Obama and Global Warming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcpGRO-j_Ik

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwH9DWT3AzY

When considering the issue of Global Warming there is only one faux pas for candidates to commit this election year: deny the existence of global warming. On this issue there seems to be very little room for debate. Given the army of experts producing daily updates and piles of analysts predicting the end of the world it would seem that its existence in undeniable, but the real issue is what will be done.

On this front Obama has suggested a plan in which a control is put in place using caps on green house gas emissions that will reduce the emissions of industries by 80% by 2050. This is done through a gradual reduction over time in which industries are forced to keep up. In addition to this he suggested that fuel emission and MPG be upped in the auto industry. He has already fought for a more severe MPG requirement and helped to get a compromised 35 MPG standard passed. Also, alternative fuels are big talking points with him. Finally, he has pledged to give incentives to consumers of green technology in the form of tax breaks. For instance hybrid cars would have a tax break as well as car with flexible fuel capabilities. He seems to show commitment to this issue and the urgency with which he approaches the issue seems to be one of the most ambitious in the current political realm.

The real question on this issue is how much does it really matter to Americans. It would seem that most only care that candidates recognize it, and after this point most do not really care to understand their plan to fix it. No one is being “grilled” on this issue, that’s for sure. It would seem that an issue of how to prevent millions of people from being displaced by drastically rising oceans, and severe ecological effects would be more of an “in your face” issue, but instead it seems as though people are willing to leave the issue until it spirals out of control. If I have one complaint about the plan Obama has outlined is that I believe that it is not severe enough. It still allows for corporations to bite the bullet and just pay to destroy the world, and while it may provide incentive to develop green technology and clean up our act, it may be too little too late if these new technologies are slow to come. This is especially true if the exponential growth and the effects of the gases continues. Even Obama’s plan for 2050 maybe too late to stop the cycle. I would say take drastic action and really prove a point that abuse of our environment will not be tolerated. Mandate limitations on greenhouse gas emissions immediately. It will save much more in the long run than initial costs to corporations. I realize that I am no economist and that I lean toward a very liberal perspective on this issue, but I personally do not feel that enough can be done to prevent hardship to future generations and the potential for humans to join the mass extinction that our world is currently experiencing. I would love to see a viable candidate take a stand on this issue and make it a non issue immediately, but unfortunately I am forced to look to the next best thing: Obama.