The incoming tea-party governors of Wisconsin and Ohio don’t just deny climate science. They are apparently unaware that everyone from the German military to the once staid International Energy Agency is warning of a looming peak oil crisis (see World’s top energy economist warns: “We have to leave oil before oil leaves us”).
So the Tea Party crowd is declaring unilateral disarmament in our effort to stop the nearly $1 billion day outflow of money from Americans to foreign oil producers, as Brad Johnson reports:
Govs. elect John Kasich (R-OH) and Scott Walker (R-WI).
Republicans who were elected on Tuesday are beginning to deliver on their campaign promises to kill America’s future. Within hours of declaring victory, the incoming tea-party governors of Wisconsin and Ohio stood fast on pledges to kill $1.2 billion in funding for high-speed rail in their states. The funding, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will revert to the federal government for investment in other states “” unless Republicans in Congress are able to kill that, too. Walker warned he would fight President Obama to keep the Milwaukee-Madison link killed “if he tries to force this down the throats of the taxpayers.” Kasich “” who called the high-speed rail project linking Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati “one of the dumbest ideas” he’s ever heard “” used his victory speech to announce, “That train is dead“:
Scott Walker, the incoming governor of Wisconsin, for instance, vowed on Wednesday to carry out a campaign pledge to kill a proposed high-speed rail link between Milwaukee and Madison, part of a larger project to create a high-speed rail corridor across the upper Midwest, from Minneapolis to Chicago. The project was to be fully paid for with $810 million in federal stimulus funds. Mr. Walker said he wanted the money spent on roads, although under the terms of the grants, such a use of the funds is prohibited.
The newly elected Republican governor of Ohio, John Kasich, who ousted Ted Strickland, a Democrat, has also reiterated a campaign pledge to kill a $400 million stimulus-funded rail project in his state. “Passenger rail is not in Ohio’s future,” Mr. Kasich said at his first news conference after the election. “That train is dead.“
In addition to their ideological opposition to creating new jobs through government investment, both Walker and Kasich question the reality of climate science, like other new Republican governors threatening clean energy projects across the nation.
– Brad Johnson, in ThinkProgress cross-post.
JR: Passenger rail is very much in Ohio’s future, no matter how much Kasich tries to stop it:
- Peak oil production coming sooner than expected
- What will it take to end our oil addiction?
- Science/IEA: World oil crunch looming? Not if we can find six Saudi Arabias!
- IEA says oil will peak in 2020
- Deutsche Bank: Oil to hit $175 a barrel by 2016, which “will drive a final stake into long-term oil demand,” spurred by a “disruptive technology” “” “the hybrid and electric car, that will very likely have a far greater positive impact on oil efficiency than the market currently expects”
- Merrill: Non-OPEC production has likely peaked, oil output could fall by 30 million bpd by 2015
- Why electricity is the only alternative fuel that can lead to energy independence
Previous in TP Climate Progress
Language Intelligence: Lessons on persuasion from Jesus, Shakespeare, Lincoln, and Lady Gaga
If I were from Ohio, I’d be furious and galvanized to serious community and political action. This is a really bone-headed move on their part and bodes well for much better election results in two years. I wish I wasn’t so busy fight the battles in my state.
If someone is reading this from Ohio, find out which localities would be along the high speed rail, including the three cities mentioned here, and call every one of the local officials there, both elected and top government leaders, to make sure they know about it and put them on notice that the public is watching (organize your neighbors to do the same). I guarantee many of them will not be happy that this project will potentially be yanked. I am sure they have been planning economic development based on it, not to mention fixing traffic problems. I’m sure some of them already will be fighting this yahoo, and they can tell you how you can make a difference.
There are so many good arguments to use to organize the public on this one — better traffic, economic development, energy independence and national security, Ohio taxpayers getting their fair share, job creation. These kind of crises are the absolute best for building long-standing, local community action and finding the new political stars to replace these idiots.
