Quote:
Originally Posted by eccieuser9500
Because it could take trillions of dollars to save it in such a short time. And that's just from us. A few trillion here and a few trillion there - eventually we start talking about real money.
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The problem is that you spend a few trillion and you get nowhere. As LexusLover correctly pointed out, the USA is only responsible for about 15% of the world's carbon emissions. You add up the other countries that we have some influence over, like the Europeans and Japan, and maybe that goes up to 30% or 35%. Then you've got the rest of the world, like China, India and Russia. We have very little influence over them. And their carbon emissions are increasing while ours are flat or decreasing. There are people living in apartment blocks in Mumbai where the heat indoors gets up to 115 degrees or 120 degrees. Or at least that's what I think I remember from something I read. What are we going to tell them, you can't A/C your homes with the only affordable source of energy you've got, coal?
Nevergaveitathought has another excellent point. We really don't know from the climate models how this will play out. The uncertainties are extreme. Should we be investing tens of trillions in going to "0" net carbon emissions?
We've done better than most of the rest of the world, in bringing our carbon emissions down, because we're burning more natural gas and less coal. When Biden bans drilling permits in federal waters and on federal lands, and if Warren, AOC, et al ban fracking, they're potentially going to put that trend into reverse. Instead of producing natural gas and converting it to LNG that can be exported to Asian and other countries that could burn it in place of coal, it stays in the ground. Carbon emissions go up more than they would otherwise. Perfect is the enemy of good.
I could see wisdom in some kind of a carbon tax on fuel that's burnt here in the USA, that wouldn't apply to exports. That's if the carbon tax is being used to reduce something like the income tax, instead of just being used to "feed the beast." However, the Democratic politicians appear to be dead set on mandates instead of letting markets work.
Please note that our relationship here, Master Baiter and Vice Baiter, will be somewhat like the situation that existed when John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were President and Vice President. After being at each others throats for years they reconciled and were good friends in old age. It could work out that way for us too, if you bring me back those cigars (see Mothers Day thread).
