Obama pledges to cut global warming pollution
Sen. Barack Obama promised to cut greenhouse gases during a pair of speeches today in College Park and Baltimore.
(But first, a funny footnote: my favorite line during his speech this morning at the University of Maryland, College Park, was when he said his enemies were trying to smear him as a "hopemonger." He implied he's unlike Cheney and Bush, who are -- in Obama's view -- fearmongers. I guess if you're going to mong something, you might as well mong something with good P.R., like hope. "Warmonger" doesn't sound good. I guess he could try "joymonger" or "lovemonger" or "raisetheminimumwagemonger," but these might not make him sound like a serious candidate.)
But back to the serious news. Obama is seeking the Democratic party's nomination for President in tomorrow's (2/12/08) Maryland primaries. He didn't tiptoe around the issue of climate change during his rally in College Park. Three times during a speech before about 20,000 enthusiastic supporters at the University of Maryland's Comcast basketball arena, he insisted the time has come for action. "We cannot wait to stop global warming," Obama said. "We cannot wait to fix this country."
He pledged to put mandatory caps on carbon dioxide emissions from industry. And he talked about it often enough to imply it was one of his top priorities, along with getting the U.S. out of Iraq by the end of 2009, extending health insurance to all Americans, preventing insurance companies from denying coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions, raising fuel efficiency standards for all vehicles to 40 m.p.g., fixing up crumbling schools and improving America's standing in the world by using more diplomacy to deal with our enemies.
During an even rowdier rally with 10,000 supporters at the First Mariner Arena in downtown Baltimore today, Obama said he favors "an environmental protection agency that believes in environmental protection." (Perhaps that's an obvious point, but it was a jab at Bush, whose EPA has had its industry-friendly air pollution programs thrown out by the courts.)
Obama said America needs to end its addiction to foreign oil. The burning of all this oil, he said, is helping to melt polar ice. "We are going to cap the greenhouse gases that cause global warming," he told his audience in Baltimore. "We are going to take some of the money that's generated from fining polluters, and we are going to spend billions of dollars on solar, wind and biodiesel. We will hire young people who don't have a trade and give them a trade making homes more energy efficient, insulating homes, changing light bulbs, reducing our dependence on dirty power plants."
Obama said that if America raised the fuel efficiency standards for all cars to 40 miles per gallon, the country would save the equivalent of "all the oil we import from the Persian Gulf."
(Footnote II: The packed Obama rally in Baltimore today had an edgy craziness about it, with hyped-up audience members screaming out to Obama at random times, proclaiming things like "We've got your back, Barack!" The best moment came when the slender, genteel Harvard Law grad tried to bulk up with some Mobtown street cred. "I'm skinny, but I'm tough," he told the crowd. "Don't mess with me. Let them bring it on. Who they got? John McCain?"
The second best lines of the Baltimore rally came when Obama laid out his opposition to the Iraq war and implied how different this was from Sen. Clinton, who voted in favor of the war. "The war in Iraq was unwise," Obama said. "It fanned the flames of anti-American sentiment. It distracted us from going after Bin Laden and Al Quaeda...We could have invested that money in America. This was an unwise war. That's why I opposed it in 2002 and that's why I'll end it in 2009.")
Interested in reading about Hillary Clinton's position on environmental issues? If so, click here. Like Obama, Clinton is calling for a "cap and trade" emissions control system that will cut greenhouse gas pollution by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 to avoid the worst effects of global warming.
If any voters want to learn more about Sen. John McCain's positions on global warming, go here. McCain earned the enmity of some of his fellow Republicans by declaring that climate change is a serious problem and sponsoring failed legislation that would have capped greenhouse gas pollution. I wrote about Gov. Mike's Huckabee's position on global warming in Saturday's blog post.
Why am I writing about all this national political stuff, as a writer who normally covers the environment? As it happens, with the so-called Potomac Primary promising to play an important role in the national election, it's all hands on deck. And I was assigned by my editors to cover the Obama rallies today, as I was assigned to cover two events for Gov. Mike Huckabee on Saturday.
Comments
Obama has alot of hot air just like Gores "fearmongering" global warming.
Be very careful about Obama for he preaches change but gives not one example of what he wants change.
