"Let Them Fry" -- The Southern Company

ATLANTA -- For decades, the Southern Company has run roughshod over the health and welfare of its customers with uncontrolled, dirty, coal-fired power plants. It's been used to calling the shots in its region and was one of the major forces behind the Bush administration's ultimately unsuccessful first-term campaign to allow continued uncontrolled emissions of mercury under the Orwellian-named "Clear Skies" campaign.

Now David Ratcliffe, Southern's chairman and CEO, has conceded that, yes, his company's emissions will change the climate -- but not to worry: "I don't believe there's an impending catastrophe in front of us... The environment has an ability to adapt to that."

Of course, the environment does adapt. During the last warm period, Florida was entirely under water, for example. And that warm period then triggered an ice age that put Manhattan under a mile of ice. The environment adjusts all right. It's human civilization, and all the species that share this world with us, that will have a hard time. Almost none of them were around for the last big warming.

Ratcliffe couldn't be clearer: The value of his stock trumps everything. As long as he reports good results until he retires, we'll be just fine. It's hard to imagine a more cynical or hard-hearted attitude. But no doubt he genuinely sees it that way -- his bottom line is the measure of the world. We, however, will have only ourselves to blame if we continue letting this man and his company run our politics and if we go on electing their candidates.

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Comments

[larry278]

The South didn't become an economic powerhouse (pun intended & is a lousy pun) till air conditioning became common in the South. Frying workers aren't as efficient & productive as comfortable workers. Global warming could submerge Fl & the Gulf Coast. That would be as destructive as Sherman's Civil War march through Georgia. Some that the South didn't recover from the Civil War till air condition came along. The Southern Co could be without customers who use air conditioning because they can afford it if climate change floods the low ground. If you don't have customers...you get what I mean. A tropical North could mean Va & De oranges to replace Fl oranges, But what if Fl is flooded, where do the people & businesses go. They might go to areas not served by the Southern Co or global warming could produce the mother of all depressions. Depressions aren't good for business.

[Pquilson]

There seems to be a lot of "could" in your post. Could it be that the "science" is, in fact, not settled?

[larry278]

Are you planning to hold your beach front property for 30 years? Did you get a 2d mortgage with a fixed rate for 30 years? Science is dynamic. Science is never settled but don't try to repeal the law of gravity now. Cynics say that mother nature is a bitch.

[PerryWhite]

The founder of The Weather Channel (and former GMA weatherperson) begs to differ.

http://www.kusi.com/weather/colemanscorner/19842304.html

[kathy001]

Sure, the environment will adjust. And, as the author pointed out, we'll see entire stretches of coastline under water, losing living space and lives as a result. We'll also see, as a result of that 'adjustment' an increase in temperature which will result in the deaths of thousands, unusually strong storms that will destroy property and lives. We'll undergo droughts in some areas, wiping out crops, causing famine, we'll see torrential rains in some areas, flooding out crops and people and adding to the famine. That's not even taking into account the horrific toll that adjustment will take on the animal kingdom. Oh yeah, it's going to get real uncomfortable while the enivonment adjusts. But what do Ratcliffe or the other GOP criminals care? They'll have their money to keep them cool and dry and buy those $20 loaves of bread.

[mamacat]

The criminality of using a "Clear Skies" campaign to justify pumping mercury into the atmosphere should be overwhelmingly clear. The GOP is blatantly criminal, immoral, and corrupt.

[BADEN]

That just about sums up capitalism.

[Ozarks]

No, it sums up Republican deregulation. Reagan started this deregulation idea. The republicans starting under Regean, have always trumpeted the ideal that private enterprise should replace government. An idea that has become in 35 years as bankrupt as communism. The only government that should be replaced is the Bush government. Further, they should all be put in jail.