Day: July 22, 2008

What Is Cap And Trade?

This election cycle we are hearing a lot about the environment and global warming. There are a wealth of issues and a plethora of solutions. The one that is getting the most play in this cycle is cap and trade, but what is it?

A common feature among these climate strategies is a “cap-and-trade” system for reducing emissions.

These systems draw on the power of the marketplace to reduce emissions in a cost-effective and flexible manner. In practice, cap-and-trade systems create a financial incentive for emission reductions by assigning a cost to polluting. First, an environmental regulator establishes a “cap” that limits emissions from a designated group of polluters, such as power plants, to a level lower than their current emissions. The emissions allowed under the new cap are then divided up into individual permits—usually equal to one ton of pollution—that represent the right to emit that amount.

Because the emissions cap restricts the amount of pollution allowed, permits that give a company the right to pollute take on financial value. Companies are free to buy and sell permits in order to continue operating in the most profitable manner available to them. So, those that are able to reduce emissions at a low cost can sell their extra permits to companies facing high costs (which will generally prefer to buy permits rather than make costly reductions themselves).

A key advantage of a cap-and-trade system compared with other emission reduction strategies is that it gives companies flexibility in the manner in which they may achieve their emission targets. Another advantage is that it sets a clear limit on emissions. Traditional approaches often focus on emission rates or require the best available technology, but do not always require that specific environmental goals be met. For example, an emissions tax penalizes polluters but does not guarantee the degree to which the environment will benefit, because some companies might find it easier to pay the tax instead of reducing emissions.

Does this help understand the system called “cap and trade”?  Please let me know.

The Media Is Pouting

I have been watching the Obama Summer of War Tour and think that the situation is being handled really well. There are opportunities here for some gaffs that could bite him in the butt, but so far all is proceeding well.

With that said, the media is pouting and whining big time. It seems that they do not have the access that they would want to turn it into a media circus. All the MSM is getting is the images caught by the DOD people and released to the media. In return fire the media is bad mouthing the coverage saying that they are soldiers and not journalists.

They are trying and crying to get more access to the candidate; they are chomping at the bit to find something that they can use to torpedo Obama’s mission in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East. The best I can come up with is–what a pack of pussies!

The arrogance of the MSM is amazing–hell–I even have run into it here–they all believe that they are the only ones that are capable of creating news–Yes!  I said creating! That is what this corporate media does–they create the news and they are the ones that set the issues and the tone of this election.

The Bomber Crash

The US Air Force says the bodies of two airmen have been recovered after a B-52 bomber crashed into the Pacific, off the coast of the US territory of Guam.

A rescue team is continuing to search for the remaining four crew members

The plane was due to take part in events to mark the island’s Liberation Day, commemorating the end of Japanese occupation during World War II.

B-52s are one of the oldest aircraft still flown by the US military. The cause of the crash remains unknown.

The Air Force said the identity of one of the bodies had been established but is being withheld until the crew member’s family had been informed.

Local and military search teams are involved in the search for the remaining crew members, combing about 70 square miles (180 sq km) of ocean, a spokesman for the US Coast Guard Section Guam, Lt Elizabeth Buendia, said.

This was a real shame and it is the second plane crash off the Island.  But my first thought was…since the B-52 is a primary weapon of war and sometimes carries a full compliment of nukes….how many were on this flight?  If they were aboard, what is the danger to the people and environment of Guam?

Do we Have A Consensus On Iraq?

Sen. Barack Obama said he found “a strong, emerging consensus” for the redeployment of U.S. combat forces from Iraq, with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki telling Obama he hoped American combat troops will be gone in two years.

The Iraqi government has been pushing for the United States to set a general timetable to spell out troops withdrawals. The countries are negotiating a security agreement that would define the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq, and the notion of a general time frame recently was made part of the negotiations.

Let us see, Obama has said that troops would be out in 16 months (est), Maliki has said by the end of 2010, and now Bush and the Boyz are talking about a time horizon.  McCain and the mouths are saying stay the course and a possibility of more troops.  Sorry, McCain is odd man out.

McCain has officially been thrown under the bus by Bush and Maliki; making Obama and his position as the more realistic one.

Conservation Voters

The AP is reporting:  In an election all about change, environmental groups are doing the usual — endorsing the Democratic presidential candidate.

The League of Conservation Voters will become the latest green group to back Democrat Barack Obama in five separate events across the country Monday. Its pick shouldn’t be a surprise. Its scorecard of votes on environmental issues for the first session of the current Congress gave Obama a score of 67 and Republican John McCain a zero. The Arizona senator did not show up for any of the votes the group scored.

“When you look specifically at the twin challenges of cutting global warming pollution and moving toward a clean energy future, on those issues Barack Obama has the most comprehensive plan we have ever seen for a presidential nominee,” said league president Gene Karpinsky. The league has endorsed presidential candidates since the early 1980s, but not once has it selected a Republican.

I ask is it truly would would be best steward of the environment?  If so, why would the group not take a serious look at the Green Party?  IMO, it is they justt want to be on the winning side, something they have not been too good with in past elections.  It is not so much looking for the best steward, but rather someone that the group can play ball with.

McCain Campaign Misfiring

OMG! Where did he (McCain) find his campaign staff? They decided the best way to fight Obama’s promise of change in Washington was to attack him on his views on the Iraq War. So they put together an ad about his (Obama’s) lack of visits to the war he was speaking of. Then McCain personally goaded Obama and the the RNC website put up a running counter of the number of days since Obama had been in Iraq.

Well well–OBama is now in the Middle East and McCain is now struggling for some air time. Yes, the whole war thingy has come bacvk to bite McCain and his campaign in the ass.

The Ad: (Narrator) Gas prices — $4, $5, no end in sight, because some in Washington are still saying no to drilling in America. No to independence from foreign oil. Who can you thank for rising prices at the pump?

(Chant) Obama! Obama!

(Narrator) One man knows we must now drill more in America and rescue our family budgets. Don’t hope for more energy, vote for it. McCain.

This is the campaigns latest lame pea brain attack. Even the lowest information voter cannot make the connection between Obama and the rise in gas prices. All these misfires are just making the McCain campaign look desperate and a bit pathetic.