McCain on climate change: "The debate is over, my friends" (Reuters/CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

Moguls, senators urge U.S. to lead on 'green' actions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Corporate moguls, policy experts and U.S. senators spoke with one voice about global warming Wednesday, telling a world forum the United States must take the lead, if it wants to encourage China and India to follow suit.

At a Capitol Hill meeting that included representatives from the Group of Eight industrialized nations plus China, India, South Africa, Brazil and the European Union, Sen. John McCain put the case for action on climate change bluntly.

"The debate is over, my friends," the Arizona Republican said. "Now the question is what do we do? Do we act, do we care enough about the young people of the next generation to act seriously and meaningfully, or are we going to just continue this debate and this discussion?"

McCain said the push to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that spur global climate change was a national security issue, and that voluntary efforts to limit those emissions from vehicles, power plants and other human sources "will not change the status quo."

McCain and Sen. Joseph Lieberman have pushed legislation that would set limits on the emission of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, and allow those that exceed them to trade with others that are under the limit, a plan known as cap-and-trade.
***
more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/15/global.warming.reut/index.html

McCain and Lieberman, x( . Too late to redeem them, maybe they can serve some puprose (other than counter-instructional bad examples).

[hippiechick]

1. So now McCain needs to be encouraged to shut UP because

... his yap flapping and flip-flopping all over the place is contributing to the precipitous rise in CO2 levels which are hastening the destruction of the Ozone and the Ice Caps!!

:freak:

[phantom power]

2. It figures that they would call cap-and-trade a "real" solution. Buttheads.

[greenman3610]

3. actually, cap and trade has a good track record

in the reduction of sulphur dioxide emissions.

Moreover, it's already happening in Europe and the
rest of the world, and a Chicago Climate exchange has
formed in this country.

Since it is not only effective, but politically palateable,
it seems to make sense as a first step.

[hatrack]

5. Provided the cap ratchet is set in permanent "down" mode over time

And provided the US doesn't set themselves some absurdly high limits as some EU members did.

I don't like McCain worth a warm pitcher of piss, but he is attached to reality at least on this issue, unlike others of his party.

[phantom power]

7. I'm awfully skeptical. but if the caps really have teeth...

and they really decrease over time, then it works.

[Moby Grape]

8. the European carbon market has collapsed

go here to look, carbon allowance, now 1.20 Euros
http://www.climatecorp.com/pool.htm
.......................
sulfur-dioxide markets works, in part,
because of the lack of comparable fraud
in the 'carbon offsets' BS.

besides that, Cap-and-Trade is intelectually dishonest,
a euphamism for 'you will be taxed and rationed'

[phantom power]

9. I would add one other thing about cap-and-trade....

which is that the main reason it's politically palatable is that it's a sort of slow/graceful system. The caps are supposed to decrease slowly, allowing businesses in violation to adapt by paying for credits, then later by actually reducing admissions.

It's a slow, stately, relatively pain-free process. Tragically, we don't have that kind of time. Although I'm happy to see our fearless leaders begin to act like we actually have a climate problem, they are well behind the curve with respect to understanding how bad things are getting, how fast.

And that's to say nothing about what's been going on with peak oil lately.

[Tin Man]

4. I guess he's getting tired of 125* days

[damntexdem]

6. And in the meantime is pushing the Creationist line.

Speaking to the Discovery Institute, the ID headquarters.

[Eugene]

10. Nice words, but will McCain stand his ground against the Bushies?

He also took a principled stand on the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay,
but he went along with Bush & Co.'s plan for military commissions in the end.
I don't trust him.

[Javaman]

11. which of mclames team told him to announce this?

the "maverick" keeps his mouth shut until someone else says it first.

mclame mclame mclame.