One method of doing so incorporates the usage of ‘clean’ energy; that is, energy that doesn’t contribute to the levels of greenhouse gas present in our atmosphere. There’re many sources of clean energy, & even though it may cost more, the benefit on the planet’s ecosystem is well worth the extra money… Commonly known as ‘green power’, the Environmental Protection Agency has formed a partnership to help encourage the usage of these alternative sources of energy.

Wind energy is one option when it comes to renewable power. Large spinning turbines harvest the movement of the air, & the energy is transferred into an electricity generator for usage in any application. While it is not available everywhere, wind energy represents one of the speediest sectors of growth when it comes to alternative power sources, & it’s consequently one of the most widely used alternative sources. As a matter of fact, since the year 2000, the number of wind turbines present in the United States has more than doubled!

Solar power is another significant source of renewable energy. Solar cells known as photovoltaics are placed on sun-catching areas such as the roof of a house. These cells turn light energy into electricity, & enough electric panels can provide power for an entire home, leaving you independent of the energy companies altogether.

Geothermal energy represents a source of energy that isn’t commonly discussed. Heat from underneath the earth’s surface is harvested as steam, which helps to spin a turbine much in the way of wind power. The spinning motion is sent to an electricity generator, & the power can be often used in any modern application.

Low impact hydropower represents another significant source of renewable energy. Incorporating the use of a turbine, hydropower is created in streams & rivers which produce enough of a force to properly spin the turbines. Many aspects of hydropower need to be approved to ensure that the turbines do not significantly effect wildlife that may be living in the area where the energy is being harvested. Most hydropower sources do not dam a river up; they operate with the river in free-flow as to reduce the effect on the environment.

While these sources may not actually be easy to come by, your conscience can be unburdened regarding the climate crisis by switching to one of these environmentally friendly sources of energy. Do your part in helping to change our planet for the better!

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Weather, Real Estate, & Science

Global-warming

Global warming, now there’re two buzz words guaranteed to start a debate any time they’re mentioned around the old water cooler! Ask any group of people what they think of it, & you’ll get everything from: “It’s the end of the world!” to: “It’s a left wing hoax designed to destroy our economy!” So, let’s look at just what the facts are.

Global warming was first observed (as hard as this may be to believe!) way back in 1896. In that year, a Swedish chemist named Svante Arrhenius was the first person to quantify just how much the world is warmed by carbon dioxide. In his report, he warned that the world was “evaporating our coal mines into the air.” He was largely ignored.

Then, in 1979, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences issued a report that rising carbon dioxide levels could cause temperatures to rises, & warned that a “wait & see attitude” could be dangerous. Unfortunately, the naysayers in all this are a very powerful group: oil, coal, gas, automotive & steel. All industries that create vast amounts of the greenhouse gases, & all with very deep pockets. So… Since the late 1980’s, they have funded a whole host of lobbying groups like the Global Climate Coalition, & the Information Council on the Environment, specifically to down-play the danger or deny it outright.

On top of that, there is the problem that this issue isn’t something one nation can address alone. Recently, in the State of California, Governor Schwarzenegger signed an executive order with the goal of reducing car emissions ten percent by 2020. While quite the laudable effort, it will achieve nothing! China & India are poised to become highly industrialized counties, meaning: more cars, more power plants, more greenhouse gases being vented into the atmosphere. And that is just two nations. Right. What of the rest of the world? It was because of the global nature of the problem that the Rio Treaty on voluntary emission reductions was signed in 1992, & later the Kyoto Treaty was negotiated. However, while President George H.W. Bush signed the Rio Treaty, its mandates were never enacted; and, under pressure from lobbying groups, President George Bush did not sign the Kyoto treaty.

In recent years we have seen the effects of Global Warming: killer heat waves in America & Europe, wilted crops, smaller snow packs & receding glaciers, & bigger & stronger hurricanes. So… So, we must ask ourselves: who are we to believe? There’re thousands of scientists around the world, from all manner of political & social backgrounds who agree that global warming is happening. And then there’re the naysayers, all of whom are backed by industries that have a vested interest in preventing any actions that would endanger their profits. Right. Which ones are impartial, do you think?
About the Author
frank j vanderlugt owns & operates http://www.global-warming-now.info 2 Global Warming Now Info

Many may not believe that we, as people, have an affect on changes within the climate. It’s a rather hard concept to grasp. However, we can do things to stop the devastating changes that are occurring in our environment. Global warming is a term that is often used to describe the rising temperatures that are occurring in our world. Lately, global warming has seemingly grown in popularity. It has been found that global warming can produce many negative reactions in our world. As the planet heats up, ice melts away. When the ice melts away, the levels of the sea start to increase. Global warming is a result of many years of neglect by people to the planet. It’s not too late to stop the issue of global warming from proceeding. It’s too late to reverse the issues that have already developed as a result of global warming. In this article, we will review some of the ways that we can stop global warming from doing any more damage than it has already done.

The main theme behind the prevention of global warming is to reduce the level of certain gases that enter our atmosphere & cause devastating changes to our world. It’s certainly not possible for one person to reduce the issue of global warming, but change can start with one person. It’s vital to our future, & the future of many generations to come, that we start putting this change into motion as soon as possible. If we all start contributing to the prevention of global warming, the end results can end up positive for the entire world.

