<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Mark Warner talks to Grist about his energy vision and upcoming keynote address]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Delay And Deny http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/ Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:21:35 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/1 Why Do Democrats Vote Democrat?


It's a serious question.  I have been examining the Green Party position comparison.  In each and every case, the Green Party has the exact position that I hear the most vocal Democrats (especially in Grist) saying they support.

http://www.therealdifference.org/issues.html

Whereas the it seems like the Democrat Party is basically a brick wall for most of these same people to ram their heads into.

Ok, this is the part where you accuse me of campaigning for John McCain.   Well, yes, I am a Republican; however, to me it seems like you guys would be better off coming out of the closet and being full on Green Party instead of trying to sneak your way into power.

I myself think that a Republican majority, representing mainstream America with a Green Party along side as the Loyal Opposition -- pressing its reforms in key domestic areas -- would be a good mix, rather than trying to elect a sappy watered down Biden-Obama ticket.  All the moderate Democrats can move to Republican land.

How 'bout it?


]]> Why Do Democrats Vote Democrat?


It's a serious question.  I have been examining the Green Party position comparison.  In each and every case, the Green Party has the exact position that I hear the most vocal Democrats (especially in Grist) saying they support.

http://www.therealdifference.org/issues.html

Whereas the it seems like the Democrat Party is basically a brick wall for most of these same people to ram their heads into.

Ok, this is the part where you accuse me of campaigning for John McCain.   Well, yes, I am a Republican; however, to me it seems like you guys would be better off coming out of the closet and being full on Green Party instead of trying to sneak your way into power.

I myself think that a Republican majority, representing mainstream America with a Green Party along side as the Loyal Opposition -- pressing its reforms in key domestic areas -- would be a good mix, rather than trying to elect a sappy watered down Biden-Obama ticket.  All the moderate Democrats can move to Republican land.

How 'bout it?


]]> Comment #2 by caniscandida http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:43:02 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/2 the Old Dominion

I hope the pundits are right, as well as Howard Dean, and Barack Obama's people, that Virginia may very likely go blue this election.

But that still seems a daunting prospect, what with the Ancient Appalachians in the southwest, the shoot-'em-up military types in the southeast, and the Proud Sons of the South in the middle.

Even in the face of Grist's probing and carefully analytical questions, Mark Warner makes plain that he has the electoral realities of his state at the top of his mind.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

]]> the Old Dominion

I hope the pundits are right, as well as Howard Dean, and Barack Obama's people, that Virginia may very likely go blue this election.

But that still seems a daunting prospect, what with the Ancient Appalachians in the southwest, the shoot-'em-up military types in the southeast, and the Proud Sons of the South in the middle.

Even in the face of Grist's probing and carefully analytical questions, Mark Warner makes plain that he has the electoral realities of his state at the top of his mind.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

]]> Comment #3 by Jason D Scorse http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:33:16 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/3 I thought Warner shoiuld've run for Prez.....

and wrote as much back in 2006- he would've crushed McSame in a landslide- but I think some of his bipartisanship has gone a little far for my taste in this interview. It is Republicans who have blocked most serious energy legislation for years and I will put big money on McCain doing little if anything for climate change legislation if elected.

Sometimes issues are partisan and there's nothing wrong with saying Dems are right on this and Reps wrong. The Republicans do it all the time but somehow the Dems try to go the "nice guy" route. Doesn't work. Never has and never will.

We need to focus on the root causes of problems. http://www.voicesofreason.info.

]]> I thought Warner shoiuld've run for Prez.....

and wrote as much back in 2006- he would've crushed McSame in a landslide- but I think some of his bipartisanship has gone a little far for my taste in this interview. It is Republicans who have blocked most serious energy legislation for years and I will put big money on McCain doing little if anything for climate change legislation if elected.

Sometimes issues are partisan and there's nothing wrong with saying Dems are right on this and Reps wrong. The Republicans do it all the time but somehow the Dems try to go the "nice guy" route. Doesn't work. Never has and never will.

We need to focus on the root causes of problems. http://www.voicesofreason.info.

]]> Comment #4 by Jason D Scorse http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:36:43 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/4 Let me also say....

that until the GOP is absolutely crushed and disgraced in American politics we can expect things to get worse. The GOP is not going to stop it's theocratic, neocon, crony capitalism until the voters seriously punish them. 2006 was a start but the presidency is the real prize and if voters reward the epic failure of the last 8 years with more of the same it will only empower the worst elements in the GOP in a way that will set progressive causes reeling for decades. Not trying to scare anyone- it's simply reality.

We need to focus on the root causes of problems. http://www.voicesofreason.info.

