Let's be poor for Mother Earth!: Obama's "interesting" Global Warming czar

[Caedus]

From here

Until last week, Carol M. Browner, President-elect Barack Obama's pick as global warming czar, was listed as one of 14 leaders of a socialist group's Commission for a Sustainable World Society, which calls for "global governance" and says rich countries must shrink their economies to address climate change.

By Thursday, Mrs. Browner's name and biography had been removed from Socialist International's Web page, though a photo of her speaking June 30 to the group's congress in Greece was still available.

Socialist International, an umbrella group for many of the world's social democratic political parties such as Britain's Labor Party, says it supports socialism and is harshly critical of U.S. policies.

The group's Commission for a Sustainable World Society, the organization's action arm on climate change, says the developed world must reduce consumption and commit to binding and punitive limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr. Obama, who has said action on climate change would be a priority in his administration, tapped Mrs. Browner last month to fill a new position as White House coordinator of climate and energy policies. The appointment does not need Senate confirmation.

Mr. Obama's transition team said Mrs. Browner's membership in the organization is not a problem and that it brings experience in U.S. policymaking to her new role.

I was afraid of Barry O making an appointment like this.

 

[Dual]

Well, shit.

 

[ctmelvital]

Labor isn't that bad. Calling social democratic parties truly "socialist" is kinda misleading.

We'll see how badly the global warming policies will fuck things up once they are properly announced. That's one of the "good" things about the current crisis - global warming just isn't that fancy anymore.

 

[Lord John Whorfin]

Does this mean that Al Gore will have to move to a hovel?

 

[Ancalagon]

Labor isn't that bad. Calling social democratic parties truly "socialist" is kinda misleading.

We'll see how badly the global warming policies will fuck things up once they are properly announced. That's one of the "good" things about the current crisis - global warming just isn't that fancy anymore.

Yeah.... I pretty much just see him pushing for more 'green collar' jobs. Too much shit going on to do more.

The War, Economy, and Healthcare all trump Kyoto at the moment. I don't see that changing any time soon.

 

[ctmelvital]

Yeah.... I pretty much just see him pushing for more 'green collar' jobs. Too much shit going on to do more.

The War, Economy, and Healthcare all trump Kyoto at the moment. I don't see that changing any time soon.

Well, Kyoto wouldn't do shit anyway. Sure, it'd hurt the U.S. pretty bad but in terms of fighting global warming it'd be totally useless.

The problem with those 'green collar' jobs: they'll crowd out other jobs. It's pretty much as easy as that and his whole grand schemes about creating x millions of jobs - well, it's gonna hurt someone. I'm pretty damn sure that a 'green economy' will develop all by itself as it becomes profitable (which I'm sure it will). Simply don't trust the government NOT to fuck things up.

 

[Volpone]

... a 'green economy' will develop all by itself as it becomes profitable ... Simply don't trust the government NOT to fuck things up.

My bold. That, right there, is the rub. If it is government subsidized, there's no incentive to ever become profitable.

If you have the Government, consciously saying "I'm going to create X,000 "Green Jobs", first off someone has to figure out just what the Hell a "green job" is and come up with a product these green workers are marketing. Then there's all the infrastructure for it--HR, facilities, janitorial... And when you've got the Government, meddling in it and artificially creating these "green jobs", there will never be an incentive for them to be profitable. Quite the opposite. If you figure out how to turn a profit with your green jobs, the gravy train gets shut off. Heck, you might even start getting taxed. So if there is no incentive to work your ass off, take risks, and turn a profit, you might as well sit on your ass, fuck off all day and collect your gubmint check.

Saying you're going to create X number of "green jobs" (sorry, I just can't say it without the parentheses) is about the worst thing you can do for the environment, IMO.

 

[The Listkeeper]

Well, Kyoto wouldn't do shit anyway. Sure, it'd hurt the U.S. pretty bad but in terms of fighting global warming it'd be totally useless.

The problem with those 'green collar' jobs: they'll crowd out other jobs. It's pretty much as easy as that and his whole grand schemes about creating x millions of jobs - well, it's gonna hurt someone. I'm pretty damn sure that a 'green economy' will develop all by itself as it becomes profitable (which I'm sure it will). Simply don't trust the government NOT to fuck things up.

The problem with "fighting global warming" is that it's based on the unproven premise that man is primarily responsible for climate change. This is a problem first because all the PROVABLE science shows that climate change is going to occur with or without man's influence, and NO effort is being directed at dealing with those changes, and secondly, without proven, reproducible science that shows directly how man is actually influencing climate change, people are engaging in all kinds of "solutions" that address a non defined problem, which is going to generate all kinds of other problems, wasting resources and effort.

 

[Ancalagon]

Well, Kyoto wouldn't do shit anyway. Sure, it'd hurt the U.S. pretty bad but in terms of fighting global warming it'd be totally useless.

Well, my Kyoto I meant useless feel good measures in General. Neither Kyoto or this new one is going to have any meaningful effect b/c no one, especially the BRIC nations, are going to follow it.

The problem with those 'green collar' jobs: they'll crowd out other jobs. It's pretty much as easy as that and his whole grand schemes about creating x millions of jobs - well, it's gonna hurt someone. I'm pretty damn sure that a 'green economy' will develop all by itself as it becomes profitable (which I'm sure it will). Simply don't trust the government NOT to fuck things up.

If unemployment was back around 5 I could see your point. As it is now, and where it's heading... I don't see a crowding out effect.



Volpone: Most of the 'creation' will be in the form of Tax Credits and R&D subsidiaries and upgrading existing federal buildings.