If we reduce the amount of certain gases that we use, such as gasoline & oil, we’re on the road to global warming prevention. The first step in preventing global warming is to attempt to reduce the amount of energy that we consume in our homes & businesses. Clear? It’s important to understand that it takes certain oils to create the electricity that we use. If we use less electricity, then we will do less damage to the atmosphere. There’re numerous ways that we can reduce the amount of energy that we use. The first thing that we can do is to use lighting in our home that saves energy. As a matter of fact, it’s better to make certain that all the items in our home are purchased under the fact that they’re energy efficient.

The next step to preventing global warming is to watch how much fuel that you use in vehicles & other fuel powered machines. You can use less fuel by ensuring that your vehicle is maintained, you drive less, & purchase vehicles that are advertised to use less fuel. All of these tips will often help you to save money on fuel, & will help to preserve our environment.

It is very important that we all pull together to ensure that we’re doing what we’re able to do to reduce the effect that global warming has on our atmosphere. Practice the tips listed in this article, & pass them along as well.

www.tellmeaboutglobalwarming.com brings you thought provoking information about global warming. There’s nothing to buy, just really help-ful information. Be sure to check out all the pages & decide for yourself.

Many folks especially environmentalists wish to tear down civilization to stop Climate Change & yet in doing so they would make human societies so weak that they could not cope with the repercussions of too hot & then too cold after the climate cliff hits the tipping point.

We need to talk about solutions to Global Warming, Climate Change or Climate Crisis or what ever you wish to call it without condemning virtually everyone & starting the international blame games. Recently one member of a think tank said;

I agree that a enormous project to balance the planet using icebergs & towing them into place; scrubbing the atmosphere, setting up an elliptical shield in Geo-sync, burying CO2 in natural gas cavities, using CO2 laser technology to generate power, moving to a hydrogen economy & many other such things could help a lot. But I see few if any proposals on tap, in actual fact I see blockage of such technologies by governments, special interests & such.

Yes, I see the adverse affects of droughts killing lets say 2.2 billion people due to lack of water & not enough time to build desalination plants. But indeed I see the funding of other things instead of preparation. Climate Changes happen, yes of course, they always have & it’s in the ice core records, geology & tree trucks to some degree. Yes we know all that.

Can mankind stop climate changes or do a “noise canceling strategy” on the peaks or exacerbated pendulum swings? Perhaps so, does that make sense? What is the cost? What is the cost if we do, or do not to the over all flows of the civilization? Will that help human civilizations or hurt them?

We would have increased inflation, killing some economies & hurting billions who right now live on less than a $1 a day as per Davos speeches this year. I’ve issues; I like nuclear, hydro, ocean wave power generation, thermal earth power, clean coal, hydrogen makes sense too. I’ve no problem with any of it.

We do need better batteries & what do we do with all the old batteries if 200 million cars in America hit the junkyards in the next fifty years? Decay, contaminated water? Well if we do not you could say we have red tide, algae blooms, more bacteria, dead fish (already over fished oceans) & dead zones 550 plus miles from human city shorelines or river mouths, yes all issues. But shutting down civilizations will not work either. So, other plans & ideas should be welcome & be considered. You think?

Perhaps it’s time to re-visit this subject but focus on the end goal & look for solutions & not play political blame games or go & attack big industries or our economic output. I hope this article propels thought in 2007.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts & completely unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

At one point or another, we all have probably heard the term ‘global warming’. Many people have heard the term so much that they tune it out when they hear it… Many people do not realize how serious global warming is. Many people may not realize what global warming is all about. There’re some people that do not even understand exactly what global warming is. Global warming is just as it says. Clear? It’s the condition in which the entire world is seeing higher temperatures. Here, we will explain the effects of global warming so that you can see how it can affect you.

The first effect of global warming is, of course, the rising temperatures that the world has experienced. Even higher temperatures are expected to come as a result of global warming. Higher temperatures means that more crops will go bad, more people will die as a result of the rising temperatures, & the world as a whole will suffer in many ways as a result of higher temperatures. Right. When the world experiences a shift in temperatures, many natural disasters may start to occur. Some of these natural disasters will start to increase as global warming continues to take place . Some of these natural disasters include hurricanes, floods, extreme dry spells around the world, & also tornadoes.

The next effect that occurs as a result of global warming is that the overall sea level is starting to rise slowly. Rising sea levels can result in many negative situation. The first issue that rising sea levels can have is that homes & other buildings close to sea level may suffer extreme damage as a result of the water that will evade the structures. There is more. The second issue to rising sea levels is the fact that the deaths of many people & animals may occur more frequently. The third issue to a rising sea level is that the world will have less land mass than that of normal times.

When you combine the effects of a warmer climate with the effects of rising sea levels, you stand the chance of experiencing a higher rate of precipitation. In addition to this, many weather occurrences, such as hurricanes, flash floods, & tornadoes will develop. When this happens, severe devastation, injuries, & even death can occur. Not only that, but the animals & plants that contribute to our normal activities may also be injured or die.

It is impossible for us to take back the damage that has already been done, but it’s possible for us to take the necessary steps to avoid any future damage that will occur. We each should ensure that we’re doing all that we can to avoid situations where the burning of certain gases is required. We should hold each other accountable for the actions that we commit that are a violation to the atmosphere & contribute to global warming. It’s only when we’re accountable, that a true change will occur.

www.tellmeaboutglobalwarming.com brings you thought provoking information about global warming. There’s nothing to buy, just really help-ful information. Be sure to check out all the pages & decide for yourself. ? 2007 copyright © by DSquare Marketing & Della Franklin.