Maybe those temperatures will start to rise again...then you can implement the Global Tax on all citizens.

Both the question of whether Americans can combat climate change without changing their standard of living and the candidates' answers start with a flawed assumption the the current energy system is optimal.  It then follows that any changes will cost money, pitting environmental gain against economic loss.

Consider the savings in fuel costs from improving the efficiency of generating heat and power, which together account for 69% of U.S. CO2 emissions.  Efficiency investments that reduce fossil fuel use enough to avoid one ton of CO2 emissions save fuel purchases as follows:
  - If coal, cut fuel costs by $34
  - If natural gas, cut fuel costs by $154
  - If #6 oil, cut fuel costs by $288

These savings are 3 to ten times higher than the savings in 1999, due to soaring fossil fuel prices. Even at the old, lower prices, there were many profitable opportunities to improve efficiency that were blocked by regulations, and the regulations stand today.  These regulations were enacted when society thought resoucres were infinite and before climate change was recognized as a problem.

Modernizing the regulations will unleash an investment boom in efficiency.  Proven technology can cut fossil fuel used to produce electricity in half, while cutting costs by $50 to $70 billion per year, after capital amortization.

The actual tradeoff is between a dirty, high cost energy system and a clean, low cost energy system.  This ought to be the message of all candidates for President.

Tom Casten

Does anybody listen?

For years the 'extremists' have been preaching about meat.  Now people are beginning to listen.  I have been eating flexitarian since 1992 - my goal is to eat less than six pounds of meat a  year.

People are starting to learn that eating meat consumes forty times the fossil fuel.  Are you opposed to the war in Iraq?  Not if you indulge in hamburgers and hot dogs.

I have a simple solution to meat.  Let the Humane Society sell meat.  That would solve our problems.  

I live in Montana and I am still seeing people driving their huge gas hog trucks, SUVs and Hummers on our streets daily when my husband and I carpool to work. Gas here is currently $3.38 a gallon and I am so confused why these people still drive their gas hogs. I know trying to sell one of the trucks is near impossible, but it would probably be cheaper for these folks to park their monsters and buy a cheaper more fuel economical vehicle and save money even while having two vehicles and only driving the fuel-efficient one.

My husband and I have come to the conclusion that everyone is waiting for someone else to make the sacrifice because they do not want to give up their trucks. It is discouraging trying what you can to save the planet and having to deal with people with that, "Let someone else do it" attitude.