I know that there are local climate hawks in Cleveland. Ask the Cleveland Foundation to give an emergency grant to some green economic development organization. Info on that foundation:
Established in 1914, the Cleveland Foundation is the world’s first community foundation and the nation’s second-largest today, with assets of $1.8 billion and annual grants of $80 million to $85 million. The foundation improves the lives of Greater Clevelanders now and for generations to come by building community endowment, addressing needs through grantmaking, and providing leadership on vital issues.
When many of these hi-speed rails were proposed, they didn’t account for the proliferation of electric and natural gas autos coming into the market. Even connecting the most populous metro areas, the cost per passenger rail-mile is still staggering
That’s New Jersey, Ohio, Wisconsin: Republican governors turning down job-creating infrastructure programs. Didn’t they run on the notion of fighting the so-called Jobless recovery? Oh, I forgot, you can say anything you want before the election and then do the just opposite once you’re elected — its the Bizarro World for sure this time.
Very sad to see how the USA is collapsing from the inside (with the help of foreign money). Only clean energy can create a second industrial revolution.
As a native Ohioan, whose ancestors helped to settle OH in the early frontier years, I believe that I have some perspective on this attitude. I grew up in northeast OH, one of the more democratic areas of the state, but also an area that has seen farming, the steel industry, and the auto industry go kaput. These people are hurting, desperate for jobs, and want a “quick fix” to the economy.
I am now living in MA, but talk to my elderly mother in OH every night. Please note that I realize what I am going to say does NOT apply to many in the state, but still is pervasive.
There is still a fiercely independent attitude among many, that they are entitled to have a car and drive it, entitled to have a gun, etc., and the government dare not tell them what to do. There is also an attitude towards people living on either coast, believing that we think that we’re “better” than the middle of the country, that we are elitist and arrogant, and therefore our ideas should be rejected. (For example, my mother was “embarrassed” that her granddaughter went to Princeton, instead of a good old state school!)
Conservative talk show radio is a big hit in many places, and many of the local newspapers have minimal investigative reporting, but just parrot what has been written elsewhere. There are a lot of country folk, good down-to-earth people, who still like the ranting kind of message that Hannity, Beck, Limbaugh, etc. promote (i.e. in Boehner’s district.)
And this is for Ominous Clouds, who posted the other night that he doesn’t know how to deal with family who don’t get” it. I empathize with you! My mother doesn’t get it, either. She thinks that I’m “part of a cult” and “one of those!” Many in OH who acknowledge that the climate is even changing just brush it off, stating they won’t get flooded when the oceans rise, and feel that a little warmer isn’t so bad. They fail to realize that OH’s maple syrup industry will go kaput, the glorious autumn colors in the southern hills will be gone, the droughts and floods will make farming difficult, refugees will flurry in, and those from other areas may want to drain Lake Erie to get fresh water.
Are they listening at all to these voices? Maybe we will have to become climate buzzards in the future, picking through the bones of our past.
“Charles Maxwell, a former energy exec who is now an analyst at Weeden & Co., says “peak oil” will drive oil prices to US$300 a barrel over the next decade.
Alternative energy won’t save us, he says: It’s just too small a percentage of the overall energy market to matter. And neither will natural gas, coal, and other fossil fuels, which come with their own problems.
What will save us — because we’ll be forced to do it — is conservation: We’ll find ways to do more with less. We’ll also have to start eating root vegetables in the winter, because it will be too expensive to fly in plane-loads of vegetables from Chile.”
http://www.financialpost.com/news/business-insider/going+barrel+peak+coming+soon/3783841/story.html#ixzz14bBi7UeJ
I’m going to write Gov Quinn and tell him to get that money for Illinois.
So much for the United Stats eh, more like the loosely couples states of half a continent.
James, what proliferation of elecric and gas powered autos? It’s not like they’re saturating the market, especially here in Ohio.
