Another Damned Global Warming Blog Entry

First of all, I have to congratulate former Vice President Al Gore now that he has officially received the Nobel Peace Prize. Giving credit where credit is due, he has taken the issue of global warming from the kook fringe and made it a global issue. In his speech, he called on industrial nations (the US and China) to lead in reducing carbon emissions and said that a tax on carbon emissions should be imposed. I know all this because I read this from the New York Times website, which we all know prints fair and honest stories.

Okay, now it's my turn. I'm sick to death of this political football being lobbed into every discussion on making our world a better place. I've already said that I'm for any reasonable change that will lead to cleaner technologies, less pollution, and less dependence on foreign oil. However, there's two points I have to make.

First, the two countries that the VP targeted happen to be the most powerful country in the world and the fastest growing industrial country in the world; in other words, the two bastions of business success. One of the problems that critics have with the global warming crowd is that their ideas always run contrary to business. Gore, as usual is leading that charge.

The second issue is the idea of using taxes to change behavior. I accept the idea that we will be taxed. It's as necessary an evil as the governments that levy taxes to feed themselves. But the answer to every problem is not to tax it, whether it be a tax on cigarettes, carbon emissions, adult stores, tourists, or whatever activity somebody decides to get money from by taxing the consumer.

These are the reason the USA has to continue to resist signing on to shit like the Kyoto protocol. To hand over any control over our economy to people like Gore would be a grave mistake on our part. In his acceptance speech, Gore quoted writer George Orwell, saying “sooner or later a false belief bumps up against solid reality.” I'm certain that the history books will show who has the "false beliefs" and what the "solid reality" really is.