It is a world where the government has misrepresented natural weather fluctuations to create a bogus threat called global warming. Washington bureaucrats' ultimate aim is to expand their power at the expense of individual freedom and entrepreneurial initiative. Phony science is being used to transform our market-based, capitalist nation into a socialist state.
President Obama through his clean energy initiative is waging a war against fossil fuels and by extension, against the jobs of millions of Americans. In the process, He is also jeopardizing national security as well as the current price of electricity.
The increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions from people burning fossil fuels is actually beneficial, since it provides additional nourishment for plants. Pollution has leveled off, negating the need for more and stricter regulations that the overzealous Obama administration has sought to install.
Clean renewable energy sources such as solar and wind have their virtues, but are too technologically limited to fulfill most of our future needs.
Oil, gas, and coal will be humanity's main sources of energy for the foreseeable future. That being the case, we should drill on every public and private acre we can to achieve energy independence. If government restrictions and environmental regulation drive coal production out of the mix, the poor will not only lose their jobs but eventually their homes--that is if they don't freeze to death first. Where manufacturers have been forced to downsize cars to meet fuel economy standards, the vehicles have become less safe for drivers in the event of a collision.
The United States is host to a United Nations in which enemies outnumber allies, and constant attempts emanate from within that body to invade American sovereignty in the guise of environmental reform.
We are a democratic society, often under siege by alien politics at home and abroad!
Then there are those who view the world as a very different place. The climate is getting hotter, glaciers and Arctic ice are melting, and sea level is rising at alarming rates. Droughts, storms, and forest fires are intensifying. Not surprisingly it is noted, the past 15 years include the 12 warmest in recorded history. An overwhelming scientific consensus concludes that humanity's burning of fossil fuels is responsible for this heating up of the planet and poses a serious threat.
Yet in this global scenario, all is not lost. Greater fuel efficiency, reforestation, and a shift to renewable energy appear to possess the potential to slow, and eventually stabilize global warming. The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy can cause some temporary displacement, but projections are for a long term net job gain. Health benefits from the transition exceed compliance costs.
Government is playing a pivotal role in incentivizing the private sector's renewable energy research and development as well as in regulating industrial carbon emission reductions. Adaptation to and mitigation of climate change are underway to assure sustainable prosperity and national security. With natural gas as a bridge, energy experts estimate renewables can meet half of our energy demand by 2050. To cope with the reach of modern day trans-boundary pollution will require full blown international cooperation. We cannot go it alone.
So there are the competing visions. To which do you subscribe, and can they ever be reconciled?