Frontline : Heat - Can We Roll Back Global Warming?

[Dover]

Martin Smith travels the globe to test what big business is doing to solve the climate problem.

Excellent Program!!

Watch it here >
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/heat/

[Marblehead]

1. wow

really informative. great show.

[FREEWILL56]

2. Frontline has always been good programming in my book, but

I think they should've gone deeper into this as they've really only skimmed the surface on all of the different avenues, aspects, and viewpoints that can be for each subject material that all affects global warming. This should've beed a series of shows IMHO.

[BridgeTheGap]

5. You're right...a series would provide more information, but I think this is still

worth watching. I liked that they brought of the documentary: "Who killed the electric car?"
GM really acts like it never existed.

[Dover]

6. Yes, all the auto companies act as if they have never gotten close to a solution

and have never received money for that purpose. GM received government money to develop
something and then did everything in their power to derail that effort.

I think they must be in cahoots with the oil companies in some way. At the very least, cheap
oil has held us back from strong movement in this direction, unlike European companies and Japan.
And THAT may also be connected to our military and foreign energy policies and strategies.

It should also be remembered that GM holds large contracts in military defense, which may come
with certain stipulations that effects their design/output, etc. Here's an example:
http://www.gdls.com/releases/releases_2000/gdls-pr2000lav.html
So besides government loans, they are also receiving large infusions through our defense budget.

Also, as this program pointed out, ethanol and flex fuels were attractive to the car industry
because it required very few mechanical changes to their existing vehicles (I believe they quoted
the change to each vehicle as costing only $150 or something like that).

[FREEWILL56]

11. In cahoots will the oil companies? You think

rightly. All the while that they should've been going down the line for more fuel efficient vehicles in the beginning of the bush pResidency due to rising gas prices then, as that's what the general feel of people then were doing, they started pushing muscle cars again and bigger vehicles as in SUVs and Hummers. The people that buy Hummers somewhat worry me psychologically, including the swartz man. Even now they'll claim that's what America wants, but I'll argue with that one because they are pushing the gas guzzlers on us and make fuel efficient vehicles priced higher so as not to thwart their sales strategy of the gas guzzlers. Fuel efficient cars don't necessarilly cost more to make.

[Dover]

8. I wish someone would talk about the part of our energy program

that is connected to our defense strategies and foreign energy policies that are STILL following
oil/gas pipeline projects. That tells me we are not really all that dedicated to energy independence
and are simply shifting the playing field to Eurasia/Caspian region where we are competing with
China and others for a piece of that pie.

But no one will talk about this large piece to the overall energy strategy.

[BridgeTheGap]

9. Notice that the industry spokes people all say that there particular version of energy

will be at the forefront for a while before alternatives can really make a dent.
We should immediately move toward wind, solar, geothermal, biofuels (hemp, in particular) and relegate petroleum and coal as the back up until we can convert entirely away from them.
They are businesses who resist this movement because it effects their bottom line, pure and simple.

[Dover]

10. Yep. AND if cheap natural gas and oil projects via the new pipelines being laid in Eurasia

are successful, that would effect our direction as well. And that seems to be what many are
focused on achieving rather than greater independence.

That is also why it concerns me to hear Obama/Biden waving the flag for beefing up our presence
in Afghanistan and that general region. We could be pouring all our resources into r&t and development of alternatives, but it isn't as lucrative. Even in T. Boone Pickens' plan to go with
wind/solar, a large component would also depend on natural gas (for vehicles). Where does it come from?

Utilities; Wind/Solar and Water should be run and funded by our government rather than put in private hands whose primary motive is profit. The private companies could be contracted by the gov. but shouldn't BE the government. And it should become much cheaper for individuals to provide their own energy if they prefer that to being connected to a centralized source.

[groovedaddy]

3. I watched it last night and thought it provided a pretty good synopsis

They have the corporate shills their chance to support their positions, and man, did they ever spin, spin, spin. The interviewer did call them on it a few times, saying: "You didn't answer my question."

[stuntcat]

4. I watched but thanks for the link!

I was trying to watch but I had to talk with my friend a while on the phone and missed 30 minutes of it.
Maybe with the link I can get my husband to watch some of it too.

[Dover]

7. Check your PBS schedule. It will be shown again several times...n/t

[Delphinus]

12. Is that Bob Murray,

of Murray Energy, the owner of the Utah mine that collapsed two years ago and killed miners? Not easily finding sources on Google.