There are scores of Islamist who are
willing to kill americans. Under Obama
this unexperience, hatemonger, rabble
rouser will end up destroying the US
with his "feel good" rhetoric.
Posted by: Jim | February 12, 2008 11:44 AM
My response to Jim:
Putting politics aside, on a strictly factual level Jim is incorrect in some of what he writes.
Obama in his speeches in Maryland yesterday was very specific about what "change" he wants to bring. 1) a 40 miles per gallon fuel efficiency standard for all vehicles; 2) a cap on carbon dioxide emissions from industry, with the fees raised through this system to pay for wind, solar and biodiesel alternative fuel; 3) to illegalize the practices of medical insurance companies denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions; 4) to get the US out of Iraq by the end of 2009; 5) to close the Guantanamo Bay prison; 6) to end the Bush tax cuts on the top 1 percent of income earners. 7) To raise the minimum wage annually to keep pace with inflation. 8) To use diplomacy to talk to America's enemies.
So it's just factually false to claim, as Jim does, that Obama "gives not one example of what he wants" in terms of change. People may or may not not like his proposals, but at least in Maryland yesterday they were highly concrete.
Also, it's factually incorrect to call him a "hatemonger" -- at least as he's evidenced during his appearances in Maryland. In his speeches yesterday, Obama did not talk about hating anyone -- he didn't suggest hatred toward Republicans, Islamists, or anyone else.
If I'm wrong -- and Jim can produce an example Obama hate speech -- I would be happy to post that on our blog.
Tom Pelton
Posted by: Tom Pelton | February 12, 2008 11:52 AM
The idea that you can run America on "solar, wind, and biodiesel" is laughable. Since 70% of the electricity generated in the U.S. involves the burning of coal, natural gas or oil and another 20% from nuclear, a real, viable alternative energy is decades away. A single 555-megaWatt gas-fired power plant in California generates more electricity per year than do all 13,000 of that state’s wind turbines. The gas-fired plant occupies just 15 acres. The 300-foot tall wind turbines impact 106,000 acres, destroy scenic vistas, and kill tens of thousands of birds and bats every year – to provide expensive, tax-subsidized, intermittent, insufficient electricity. I guess Obama didn't read the latest news either: "Ethanol And Other Biofuels Prove To Be A Bad Investment" - "actually creates more greenhouse gases than traditional oil-based fossil fuels and causes millions of hectares of forests to be cleared for plantations thereby destroying the livelihoods of indigenous people. In the United States, solar power meets less than 0.01 percent of electricity needs. Maybe we can get Al Gore to invent an alternative energy for Obama. Most of the people of the world have bought into the hysterics that the IPCC and the UN have propagated about the earth's climate. The UN has a long track record for corruption, and since the IPCC is a part of the UN, we can see how science can become twisted for political gain. The UN regularly churns out exaggerated and dire reports on everything from AIDS to climate change in order to garner political and financial support for more UN personnel, studies and conferences. Just ask any of the hundreds of climate scientists who are current and former participants in the UN IPCC and have criticized the biased climate claims made by that bureaucracy. The UN does not reward whistleblowers. Our political leaders better take a hard look at the "science" that the IPCC espouses. Paul Driessen said it best:
"We should improve energy efficiency, reduce pollution, and develop new energy technologies. But when we demand immediate action to prevent exaggerated or imaginary crises, we stifle debate, railroad through programs that don’t work, and impose horrendous unintended consequences on countless families. That is shortsighted and immoral.”
Posted by: Mike | February 12, 2008 1:11 PM
Why do the politicians not learn some facts. We do not have enough land area to make all the biofuels called for in the recent legislation.
And the world will not change its energy base in time to stop global warming and so we must seriously study geoengineering which can put a hold on global warming. Readers, please google geoengineering; you'll rapidly see I'm not kidding.
Posted by: Sol Shapiro | February 12, 2008 3:11 PM
"Maybe we can get Al Gore to invent an alternative energy for Obama"
or maybe we could increase nuclear power that has been creating nearly emissions free energy for the better half of a century.