I live in Dayton, and I know officials really wanted this, as did nearby communities. But apparently not enough to vote for Strickland.
Another tactic maybe to point out how expensive highways actually are. Some of the trolls on the local newsites are going on and on about how expensive rail is. As if highways were free.
It’s also putting all your eggs in one basket, relying almost only on highways and roads (that are falling apart) and not having a multitude of transport options.
I don’t remember Ohio being this willingly backward when I moved here in 1980.
I am German and stay often in the US for the last 13 years.
makes me sad to see that the progress for going forward and watch environment needs slows down so much. so many things could be done so easy.
#4 Prok, first thing that came to me too.
Western Canada under flood alert again already!
“Charles Maxwell, a former energy exec who is now an analyst at Weeden & Co., says “peak oil” will drive oil prices to US$300 a barrel over the next decade.
My first reaction is to dismiss this scenario as extreme and unlikely, but with oil pushing $90/barrel with the global economy still (mostly) in the tank, maybe I shouldn’t…
My state elected a Democratic governor. We’ll gladly take that money. Ohioans got what they voted for. Stupid is as stupid does.
Dear Ohio and Wisconsin –
Thank you for electing Republican governors last week. Enjoy your continued recession. Out here in California, Oregon, and Washington, we’ll be jump-starting our economy and reducing the pollution load that falls on your citizens by investing in clean, green solutions to our problems.
Thanks for the extra high-speed rail money!
Love,
Left Coasters
If you really want to understand this phenomenon, read a book called “Life Against Death” by Norman O. Brown, published in the 50′s. Sometimes thanatos, or the death instinct, reigns in human affairs. This is not exactly a good time for this to be happening. The only ways to defeat them are through persuading the people and putting together an opposition that is not afraid to fight. These two governors, and others like them, are clearly way beyond reason or compromise.
Please call these people what they are, and this tactic what it is. This is now mainstream Republicanism, and this is their strategy and ideology.
The Roves and the Armeys thought they could co-opt the Tea Party and take over its rank and file, but they are being forced to adopt the ideology too.
Caerbannog,
Aye – and I suspect it could make the move to >$90 this next week.
Any State Governor who is not up-to-scratch with the future of Regular Crude in terms of new field discoveries/supply potential is frankly not fit to serve in office.
Cheers – John
From the results of the election, the west coast and northeast will lead the nation into a new progressive era for energy conservation, alternative energy research and innovation- with local efforts working to curb Greenhouse gases.
In Connecticut we have breathed a sigh of relief by rejecting Linda McMahon (climate change dunce) and Tom Foley- another dipstick- who said, ‘we do not have enough evidence’.
All 5 congressional seats remained in Democratic hands- and they are all proactive regarding climate change- as is Senator-elect Blumenthal and Governor- Elect Democrat Dan Malloy.
Connecticut seems poised to also be a leader in the future- and the economy will benefit. It seems that the Midwest continues to regress into a geographic region like the south that is socially, culturally and increasingly detached from East & West coasts.
I think that this will really drive the geographic political divisions. As cultural factors drive economic decay in such places as Ohio (as described by Jonesey), that money can go to the PNW where high-speed rail would be welcomed. While Oregon’s economy is in the pits, Washington’s is not too bad – unemployment rate is inching down, and California is investing in the future. Even in the private sector, they know that you don’t get out of a bad time by stashing your cash, you still need to invest.
So despite the heartland attitude towards the coasts, those are the areas that will embrace a 21st century economy, they will pull out of the recession faster, and those areas that can’t pull out will just get more resentful, thus driving their economies down even faster.
Extra note: Oregon is debating plans to close it’s only coal generating plant. Not whether to close it, but how soon to close it, and how much pollution abatement to do in its remaining time. The thing is that if they close it sooner, it will probably be replaced with natural gas. If they take a bit more time, maybe renewables may be ready.
