SOTU-Climate is a moral issue President Obama, not an economic bargaining chip

President Obama mentioned the words climate change once in his SOTU address last night. My comment after.

State Of The Union Transcript

"After years of talking about it, we are finally poised to control our own energy future. We produce more oil at home than we have in 15 years. We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas, and the amount of renewable energy we generate from sources like wind and solar – with tens of thousands of good, American jobs to show for it. We produce more natural gas than ever before – and nearly everyone’s energy bill is lower because of it. And over the last four years, our emissions of the dangerous carbon pollution that threatens our planet have actually fallen.

But for the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change. Yes, it’s true that no single event makes a trend. But the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods – all are now more frequent and intense. We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science – and act before it’s too late.

The good news is, we can make meaningful progress on this issue while driving strong economic growth. I urge this Congress to pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change, like the one John McCain and Joe Lieberman worked on together a few years ago. But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will. I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.

Four years ago, other countries dominated the clean energy market and the jobs that came with it. We’ve begun to change that. Last year, wind energy added nearly half of all new power capacity in America. So let’s generate even more. Solar energy gets cheaper by the year – so let’s drive costs down even further. As long as countries like China keep going all-in on clean energy, so must we.

In the meantime, the natural gas boom has led to cleaner power and greater energy independence. That’s why my Administration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits. But I also want to work with this Congress to encourage the research and technology that helps natural gas burn even cleaner and protects our air and water.

Indeed, much of our new-found energy is drawn from lands and waters that we, the public, own together. So tonight, I propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good. If a non-partisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, then so can we. Let’s take their advice and free our families and businesses from the painful spikes in gas prices we’ve put up with for far too long. I’m also issuing a new goal for America: let’s cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next twenty years. The states with the best ideas to create jobs and lower energy bills by constructing more efficient buildings will receive federal support to help make it happen."

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Nearly everyone's energy bill is lower? Would like to see stats on that. And our cars go twice as far on a tank of gas? Since when? I know new mileage standards were put in place to take effect in five or six years, but we don't have that long to take bold action on this. And while it is good to conserve energy and shore up infrastucture, this is also about an international agreement as well that his people have done everything in their power to put obstacles in front of every single year because they are determined to not do anything to interfere with the 2 degree threshold set by politicians in direct antithesis to scientists. If he and his people at the COP Conference actually listened to the scientists they wouldn't have left the last COP Conference with nothing accomplished.

But remember, he said, "climate change."

This isn't just about shoring up our buildings within twenty years. (Arctic ice will be gone by then at this rate.) The IEA says we are headed for an 11 degree fahrenheit rise in temperature by century's end and we are already halfway to the 2 degree celsius threshold, with oil companies salivating to burn every gigaton of oil left. His acquiescence in allowing them to do that is not going to solve this crisis, even with an appreciable rise in renewable energy use without weaning us off fossil fuels within the next decade and flipping the statistic to us getting 80% of our energy from renewable sources instead of dirty sources. How will we shut off the tarsands of Alberta if we continue to put it in our tanks? People cannot switch from oil if they have nothing to switch to that is accessible and affordable for all.

But remember, he said, "climate change."

Twenty years is also too late, 2030 is too late. Where was the timeline to get this done within the next year? Asking for a "bi-partisan" "market-based solution"(whatever that would now be since Jay Carney stated they would not consider a carbon tax) without a timeline when scientists are telling us we don't have as much time as it takes politicians to get a job done if you don't give them a deadline doesn't make this sound as urgent as it is. And in all honesty, while it may well be exciting to some to hear him say climate change, he told a fib regarding CO2 emissions going down because natural gas produces methane emissions that exacerbate global warming as well as CO2. Also, we have the highest export rate of coal to Asia now and already put tarsands in our tanks so while he may be able to use that to sugarcoat it, global CO2 emissions are going up as half the Arctic ice was lost this past summer.

But remember, he said, "climate change."

Regarding fracking which is how the natural gas is extracted which is already making people and animals sick because of toxified water and farmland, industry insiders with the help of Dick Cheney managed to get them exempted from the Safe Drinking Water Act. Perhaps if Obama is serious about making this process safer for water he should look into that and reverse his own administration's policy about not requiring these companies to reveal what is in the toxic mix they use to break the rock. Perhaps renting and watching Gasland might help. We can't live in a country full of holes with our water and food toxified, President Obama regardless of how much you think Chevron, BP, DOW etc. are now your "friends." Do you really think these companies are going to expend actual profits to practice safer standards? They are even talking about making nitrogen fertilizer out of this to make even bigger profits! It is environmental insanity!

But remember, he said, "climate change."

"That’s why my Administration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits."

He sounds totally detached from the moral imperative of this because if he wanted to he wouldn't stall on it by saying if this one doesn't do this or that I will. All fine and good, but he signed executive orders regarding gun control so he could do the same on carbon/greenhouse gas emissions. And being vague by asking for a "market based" solution could also mean geoengineering, so I just shake my head regarding the vague political doublespeak. Also, the EPA did nothing regarding taking action on existing plants for the first four years even though they didn't need Congress to do it but they will now? Do we even know who is taking Lisa Jackson's place? Perhaps I am too cynical. Either that or really just very tuned into the sugarcoated BS that passes for a speech in Washington DC.

But remember, he said, "climate change."

And yes I know, we all must be part of the solution and it must be on a global scale. Only this speech didn't do that. It gave us the mention of the words, some goals that are unattainable based on the make up of this Congress, with no timeline as 90 million tons of global warming pollution will continue to be spewed out globally every day until they decide it is indeed urgent enough for them to address it for real after making enough money off their investments in the melting Arctic or Africa. Pretty much where we were before the speech. The point of this then is, the effects of global warming we are now seeing and experiencing globally have happened and are happening faster than a political timeline. This is what needs to be grasped and addressed. This isn't about any politician's "legacy" or ego to me. This is about the world I am leaving for my son. This is about biodiversity. This is about water. This is about food. This is about doing what is moral and humane for those who have not contributed to this crisis. We need executive action now.

But remember, he said, "climate change."



Check out the Forecast The Facts Checklist. I am not alone on this.

SOTU Climate Scorecard