Posted by: Jon Facemire | February 12, 2008 3:51 PM
Obama vs. McCain on the Environment, the results might surprise you...
http://greenpieceblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/obama-vs-mccain-on-environment.html
Posted by: Brandon | February 13, 2008 12:55 AM
Mike,
Believe it or not, but alternative energy sources in this country are vastly underutilized. And I cannot figure out how you get the idea that gas/coal plants only require small foot print. The mining and extraction of the resources requires massive amount of surface area, and cause man-made quakes, land shifts, etc.
These alternative resource are not intended to totally replace existing power plants, but simply increase the percentage of clean power that we use. Lets get that solar power pumped up to a 5%. Wind: another 5%. Geothermal: another 5%. That is enough to cut carbon based energy a significant amount.
Posted by: Markus | February 18, 2008 12:41 PM
I do not understand how anyone can seriously believe that Obama can pull US forces out of Iraq as fast as he says. It will not happen! If he becomes president Iraq will be a problem throughout his presidency. Even an 8 year presidency...
Global warming. Why does it feel so cold? An observational fact: temperatures have NOT gone up last 10 years. Antarctica is actually cooling, and has been for many years now.
Obama seems much TALK not much substance. He says the politically correct things but people like that are NO GOOD.
Just some observations from Oslo, Norway. Now I will go skiing in the forest outside Oslo. The amount of snow this year: wonderful!
Posted by: Norwegian guy | February 21, 2008 6:44 AM
Election 2008 will need a candidate that has a serious workable plan to end GLOBAL WARMING and CLIMATE CHANGE.
No electioneering or election posturing just plain common sense for an urgent serious problem that needs URGENT POSITIVE ACTION ASAP.
Nature normally has it's own way of cleaning and purifying the air. It is common knowledge that the photosynthesis cycle converts carbon dioxide into
carbohydrates and releases oxygen into the atmosphere.
The more trees that grow naturally or planted in a given area , the better the quality of oxygen in the air.
The indiscriminate cutting down of trees has significantly had a NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT and seriously damaged it in places like the AMAZON
FORESTS and in AFRICA overgrazing has upset the delicate ecosystem balance.
The massive destruction of huge forests in the Amazon Jungle has resulted in powerful winds "spawning" or giving "birth" to Hurricanes that sweep across the
America's.
The overgrazing of Land in Africa has resulted in the rapid desertification of Africa which has brought about drought and famines and sandstorms.
The massive open cast mining in CANADA , AUSTRALIA , AMERICA AND CHINA and elsewhere has also damaged the environment.
The underground testing of nuclear weapons (Hopefully now banned in all countries) has resonated the tectonic plates and caused TSUNAMIS and EARTHQUAKES in
divers places.
The mass scale production of motor vehicles ans aeroplanes and thermal power stations contributes significantly to global warming.
NATURE tries to correct all these maladjustments and then the earth has what you may call a reflex action of earthquakes, violent storms (hurricanes and
tornadoes) flooding in some areas and heat waves in others . In Africa, desertification and internationally, GLOBAL WARMING.
We can help in a significant way by switching to ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF ENERGY , planting more and more trees that blend with the natural fauna so that the
natural ecosystem is not disturbed or disrupted any further.
THE KYOTO TREATY will also help if there are more signatures and more restrictions as nature dictates.
ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF ENERGY will also help to reduce nature's reflex action.
Heat waves, rampant flooding, hailstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes hopefully will reduce on a sliding scale depending on the seriousness to adhere to the
protocols of the KYOTO TREATY.
We only have one planet to live on and if we destroy it we destroy all mankind. IT IS NOT TOO LATE but we must ACT QUICKLY and stop CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL
WARMING.
MEN AND WOMEN everywhere that call for ways to reduce CLIMATE CHANGE and to STOP GLOBAL WARMING and STOP DESERTIFICATION , are to be commended for their
efforts. BUT DECISIVE ACTION NEEDS to be done URGENTLY to save PLANET EARTH from destruction by man's IRRESPONSIBLE ACTION in pursuit of ECONOMIC DOMINANCE
Hopefully, ELECTION 2008 will provide a INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC FORUM TO DISCUSS THE SERIOUSNESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL WARMING. America will put the right person in the WHITE HOUSE IN ELECTION 2008.Errol Smythe.
Posted by: Errol Smythe | March 29, 2008 4:18 AM