We need a huge amount of new transmission capacity if we are to continue increasing wind and to start adding significant solar. I think that figuring out how to get this transmission politically is really the biggest challenge that wind and solar face. There was a rare but much-publicized event on the Columbia River early in the year when a storm came through and the power managers had to tell the wind farms to disconnect them – they had no place to send the power (or no way to send it where it was needed). Without a lot more transmission, this could get more common. And wind farms need to use every windy afternoon they get.
“James, what proliferation of elecric and gas powered autos? It’s not like they’re saturating the market, especially here in Ohio.”
As posted by democratic underground – EVs 9 percent market by 2020, and 22 percent by 2030.
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/77951/20101102/bloomberg-new-energy-finance-nissan-leaf-electric-cars.htm
Also, major cities such as San Diego is converting to all compressed natural gas buses (CNG). Many more, including natural gas/hybrids,are coming ahead according to the California Dep’t on Energy
The infrastructure is already in place to have these vehicles on the roads immediately instead of the capital costs upward of $250 million, according to Allaboard Ohio and the Sierra Club.
This doesn’t include subsidies for both the interstate highways and the hi-speed rails
It simply makes more sense to have these buses have their own designated lanes then setting up fixed rail lines
I can’t help but wonder if what we’re seeing is these governors being willing to spite their own states in order to deny as much success as possible for Obama’s ARRA? I mean, is this all part of the GOP’s “make Obama look bad” strategy? Would they really stoop low enough to deny states the jobs these projects would bring, just to deny Obama a successful talking point? I wouldn’t put it past them at this point.
But then, I’m one of those Left Coasters they don’t trust in Ohio.
Grim outlook for grizzlies in Yellowstone region
With milder winters affecting their food and hibernation habits, they’re forced into a meat-dependent diet – putting them at odds with humans and livestock. They could end up as despised as wolves.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-grizzly-20101107,0,7571250.story
High speed rail link Springfield – Bradley – Hartford – New Haven Funded
The state has been awarded $120.9 million in federal high-speed rail grants toward double-tracking a passenger rail line between New Haven and Springfield, Mass., an $880 million project designed to shorten commuter trips between upstate and lower Connecticut and Massachusetts.
The train will span the ‘Learning corridor’ from New Haven to Springfield Mass.
James, that’s great that they may 9 percent, but that’s 10 years in the future, the rail could have been up and running within a couple of years (or less) since the lines are already here. And Ohio would still to adapt to electric cars-upgrading access to electric chargers and the sort. And Kasich and the republicans aren’t going to do that either.
Dean, as a native Chicagoan and currently living in Ohio, I’m more than willing to abandon my home geographic area and head to PNW (which I love) or Vermont. Not that stupid people don’t exist in either area, but they’re not running the government.
Climate scientists plan campaign against global-warming skeptics
The American Geophysical Union plans to announce Monday that 700 researchers have agreed to speak out on the issue. The effort is a pushback against congressional conservatives who have vowed to kill regulations on greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-na-climate-scientists-20101108,0,3784003.story
Thailand will have hi-speed rail before the US of Canada. China will have 13,000 km of high speed by 2012. Which countries are third world?
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/203280/thai-china-high-speed-train-approved
It took Houston over 24 years to get a 7½ mile stretch of light rail for the hub of our light rail system. It’s the jewel of the city but even with rising gasoline prices the branch lines are proving to be more difficult to implement due to resistance from various groups determined to halt the march of progress.
Blocking government projects makes perfect sense for the GOP. For 35 years their mantra has been that the government can only make things worse. So of course they can’t allow a shining counter-argument.
It is unfortunate that these projects didn’t get farther already. It was imperative for Democrats to show demonstrable progress to sell voters for the election.
As to the midwest vs the coasts, the midwest is hurting. Jobs have been disappearing forever. And they are drowned in a sea of RW propaganda.
The railroads in Wisconsin and Ohio would be built by union workers.
Reactionaries hate labor unions.
