Climate Change -

Much has been made over the purported ability of forests to act as a "sponge" removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  Politicians have jumped on this bandwagon, as have those selling and promoting so called "carbon-offsets".   However, basic biology dictates otherwise.

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World-wide, business has always tried to “externalize” their costs, whenever and wherever possible passing costs on to the public.  This has been especially true of the waste resulting from the manufacture and use of goods produced.  Business has been able to increase its profits by dumping their waste products in our waterways, land and air; passing on treatment, or cleanup, costs to the public.  Likewise, until recently business has had little, or no, incentive to produce energy-efficient and environmentally “clean” products.  As energy costs have risen, and government regulations implemented energy-efficiency is now an accepted business consideration.  In response to concerns about climate change, many nations are now addressing the disposal of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by large businesses.  Unfortunately many have chosen to do so by means of a “cap and trade” scheme, which the United States government is currently considering (the euphemistically named “American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009“).

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EPA Finds Greenhouse Gases Pose Threat to Public Health, Welfare / Proposed Finding Comes in Response to 2007 Supreme Court Ruling

Release date: 04/17/2009

(Washington, D.C. – April 17, 2009) After a thorough scientific review ordered in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed finding Friday that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare.

The proposed finding, which now moves to a public comment period, identified six greenhouse gases that pose a potential threat.

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