Eight years ago, Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX), at the behest of Enron CEO Kenneth Lay (R-TX), snuck a provision into a bill that deregulated on-line energy trading, leading to Enron energy speculators gaming West Coast utilities in 2001 to the tune of tens of billions of household dollars, causing monthly utility bills to triple, and probably contributing to some deaths as poorer, older Californians weren’t able to pay and their air conditioning was shut off.

So, now a delustional and disingenuous Republican, Rep. Brown-Waite (R-FL) is trying to scare people with something that we’ve already seen Republicans do in 2001, artificially-inflated energy prices, caused by what is called the “Enron loophole,” that led to the deaths of Californians in 2001.

If anyone dies this summer in an overheated house, Rep. Brown-Waite, it will be on your head and the head of all Republicans who’ve been blocking Democrats the past six years from rescinding the “Enron loophole” and reverting regulations back to what they had been for 70 years before Sen. Gramm’s stunt in 2000. So, if anyone dies, all the Republicans responsible will be viewed as accessories to murder, or at least voluntary manslaughter, with malice aforethought.

For the record, I believe in CLIMATE CHANGE, not global warming. It pretty much equals the same results, we do have to change our behavior and get to planning for the future, it’s just I don’t have the arrogance to say that human beings can affect the weather. ‘Cause if that was the case, then DARPA’s aim to someday be able to control the weather would be grounded in reality.

June 21st, 2008 at 6:01 pm

I agree, to a point. “Global Warming” was an unfortunate choice of slogan. To the average layperson every cold day is “proof” that it’s not getting warmer. Then, it’s a short leap to the assumption that “change” isn’t occurring. Obviously we can’t be causing a change which is not happening.

It would have been far better if climatologists had stuck with the, more cumbersome, “Emission induced instability” cited in some of the earlier work on greenhouse effect. They should have left the warming specific predictions to technical papers and focused on change/instability and its role in historical mass extinctions.

Warmer? Colder? Both? Not much difference. Rapid changes, even small ones, in weather patterns are devastating. Historically, species at the top of the food chain, like humans, fare poorly in mass extinctions. And most data suggests we are in a mass extinction event with no end in sight. If there is any chance we can mitigate the harm to the planet, and ourselves, we dang well better do so.

Finally, for any trolls who happen by, there are several facts which are not in dispute.

1. According to the best data available, atmospheric CO2 and global temperature interact in direct proportion. More CO2=higher temps.
2. Atmospheric CO2 is at an, at least, 800,000 year high and it’s increasing in direct proportion to measured human emissions.
3. Atmospheric CO2 has risen in direct proportion with measured human emissions since data has been collected.
4. Average global temp is at it’s highest point in the history of accurate data. And it’s rising at an increasing rate.
5. Many climate predictions, based on models of an increase in the greenhouse effect, have since been observed and many of them are progressing more rapidly than feared.

Please reach your own conclusions.

“POTENTIALLY” there “MIGHT BE” high gas prices…

I can play that game too…

“POTENTIALLY”, the US Government “MIGHT BE” a threat to the sovereignty of the Republic.

Hit or miss?

.

[/sarcasm]

For the record, I believe in CLIMATE CHANGE, not global warming. It pretty much equals the same results, we do have to change our behavior and get to planning for the future, it’s just I don’t have the arrogance to say that human beings can affect the weather. ‘Cause if that was the case, then DARPA’s aim to someday be able to control the weather would be grounded in reality.

>_> Life or death? Meh. Maybe. I really don’t see how it’d feed our oil addiction ’cause it’s a waste of time — because it would, in fact take insanely long time compared to the effects its having NOW.

Just more B.S. from the white house trying to sell an idea.
I hope to God, it doesn’t work…because it’s exactly what the oil companies waaaaant. And what Bush wants, and McCain for that matter…which speaks voloumes.

Drill more oil to run air conditioners

Burning fossil fuels to run your AC increases global warming

Need to drill more oil to run your AC longer.

