The Sethmosphere

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/06/america/NA-GEN-US-Climate-Congress.php

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell who opposes the Climate Action bill is exactly correct when we says it would be the “largest restructuring of the American economy since the New Deal”. That is exactly what we need, and exactly what he’s afraid of.

“It’s a huge tax increase,” argued Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a prominent coal-producing state. He maintained that the proposed system of allowing widespread trading of carbon emissions allowances would produce “the largest restructuring of the American economy since the New Deal” in the 1930s.”It’s a huge tax increase,” argued Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a prominent coal-producing state. He maintained that the proposed system of allowing widespread trading of carbon emissions allowances would produce “the largest restructuring of the American economy since the New Deal” in the 1930s.”It’s a huge tax increase,” argued Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a prominent coal-producing state. He maintained that the proposed system of allowing widespread trading of carbon emissions allowances would produce “the largest restructuring of the American economy since the New Deal” in the 1930s.

[Partial transcript of talk by Dr. James Hansen. Talk give June 1st, 2008 in Lexington, Massachusetts. Transcript notes by Seth J. Itzkan. I’ve added time stamps next to the text taken from the video available below. See further notes on the talk here.]

http://www.lexgwac.org/JamesHansen.html

26:25 “We do need a revolution. It is going to have to be led by the people. We can’t expect Washington to lead it without the pressure from the public.”

We have to close the gap if we’re going to fix the problem.

Our climate system is dominated by positive feedbacks.”

“strong positive feedback”

26:40 “There is this large gap between what is understood about global warming by the relevant scientific community and what is known about global warming by those who need to know, and that’s the public and policy makers…And we have to close that gap if we’re gong to solve the problem.”
Read the rest of this entry »

On June 1st, myself and several colleagues had the extraordinary pleasure of an impromptu and informal ice cream parlor seminar with Dr. James Hansen, Director of NASA’S Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

Links: Pictures from the event | Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition | “Censoring Science” Announcement |Video Archive of “Censoring Science” | Partial Transcript | Soil Restoration Article.

Dr. James Hansen is the top climate modeler for U.S. government and is considered the world’s foremost authority on global warming. He often speaks to Congress and is regularly cited in the press.

[Picture 1: Dr. James Hansen talks to a group at the impromptu ice cream parlor seminar in Lexington, MA, following a public presentation in the town hall. Photo by Seth Itzkan.]
Read the rest of this entry »