Mossy, as one who also grew up in the Democratic stronghold of N Ohio, I find your “pervasive” characterization of Ohioans ludicrous. It’s not a bunch of people carrying guns around and listening to Michael Savage, even in Boehner’s district, let alone Kaptur or Kucinich’s. It’s still a pretty level-headed place compared to some I’ve seen. There are kooks everywhere if you want to find them.
Colorado Bob: That Chi. Trib. article is WAY off the mark. It refers simply to a referral service that the AGU started last fall during Copenhagen, to answer climate science questions from reporters there. The AGU is now trying to establish it on a more permanent basis, so reporters and bloggers have someplace to turn for good answers to specific questions. See: https://sites.google.com/site/aguclimateqaservice/
“But then, I’m one of those Left Coasters they don’t trust in Ohio.”
Not the case, see above.
Can’t underestimate the fact that this is cancellation of a train project: pollution-loving Republican leaders are increasingly targeting anything connected with passenger rail. The message: we’re going to pollute as much as we %#@$& want to!
Jim @ 31 -
Well tomorrow”s Monday , we’ll see if this is something new, or just more of what you linked.
Ohio’s problem is that’s it’s been exporting it’s best and brightest since the gold rush.
I hope we can get that money for our high-speed rail in California, backed by our current Republican governor and our incoming Democratic governor.
Make sure everybody hears about this. Also direct everybody to:
“Video proof David Koch, the polluting billionaire, pulls the strings of the Tea Party extremists”
http://climateprogress.org/2010/10/14/video-proof-david-koch-the-polluting-billionaire-pulls-the-strings-of-the-tea-party-extremists/
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JjQxPJOAfg&feature=player_embedded#!
That is unless its nuclear or “clean” coal or other GOP acceptable forms of energy. See: How House Republicans may control the energy debate
http://www.powergenworldwide.com/index/display/articledisplay/6804575745/articles/powergenworldwide/emissions-and-environment/regulation/2010/11/House-Republicans-control-energy.html
And to make matters worse, the Big Enviro community cleared the path by supporting the permitting of massive industrial solar plants in CA. These precedent setting environment destroying projects on intact public lands in the Mojave could never have been permitted without over-ridding long standing environmental laws (NEPA/CEQA/ESA and others) which the nuclear and coal industry is wasting no time exploiting for their own purposes.
http://slvrenewablecommunities.blogspot.com/p/tessera-1041-app.html
As I’ve always said, Ohio is a great place to be from. We’ll take the money they don’t want and apply it towards our high speed rail here in California.
Heroes wanted in climate science story
But despite the narrative neuroscience, some groups of scientists, particularly climate researchers, might want to polish their story-telling skills. Where 97% of active climate scientists agree climate change is a reality and only 52% of the public say they agree, according to an Eos journal survey, something may have gone wrong in how scientists communicate to the public.
“There’s a narrative vacuum that needs to be filled,” wrote the science writer Keith Kloor last month. One catch is that scientists simply prize facts over stories, as climate scientist Gavin Schmidt of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, noted last week on the ” RealClimate” blog.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/columnist/vergano/2010-11-05-climate-story_N.htm
One of the things the simulation game, “fate of the world” teaches you is you must anticipate coming events to really make a difference in the outcome.
To lag events is suicide.
When I hear things like this it sends chills up spine. Think we are poor now? Just wait until the future. We will not have enough money left over from coping with the climate caused destruction, an economy on life support, lots of entitlements and plus, plus, plus.
Now is the time.
Join Save the Train Wisconsin on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-the-Train-Wisconsin/110155452384203?ref=ts (except, that is, for those of you keen to get the $$$ flowing to your states…)
All part of the GOP war on cities. According to today’s NYT Reps carried rural areas, towns 10,000 to 50,000 and suburbs. Dems carried areas with pop 50,000 and up. Time for urban taxpayers to demand an end to subsidizing red state rural areas with urban tax dollars.