Sounds like the people who believe the ‘end of the world’ is a good thing are in charge.

What next? Why do you hate poor downtrodden Big Oil CEOs?

The following news article should prove to everyone what a blatant partisan liar Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL) is…

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r12/onecitizen/GOProfiteering.gif

GET WITH THE PROGRAM. THESE OIL COMPANIES ARE NOT NATIONALIZED….NOW THERE IS A CONCEPT.

How annoying!!!

Oil compnaies want back into Iraq, and into more U.S. Lands to drill, but what would happen to the oil from said fields, both abroad and in U.S. Are the oil companies nationalized? Are they REQUIRED to send the oil to the U.S.? OR are they FREE to perform the function the WHORPORATION was formed to do, namely make as much FCUKING money for its shareholders as possible IRRESPECITVE OF THE SHAREHOLDERS’ country of origin AND IRRESPECITVE of even the country of origin of the WHORPORATION. THey are free to use that oil to make themselves as much fcuking money as possible, PERIOD! No selling it to U.S. as shitty U.S. dollar rates, when they coud be getting much more on overseas markets. Go figure this bullshit out for yourselves. The OIL WHORPOATIONS are the problem.
Couple them with eh Telecom Whorporations, and you can see why I say to undermine EVERY CORPORATION. PERIOD. KILL THE COPRPORATE MENTAILITY, even if it means killing the Corporations and their bigwigs.

Not surprising to see Ginny “plugging” away on behalf of the petroleum industry. While I cannot find a comment on this blog with which I disagree, I cannot leave without adding my “2cents.”

Remebering of course that Ginny is famous for referring to herself as a “hooker” someone to whom people give money and in return ask her for political favors once she is in office…

The “congresswoman” is bereft of knowledge on most issues, among them energy in even the broadest sense. Ginny as a couple of posters have noted, completely misses the boat on the fact that the lowest hanging fruit short term in the energy dilemma we currently face is increased conservation.

On acquiring further offshore drilling rights off the coast of Florida… I am personally acquainted with people from both Louisianna and Pennsylvania where oil wells have been capped since the 1980’s with oil seeping out of the ground in these areas.

Given the considerable backlog of un-worked lease areas already on the books, these folks aided by “paid” mouthpieces like Ginny, are just trying to twist the arms of the American people until they capitulate on this sensitive issue.

In seeking to defeat Ginny this Fall I am standing astride a position whereby alternative energy is accorded the priority that it deserves. Ginny clearly has not heard of nor would she comprehend the far reaching consequences of “Peak Oil.”

I do! The heat being what it is does anyone here think that Ginny is up to speed on Global Warming?

I am asking for your support to unseat Ginny Brown-Waite this November. Details are available at http://www.johnrussellforcongress.com

CONTRIBUTIONS by check or PayPal are also gladly accepted. Below is a brief bio for your review.

Thank you. John Russell

John Russell originally from Buffalo, New York is 52 years old and has been a resident of Dade City, Florida since 1995. John is engaged to Chyrisse Tabone a resident of Tampa and an environmental scientist by profession. John is a 2001 graduate of the University of South Florida with a Masters in Nursing and is a Nationally Certified Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. John also has his MBA in Health Systems Management from Niagara University and the State University of New York at Buffalo. He has worked in the critical care arena for over 15 years and also provides care to patients in their homes throughout the Tampa Bay area who are afflicted with chronic non-healing wounds.

INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICS:

2002—was active in restoring the civil rights of ex felons in St. Petersburg as well as being actively engaged in opposing the war in Iraq
2003—campaigned on behalf of Karen Thurman and Bill McBride 2004—finished second in District 5’s Congressional primary in a field of four candidates and served as Pasco County coordinator for Betty Castor with Betty winning Pasco County in losing to Mel Martinez for U.S. Senate.
2005—selected to attend AFSCME/NewHouse PAC Congressional Boot Camp with notables such as Colleen Rowley, Patricia Madrid, and Christine Jennings.
2006—Democratic nominee in District 5’s General Election and garnered nearly 109,000 votes against a 20:1 financial advantage to the incumbent, Brown-Waite.

