12 Mar 2010, 12:11am
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    Brighter Planet's 350 Challenge
  • Month 3, Day 12: Boston Global Warming Warning

    No shortage of material these days. I thought it was time to find something in our hometown paper, and sure enough, there was an article (originally from the AP) on China’s admonitions that the United States needs to be doing more about climate change than wringing its hands and capitulating to the Chamber of Commerce and Massey Coal.

    It is a sad commentary on the dysfunctionality of our political system that the United States is now being rebuked by China on climate change issues. Over the past few years, the Chinese government has recognized the immediacy and profound danger posed by the climate crisis; while they’re still burning way too much coal and oil, it’s indisputable that China is leading the world in developing energy sources that won’t add CO2 to our atmosphere. And where is the USA? Locked in a cycle of denial, with Republican senators and Fox commentators opining that an anomalous snowfall in Washington invalidates thousands of peer-reviewed scientific reports (which, by the way, predict such weather events). If ninety-seven out of a hundred oncologists diagnosed cancer, you’d be wise to start treatment immediately. When ninety-seven percent of climatologists state the facts of anthropogenic global warming, they should be rewarded and heeded, not mocked and ignored.

    Warren Senders

    Couldn’t agree more about nuclear. But the thrust of the letter was specifically for low-carbon or carbon-neutral energy sources. With a 150-word limit I wasn’t about to try and differentiate; my real point was that the US has a lot of catchin’ up to do. And China’s definitely doing a lot with wind and solar.

    China is leading the world in developing energy sources that won’t add CO2 to our atmosphere”

    Tell me you’re not referring to nuclear. Nuclear power is the dumbest idea to reduce CO2 emissions I have ever heard. The uranuium ore mining process is extreemly destructive, the traqnsportation of the ore is dangerous, the fuel rods costs millions to produce, the nuclear waste is buried in abandoned mines. Nuclear power is far too expensive on so many levels; There has never been a nuclear plant which has ever paid for itself, because the plants must be completly renovated and refurbished lonbg before the investment is recovered. Nuclear is a permanent welfare case.

     

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