Comments rbsimon has made

  • White House Green Wash

    You nailed it.

    The Bush plan has always been to prevent action to stave off catastrophic climate change.

    What they're trying to do now is tip the discussion in their direction, toward their view of a "balanced" solution -- which is to do nothing, to continue to increase carbon emissions until Generation X starts to collect social security.

    Because they know now the writing's on the wall; a Democratic President and Congress are poised to act. They have to continue to do the bidding of Exxon until the day they leave office.

    At which time, I imagine George W. Bush will be named a director on Exxon's board.

    http://scorpionbowl.blogspot.com/2008/04/white-house-gree ...On Thoughts on Bush's latest speech on climate change posted 1 year, 7 months ago 10 Responses

  • Gas Tax Holiday Is Stupid

    McCain's idea is ridiculously stupid.

    I called McCain's office yesterday to tell him so.

    I talked to a staffer named Robert.

    Me: is this eighteen cent gas tax holiday -- is he serious? Or is it a
    Democrat trap?

    Robert: Okay, I'll pass along the comment.

    ME: No, I'm asking a question. Is he seriously proposing this?

    Robert: I'll have to pass you along to the campaign. He proposed that
    as part of his campaign. He has not introduced any legislation.
    (he may have said, he's not planning to introduce any legislation). I
    can give you the number for the campaign.

    Me: Oh, so it is just a Democrat trap! I have to say, I'm relieved --
    because this is a really stupid idea. I don't know if Senator McCain's
    been watching what's actually going on with gas prices, but if you drop
    the .18 tax, the price will go up by 30 cents by September -- but
    instead of being in the Treasury where we can use it to maintain the
    roads and public transit, it will be going directly into the pockets of
    the oil companies. We should have raised the tax by two dollars six
    years ago.

    Robert: (pause). Okay ... (frustrated). I'll pass that along.

    Me: Thanks. Have a great day.

    --------------------

    If we had raised the gas tax by one dollar per gallon in October, 2001, we would have

    1. brought in enough revenues to fund the war in Iraq in cash, rather than putting it on the credit card.

    OR

    1. begun a massive program to transition to the next energy economy. We could have converted every gas station in the country to run hydrogen for $100 billion.

    2. that much of a hike, that quickly, would have begun to decrease demand and drive demand for alternatives and efficiency.

    We're paying twice that extra dollar -- the cost of a gallon of gas has risen by two dollars during the Bush years. Except none of it is going into improving the infrastructure of the nation -- well, 18 cents. And none is going toward the next energy order.

    It's all going to the oil companies, and they're not using it tp start to move to the next thing, according to thir own execs testifying before Congress. They're using it to build a surplus for their own future lean years, when the oil runs out (which they simultaneously argue is not happening.

    We are awfully shortsighted. On We need to be freed from gas, not the gas tax posted 1 year, 7 months ago 9 Responses

  • Climate Crimes Against Humanity

    The Bush Administration has allowed global climate change to proceed, unimpeded - and even encouraged the melting of the polar icecaps, regardless of the devastation that coastal flooding, intensifying storm energy, changing disease vectors and migrating cvlimate patterns will wreak on the world's human population. They have systematically suppressed scientific understanding; poisoned the well of public discourse; obfuscated the true nature and causes of the crisis; and used American power and influence to subvert global action.

    http://scorpionbowl.blogspot.com/2007/12/climate-crimes-a ...On Winning the battle in Bali, and then winning the war posted 1 year, 12 months ago 6 Responses