How can we achieve energy security by fracting shales to obtain natural gas and not worry about water security? when all these methods to extract natural gas are so intesive on a vital natural resource.

Cap and Trade is a roundabout way of achieving…not very much.

Understanding Cap and Trade, and why it is bad for America and bad for lowering emissions http://ceolas.net/#cce5x

Market Reduction of CO2: Cap and Trade – or Not?
Basic Idea — Offsets — Tree Planting — Manufacture Shift — Fair Trade — Surreal Market — Real Market — Allowances: Auctions Hand-Outs — Allowance Trading — Companies: Business Stability Cost — In Conclusion

Keith Rattie is hardly alone in being critical of what’s happening
(which is wrong whether pro- or anti-green).

Life can be simple, and life can be hard.

The issues are emission reduction and future energy supply.

Given the unproven emission reduction effects on global temperature – and the expense of emission reduction – the key is to engage in activities valuable in themselves, which also keep on track with emission reduction targets at minimal business disruption and expense.

Sufficient first phase 2020 emission reduction, typically quoted at 15-20% reduction, is achieved by acting on electricity generation (coal, gas) and transport (mainly automobiles) alone, since these 2 sectors account for nearly 80% of fuel combustion emissions, and fuel combustion in turn accounted for 94% of CO2 emissions in 2007 (EPA data).

The focus on electricity and transport gives several advantages – apart from lowering CO2 emissions:

1. Local environmental benefit from less pollution of sulphur and all else that’s in the emissions, regardless of the less certain or immediate global benefit from CO2 reduction – and that is one reason why the focus on carbon trading is wrong, compared with the focus on reducing fuel combustion emissions.
2. Electricity supply alternatives which together with improved grid distribution gives better competition and keeps down electricity bills for consumers.
3. Transport alternatives (using electricity, hydrogen and other energy sources), which also reduces the dependency on oil imports.

No Trade Problems
President Obama has admitted these problems with the Energy Bill.
Unlike with Cap and Trade, that involves cement, steel and other industries having to face imports from unregulated countries, the electricity and transport changes are not just more limited, but also largely local.

Funding and Impact
Equity and long term loan finance can be used: Long term industrial loans from financial institutions, particularly if federal/state guaranteed, give low yearly interest repayments and lessen the effect on electricity bills or transport cost.
The impact on the businesses is further lessened by the stability and predictability surrounding the funding.
Since only electricity and transport are involved, other business continues as usual and consumers and society in general are spared expense and disruption.
This is even more obvious from having no energy efficiency regulation either.

Compare with
today’s all-encompassing Cap and Trade (emission trading) suggestions, with unpredictability, expense, and needless disruption from normal business practice on one hand, or unnecessary profiteering from free allowance handouts with little actual emission reduction on the other hand – together with extensive regulation on what people can or can’t buy and use, including light bulbs (supposed big savings simply because that’s waht Americans choose 19 times out of 20 in the shops! Savings aren’t that great anyway, as explained from http://www.ceolas.net/#li1x onwards).

Congratulations for the great picture currently painted by Keith Rattie. I wish the senate would listen carefully before even voting on the pending Tax and Cap legislation.

Five comments:
1. The “greenies” who say we are destroying our planet with CO2 are the same people who deplore the harvesting of the South American rain forests, which of course require CO2 to live on, and which in exchange give off oxygen that all animals, including humans, live on. Greenies speak with forked tongue.

2. The media thrive on sensationalism and bad news. “Man was murdered last night” will be a headline. “Millions were not murdered last night” will not. Dog bites man is not news. Man bites dog is news. The media has their own agenda and on top of the list is to stay in business. They are not entirely stupid. They must think that what they do is the best way for them to survive. This applies to the politics displayed by some of the media also.

3. I like Jen’s idea of the expedition to protect polar bears from shotguns. Send socialists. That way there will be fewer socialists and a larger number of well-fed polar bears — dual benefits.

4. Time Magazine apparently doesn’t understand that polar bears are like the rest of us. They die from various causes — unrelated to rationed socialized health care, I might add.

4. If everybody on the planet held their breath for an hour a day that would reduce CO2 exhaled by humans by 1/24th — about 4%. Our politicians could lead the way. This would not only help reduce CO2 but during our politicians’ one daily hour of holding their breath they would not be getting us deeper in debt.

5. I’m getting the idea that the socialist agenda is not so much about logical solutions to problems but about the power to tell other people what to do.

I have multiple degrees from a technical university. I left there believing that there were singular, true answers to questions if we worked hard enough to find them. Politics and industry have showed the error of my ways. The “truth” is generally what is bought and paid for by the most influential. Me, I prefer science, theorems and proofs. That said, thanks to Mr. Rattie for his facts and figures. I both enjoyed them (I laughed out loud – I’m considering mounting an expedition to protect polar bears from shotguns) and have shared his article with my friends. I can only hope that reason wins the day and “hype and hope” are required to show proof besides “and then by a miracle – *poof* there’s your result.” That never worked in Calculus class either.

You made my day.