Jim – #31 – The article says that there will be an announcement tomorrow, not that it is something from last year. Are you saying you know that there won’t be an announcement?
Seems to me that maybe the Senate could plan hearings parallel to the House, and call dozens of high-caliber scientists to testify. Deniers might call it an appeal to authority, but I think most people still take it seriously. Especially if the House is calling SciFi authors and numerous folks with little technical background.
Good for the new governor. He’ll show those three huggng libs a thing a two. Perhaps he will also send that $1.2 billion out to California so we can get on with our project. The 21st century is going to very interesting for the country. At the rate of change being made today the East and West coasts will be the only places worth living before too long. It’s truly a rotten shame to see progress and the future being dismissed so easily by political ideology in the name of grabbing temporary power. All power is temporary and false in nature. If the GOP does not get on board the train to the future in a couple of years they will be unemployed and sitting there wondering why.
“One catch is that scientists simply prize facts over stories”
Ain’t that the damnedest thing! Can you believe that, facts over stories! What a bunch of idiots!
We don’t need more “narratives”, we don’t need more “stories”, and scientists are perfectly capable of explaining things to the public–they do it all the time. The problem is societal and much deeper than a scientist communication issue. The problem is that people prefer to believe whatever they want to, instead of making the effort to find out what’s actually true.
Dean: No, don’t mean that at all. I’m just saying that ChiTrib/LA Times article is wrong. The AGU is simply going to announce that the AGU reference service is available again so reporters/bloggers know that it exists (it actually started up on Thursday and is a great service. It needs promotion).
Jim
The message I am getting from these people is that America is a nation that cannot achieve ambitious goals.
America can’t provide universal health care.
America can’t build a network of high-speed public transportation.
America can’t rid itself of dependance on imported energy sources.
America can’t transorm its manufactoring and energy grid to utilize more renewable and ‘green’ energy.
The message I hear form these ‘tea baggers’ is that we are a nation that cannot work together to achieve common goals, that we do not want to support fellow citizens in need.
How is that for a narrative on the conservative can’t do movement?
Jim @ 31 -
Clearly something’s a foot :
November 7, 2010, 7:13 pm
Scientists Join Forces in a Hostile Climate
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
They’re not going to take it.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/ 2010/ 11/ 07/ scientists-join-forces-in-a-hostile-climate/ ?partner=rss&emc=rss
Blown completely out of proportion Bob. If Revkin did some homework about it instead of repeating bad news stories, he’d find that out. As I said, it’s the continuation, with some procedural modifications, of a climate science reference service that was initiated during Copenhagen last year, then dormant until last Thursday. AGU simply wants to get the word out on it, which was part of the problem last December.
This development once again expands the bounds of mind-boggling acts the Right Wing will perform in the name of their destructive ideology.
I’ve only recently started suggesting we abandon the intangible (to most voters) goal of “saving the climate” to a more tangible set of goals to include the expansion of domestic jobs with green energy programs.
Already, we have an example of a Right Winger rejecting federal money for a job producing infrastructure project.
In my assessment of our ability to “save the climate”, I find that even if we do everything right, we are unlikely to be able to restabilize the climate. As if that isn’t enough, we have an influential political minority that is (successfully) fighting to do everything wrong, to accelerate climate change. Even if we had the means for climate stabilization available, our political right would fight against it, and our political left would surrender.
To clarify the above, I mean the elected members of the political left (really just “not as far right”) will surrender.
I live in NE Ohio and am sick of watching this beautiful state die by it’s own hand. Culture is driving us to economic suicide – whether it is our politicians, lawyers, bankers, or the small minded ‘not invented here’ common man, our state is on a steady track toward depression and irrelevance. My wife wants out now even though her entire family lives within walking distance of our home. Electing these tea party folks is one of the last nails in the coffin of our state.
Looks like Vermont may have 4 new residents in the next couple of years.