Perry spews hot air on warming

[white cloud]

AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry's recent essay ("EPA 'science' doesn't add up in global warming equation," Dec. 27, 2009) is full of hot air and not much else.
The governor's outrage produces more heat than light, revealing his ignorance of science and penchant for quoting dubious and discredited economic studies funded by energy companies.

The real inconvenient truth is that Texas cannot afford to make meaningless political statements any longer, especially when there's work to be done - carbon regulation is coming whether the governor throws a tantrum or not. We can shout at the wind or harness it into a clean energy future.

Planning for a low-carbon future now will pay dividends in the future as the world comes to Texas for the clean energy we can supply in abundance. But if we choose to pout rather than produce, we risk missing the clean energy train.

Already, Texas wind turbines are providing electricity, not to mention jobs and tax revenue, and we're blessed with some of the best solar potential of any state. According to data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, West Texas families pay less for their electricity, thanks in large part to all those wind farms. Peer-reviewed economic studies, including one by the Union of Concerned Scientists, show Texas families stand to save $980 annually in energy costs by enacting clean-energy legislation.>>>>>>>>
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=180

[sonias]

1. I corrected your link

Nice OpEd piece on Amarillo.com by Andy Wilson of Public Citizen. I'll add a few more paragraphs:

Amarillo.com 1/10/10
Column - Andy Wilson: Perry spews hot air on warming

(snip)
But the good news is that whether you believe in global warming or not, all of our tools to solve it are the same tools we need to solve our current crises and create a better future for Texans.

Worried about unemployment? Energy security? The loss of American manufacturing? Clean energy development cuts into all of these problems, and just happens to help save the planet while we're at it.

Everybody wins.

So at the start of a new decade, let's be winners, not whiners. Texas should be getting in front of federal legislation and putting in place the policies that ensure that the nation will turn to us for their future renewable energy needs for the 21st century, the same way they have for the past century with oil and gas.

Doing anything less, Gov. Perry, certainly seems ... well, un-Texan.

:applause:


Sonia