This is the discussion thread related to this poll about global warming issues.


A. Role of Government

1. It's the greatest problem facing the Earth today and requires immediate, drastic action at the governmental level. Even so, it may already be too late to avoid serious consequences.

2. It's an immense problem that requires immediate action at the governmental level. Like any problem, however, it has a solution. If governments enact appropriate legislation we may avoid serious consequences.

3. It's a problem and has been duly recognized as such by governments. Governments are currently doing a good job enacting appropriate legislation to deal with these issues.

4. It's a problem but it's not my problem. Talk to the Chinese / Indians / Russians / US and Canadians about it.

5. It's not really a problem at all. Talk of a "global catastrophe" has been exaggerated greatly. There are natural cycles which account for the recent rise in global temperature. In time, the cycle will correct itself.

6. What's global warming?


B. Role of the Individual

1. It's the greatest problem facing the Earth today and requires immediate, drastic action at the individual level. I do everything in my power to avoid making the problem worse. I bike or walk to work, don't travel by plane, have purchased an electric/hybrid car, have an energy efficient home driven as much as possible by solar/wind power, I make conscious choices to conserve every hour of every day. Even so, I feel like my actions may not be enough and that we are headed for a global catastrophe unless everyone gets on board.

2. It's an immense problem that requires immediate action at the individual level. Like any problem, however, it has a solution. I compost, try to conserve energy whenever possible, occasionally walk or bike instead of driving, and so on. In this way I feel like I am making a positive contribution and that given enough people making positive contributions like this we can together make the world a more liveable place.

3. It's a problem but it's not my problem. My neighbor, though...jeez. That guy takes hour long showers, drives a Hummer, and keeps his air conditioning on all freaking day. You want to stop global warming? Talk to him.

4. It's not really a problem at all. Talk of a "global catastrophe" has been exaggerated greatly. There are natural cycles which account for the recent rise in global temperature. In time, the cycle will correct itself. I don't feel like humans contribute to the problem at all.

5. What's global warming?

Most climate scientists seem to feel that humanity is contributing to global warming in a big way so I think immediate urgent action is required.

Governments in the developed world should make it financially sensible for individuals to make the environmentally friendly choice. Some ideas off the top of my head:

- Subsidies on energy-efficient houses, cars, domestic appliances and taxes on energy-inefficient items

- Subsidised mass transit and higher taxes on fuel

- Subsidies for loft and wall insulation, solar panels on your roof etc.

Just out of interest - what prompts this topic, Mr Rondino?

Liberalism.

Just curious. Many CN members have made casual comments regarding the environment over the years. I often wonder whether or not the CN membership as a whole views global warming as a very serious issue.

Now that the poll is up and running, and therefore unfortunately uneditable, I notice a couple of small inaccuracies in the way I phrased the statements. I also should have asked for country of residence. I'd bet my bottom dollar that there are significant regional differences in the way environmental issues are approached.

Incidentally, Kevin, I was recently listening to a program on CBC Radio about a village in England which is trying to erase its carbon "footprint" altogether. From the tone of the interview, and from the nature of the responses, it appears obvious that England (and probably all of the UK and by extension probably all of Europe) is far more advanced with respect to environmental issues than the US or Canada. This in itself is hardly news. But what stuck with me in particular was the implication that in England it is politically advantageous to have a strong platform on the environment -- that stronger measures play better, politically, than compromise. Would you say this is correct?

Rondino, this link from the Guardian newspaper's website is a good taster of the debate here in Britain:

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/john_sauven/2007/06/a_cool_reception.html

The political parties in Britain are all trying to claim the environmental high ground. David Cameron, the Conservative Party leader was recently filmed cycling to Parliament but he cheated as he had a car right behind with all his paperwork, if I remember rightly!

There is a growing grass-roots movement in Britain to recycle and re-use things, to grow your own vegetables and to carbon-offset your flying. Farmers' Markets are also becoming more popular as more people start trying to buy local produce.

Personally, I wish our Government would take a stronger lead on energy-efficiency but at least the issues are on the agenda of all our main political parties. And we do have the Green Party...

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news

I would like to sumptuary laws passed, like they had in Medieval Europe. So much of global warming is driven by people trying to one-up the Joneses. If laws were passed constraining conspicuous consumption, people would find other was to flaunt their wealth that didn't pump tons of CO2 into the air.

In my neighborhood all the garages were built in the early 1980s It is comical to see people driving their gargantuatons into these tiny garages. The giant trucks and SUVs barely fit.

What is even more ridiculous is the fact that this is a poor neighborhood. Down the street is an apartment complex that is one cut above a flophouse. One of the inmates drives a Cadillac Esplande truck. It so tricked out it must run $100,000. I see people in this neighborhood driving trucks that cost more than their houses. There is something insane about all this.

I am doing something radical this summer. It is 105 degrees outside right now, and yet my air conditioning is off. Granted, the image of Ed Yetman sitting in front of a 20" box fan in his underwear is not a pretty one, I am using a lot less electricity, maybe a third of what I used last summer. Having begun this experiment, I am deeply curious to see how long I can stick it out.

The thought of saving three or four hundred dollars this summer is also an incentive.

Ed Yetman, III
YetmanBrothers.com

Is it true that after the 9-11 attacks, the developed world economies stopped for a day? And didn't it send the stock markets on a severe downward slope?

Just think what would happen to the stock markets, pension funds etc. if we all stopped buying the stuff that we want but simply don't need. Our economic system would collapse, wouldn't it?

Well, we would need to defined 'needed.' I just broke down and turned the air on, because I picked up one of my books and I noticed it was quite warm, in spite of being out of direct sunlight. I own about 3,000 books, some of them antiques. The thought occurred to me that it would be stupid to save on air only to ruin the bindings in a bunch of my books. Penny wise, pound foolish, as you Brits say.

I won't run it for long, though, just enough to bring the inside temp down from 95 to 90. Then I'll shut it off.

So to me I need some air to conserve the books, as it would cost more in labor to repair them than to conserve them by spending some cash on air.

On the other hand, I saw a guy driving a Ford F-350 pick up, "King Ranch Edition." It has a stretch cab, and get this--a chrome muffler. I have a friend who runs a tile setting business, and he needs his fleet of trucks to haul tile around. His trucks are beat to death--covered with nicks and scratches and dents. This guy's truck didn't have a mark on it.

And who 'needs' a chrome muffler? That's like having a chrome toliet seat.

We can avoid really tight definitions of need, but something should be done, as I think we agree.

Ed Yetman, III
YetmanBrothers.com

Oh, I'm not remotely criticising you for having air-con, Ed! I was in Texas last April for a friend's wedding and it was warm enough at that time of year.

We're getting more pick-ups, four-by-fours and so on over here and many of them are shiny and clean with no dents at all. Crazy. But so many people seem to want to flaunt their wealth and keep up with the nrighbours.

I recall that there was a proposed architectural addition for the British Museum, but it got killed very quickly after Prince Charles offhandedly called it "a monstrous carbuncle on the face of an old friend."

Maybe the Royal Family should throw their weight as style and fashion leaders around, and nip this truck business in the bud.

Ed Yetman, III
YetmanBrothers.com