]]> Let me also say....

that until the GOP is absolutely crushed and disgraced in American politics we can expect things to get worse. The GOP is not going to stop it's theocratic, neocon, crony capitalism until the voters seriously punish them. 2006 was a start but the presidency is the real prize and if voters reward the epic failure of the last 8 years with more of the same it will only empower the worst elements in the GOP in a way that will set progressive causes reeling for decades. Not trying to scare anyone- it's simply reality.

We need to focus on the root causes of problems. http://www.voicesofreason.info.

]]> Comment #5 by drocto http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:33:37 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/5 picking winners?

"...I think the idea of the government trying to pick a winner... is not the right approach..."
+
"I would favor... at least a $5,000-a-year hybrid tax credit for next-generation hybrids and plug-in hybrids..."
=
?

He then falls into the trap of describing a (hybrid-)electric vehicle in MPG terms, which is a misleading metric (unless your only concern is liquid petroleum requirements)

If you're interested in lowering GHG emissions, provide incentives for that.  If you're interested in reducing energy imports, provide incentives for that.  But do it in a technology-agnostic way that seemlessly allows for innovation instead of locking into the flavor of the day.  

Why should somebody that drives 30,000 miles/year that buys a plug-in hybrid connected to a dirty grid get a subsidy while a carpooling family with a standard mini-van that drives 4,000 miles/year gets nothing?



]]> picking winners?

"...I think the idea of the government trying to pick a winner... is not the right approach..."
+
"I would favor... at least a $5,000-a-year hybrid tax credit for next-generation hybrids and plug-in hybrids..."
=
?

He then falls into the trap of describing a (hybrid-)electric vehicle in MPG terms, which is a misleading metric (unless your only concern is liquid petroleum requirements)

If you're interested in lowering GHG emissions, provide incentives for that.  If you're interested in reducing energy imports, provide incentives for that.  But do it in a technology-agnostic way that seemlessly allows for innovation instead of locking into the flavor of the day.  

Why should somebody that drives 30,000 miles/year that buys a plug-in hybrid connected to a dirty grid get a subsidy while a carpooling family with a standard mini-van that drives 4,000 miles/year gets nothing?



]]> Comment #6 by Biodiversivist http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:44:43 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/6 Somebody's advisors have been lurking on Gristmill

"...although I think the idea of the government trying to pick a winner the way we did with corn-based ethanol is not the right approach."

...he says while laying out a plan for government to pick winners for us. Politicians are funny.

His rebate idea for hybrids is not real original. We just did that. It had no measurable impact. They threw tax dollars away. You still have to get in a long line to buy a Prius. And since when do you need a 100 mpg car? A Prius cuts average oil use in half! That's not good enough?

As a politician, he's going after the support of big automakers and the votes of their employees, because this kind of money will translate into a subtle subsidy to get our industry to come up with competitive knockoffs of Japanese technology.

For this to work he'll have to find a way to make the rebate good for American made cars only because he can't force citizens to buy a 25 mpg Saturn hybrid instead of a 48 mpg Prius.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

]]> Somebody's advisors have been lurking on Gristmill

"...although I think the idea of the government trying to pick a winner the way we did with corn-based ethanol is not the right approach."

...he says while laying out a plan for government to pick winners for us. Politicians are funny.

His rebate idea for hybrids is not real original. We just did that. It had no measurable impact. They threw tax dollars away. You still have to get in a long line to buy a Prius. And since when do you need a 100 mpg car? A Prius cuts average oil use in half! That's not good enough?

As a politician, he's going after the support of big automakers and the votes of their employees, because this kind of money will translate into a subtle subsidy to get our industry to come up with competitive knockoffs of Japanese technology.

For this to work he'll have to find a way to make the rebate good for American made cars only because he can't force citizens to buy a 25 mpg Saturn hybrid instead of a 48 mpg Prius.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

]]> Comment #7 by Karlamanda Bell http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/ Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:20:38 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/on-your-mark/7 Energy Security + Climate Security go together

"If American people drove cars the size of Europeans, you would not have to go to the middle east for oil".

Energy efficient cars, alternative fueled cars, public transport have to be better than war in the middle east over oil, off-shore oil drilling and of course CLIMATE CHANGE

LETS GET IT TOGETHER - ENERGY SECURITY AND CLIMATE SECURITY WORK WELL TOGETHER  

Karlamanda Bell
http://www.GHGblog.com

Karlamanda Bell


]]> Energy Security + Climate Security go together

"If American people drove cars the size of Europeans, you would not have to go to the middle east for oil".

Energy efficient cars, alternative fueled cars, public transport have to be better than war in the middle east over oil, off-shore oil drilling and of course CLIMATE CHANGE

LETS GET IT TOGETHER - ENERGY SECURITY AND CLIMATE SECURITY WORK WELL TOGETHER  

Karlamanda Bell
http://www.GHGblog.com

Karlamanda Bell


]]>