ISSUE BRIEFS:

John’s background in health care makes him the obvious choice in Congressional District 5. A summary of John’s issues is presented as follows:

® Bringing a swift end to U.S. occupation in Iraq and preventing conflict in Iran;
® Ensuring our Veterans are respected for their sacrifice by providing healthcare and educational opportunities during and after service;
® Restoring economic fairness by enacting progressive tax policies that will resurrect America’s middle class… i.e., Roll back the Bush tax cuts for those earning in excess of $200,000.
® Implementing plans towards a National Single Payer Universal Healthcare System;
® Providing a National Catastrophic Homeowners Insurance Plan that dramatically lowers the cost of homeowners insurance;
® Developing immigration and labor policies to protect U.S. workers and penalizing companies which employ illegal workers;
® Supporting election reform, Social Security, and Medicare
® Strengthening policy on alternative energy to stimulate the economy and avoid a lingering Recession;

Please visit http://www.johnrussellforcongress.com for further details. Thank you.
John Russell originally from Buffalo, New York is 52 years old and has been a resident of Dade City, Florida since 1995. John is engaged to Chyrisse Tabone a resident of Tampa and an environmental scientist by profession.

John is a 2001 graduate of the University of South Florida with a Masters in Nursing and is a Nationally Certified Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. John also has his MBA in Health Systems Management from Niagara University and the State University of New York at Buffalo. He has worked in the critical care arena for over 15 years and also provides care to patients in their homes throughout the Tampa Bay area who are afflicted with chronic non-healing wounds.

INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICS:

2002—was active in restoring the civil rights of ex felons in St. Petersburg as well as being actively engaged in opposing the war in Iraq
2003—campaigned on behalf of Karen Thurman and Bill McBride 2004—finished second in District 5’s Congressional primary in a field of four candidates and served as Pasco County coordinator for Betty Castor with Betty winning Pasco County in losing to Mel Martinez for U.S. Senate.
2005—selected to attend AFSCME/NewHouse PAC Congressional Boot Camp with notables such as Colleen Rowley, Patricia Madrid, and Christine Jennings.
2006—Democratic nominee in District 5’s General Election and garnered nearly 109,000 votes against a 20:1 financial advantage to the incumbent, Brown-Waite.

ISSUE BRIEFS:

John’s background in health care makes him the obvious choice in Congressional District 5. A summary of John’s issues is presented as follows:

® Bringing a swift end to U.S. occupation in Iraq and preventing conflict in Iran;
® Ensuring our Veterans are respected for their sacrifice by providing healthcare and educational opportunities during and after service;
® Restoring economic fairness by enacting progressive tax policies that will resurrect America’s middle class… i.e., Roll back the Bush tax cuts for those earning in excess of $200,000.
® Implementing plans towards Universal Healthcare;
® Providing a National Catastrophic Homeowners Insurance Plan that dramatically lowers the cost of homeowners insurance;
® Developing immigration and labor policies to protect U.S. workers and penalizing companies which employ illegal workers;
® Supporting election reform, Social Security, and Medicare
® Strengthening policy on alternative energy to stimulate the transition to a Green Economy and avoid a lingering Recession;

Please visit http://www.johnrussellforcongress.com for further details. Thank you.

gitrdone Says:

If this person REALLY cared about the senior citizens, then they would encourage everyone to SAVE on gas. Conservation is the ONLY immediate solution to this short and long term problem.

You hit the nail on the head… if we want to bring down the cost of gasoline, then consume less. This will force selling off the oil that is currently being horded due to the unregulated oil commodity. Anyone remember ENRON? Same thing. Bush and Cheney, oil men, have no benefit to lowering the cost of oil.