Climate change, global warming, the buzzwords change too often to keep up with. The resounding cry is always; We’ve got to save the planet. It’s the only one we have.

I guess there must be a whole bunch of bad people out to destroy our planet for their own personal gain and they must be stopped at all costs.

But how?

Who’s Guilty?

Who are the guilty parties? The top five polluters are China, the United States, India, Russia and Japan who also just happen to be some of the largest economies in the world. How did that happen?

OK, so we’re number two in the world for adding nasty stuff to our air and water. The $64 dollar question is how do you move the US from second to sixth for starters?

What’s The Plan?

Oh I’m aware that we signed a deal with China that they can pollute to their hearts content until 2030 and then do something while we outlaw light bulbs, and impose millage restrictions on our cars.

The plan is simple. Control the population. Control all the people in the US and around the world and force them to comply with rules and restrictions that no one even knows if there will be any positive measurable effect.

That’s the plan.

But we’re doing something, so that’s a good thing right? Except for the following.

In Japan and China, fuel economy standards are based on a weight classification system, where vehicles must comply with the standard for their weight class. Fuel economy standards in the Republic of Korea are based on an engine size classification system. China is following the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) testing procedures developed by the EU. The Republic of Korea is following testing methods that are similar to US CAFE procedures. Japan maintains its own test procedures.” (Source: http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/resources/res_pdfs/csd-19/Background-paper3-transport.pdf )

Are you beginning to get the picture? There is little agreement on the best procedures to reduce pollution. The automobile is just one example.

And each country has its own ideas about what to do and no one knows if any of this will have any measurable effect on anything.

Will Carbon Credits Replace Foreign Aid?

Right now we pay billions in foreign aid. No one likes paying foreign aid to countries that hate us but if we were paying the same amount of money in carbon credits to these countries that would be politically correct and we’d be the most compassionate people on earth.

Who could possibly be against that?

After all we're doing major damage to the planet. Shouldn’t we be fined for that?

If we’re making the planet such a sucky place to live shouldn’t there be some form of reimbursement to the other countries that are not polluting — or at least not polluting as much as we are?

Some Final Thoughts

So what laws would you be OK with to save the planet? No driving on Sunday? Outlaw oil, coal, and wood burning stoves? No more family cookouts or camping?

Cut down all the forests so they don’t burn? Outlaw volcanoes?

What if these laws have no effect? Do we pass them with a sunset provision? Or do they just stay because they make us all feel good when we look in the mirror?

What if other countries do nothing?

We keep driving the speed limit while everyone else in the world speeds past us?

Who will enforce all these worldwide laws? Are we on the honor system?

The US seems to be very selective in the laws it likes to enforce or not enforce.

Drug laws and immigration just to name a couple.

Will other countries ignore pollution laws as not really that important since the sky seems to still be blue, or the cost too much, or damage their local economy?

Will people be executed if their carbon footprint is too high?

The planet has been around for a very long time. It seems to have survived whatever was thrown at it.

It’s been a lot warmer and a lot cooler and we, and it, have seemed to adapt.

Doing the wrong things could cause just as much damage as doing nothing.

What’s your opinion?

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