“— crucially — citizens who recognize the consequences if they do not consent to sacrifices and changes in lifestyle.”

Just curious, but to what extent do you personally “walk the walk”? Taking a few example big ticket items, how do you fare on:

- flying (business)
- flying (leisure and vacations)
- land transport
- heating house
- cooling house
- drying clothes
- food miles
- water usage

Whether you like it or not, cutting emissions in any sort of significant way is bound to involve sacrifice at the personal level. The public is not ready to vote for austerity.

For my part, we have made great energy savings domestically, but last week we stayed in a large old hotel in the UK for a few days (no flying involved!). The hotel is a huge rambling place with massive high ceilings, leaky single glazed sash windows and no insulation. Not an energy saving bulb in sight, lights left on in the hundreds 24/7, heated indoor swimming pool and 2 saunas left on all day with no-one even using them, and, strangely for August, all radiators warm to the touch throughout the hotel. No - I didn’t hear the subject of climate change mentioned once all week by either guests or staff. I just don’t think the subject is even on the radar for large segments of the population.

All the talk here of switching to alternatives is necessary, but there is going to be a lot of pain to be had (not mentioned very much). And there are going to be security issues…

Well, its already started…

Why don’t you write an op-ed for the NYT or WashPost on why McCain isn’t the candidate to stop global warming?

– Chester

The public is not ready to vote for austerity…

I just don’t think the subject is even on the radar for large segments of the population.

Which is why I’m for tax shifts, with far less payroll taxation and far, far, far, far more consumption taxes. That’ll change behavior in a hurry - I just got back from picking up our kindergartner (walked), and the sheer number of chimps sitting in SUVs with the engine running is enough to make one scream. $8.00 a gallon gas will stop that right quick.

Best,

D

I was just about to request if you could put together a resource page with links to all groups, institutes and reputable bodies where they have made a public statement indicating that AGW is happening and that something needs to be done about it.

I speak with many friends and family and they a) don’t think there is a major issue b) don’t think the science ‘consensus’ supports GW. c) don’t think that we can do much about it if it is happening (or going to happen!)

A page with all these links would be an easy pick to point them at to demonstrate the economic and academic consensus that really is there now!

Paul Magnus

It has been pointed out many times, but unleaded petrol in the UK is about £1.11 per litre. At £1 = $1.828 this works out to $7.68 per US gallon - i.e. nearly $8, but I haven’t noticed any dramatic reduction in traffic volumes. A bit maybe, but the limiting factor is still congestion not price.

The global economy is so tightly tied into fossil fuel that, as things stand, any reduction in use would automatically equate to a drop in economic activity and living standards. IMO, restructuring taxes isn’t going to get round this awkward fact. I also don’t think that it would ever be politically possible to make such a policy stick.

This really only leaves us with one route - to develop renewable technology to the stage where it is the cheapest source of energy. I don’t know if this will ever be possible but it would offer a permanent solution to the whole problem of climate change and energy. On this basis I am warming to the policies put forward at the NDC. It will be very interesting to see how the Republicans respond at their conference.

Europe and UK are structured differently - much more fuel efficient!

The US economy will capitulate very early if prices keep rising at this rate.

and

The US economy will capitulate very early if prices keep rising at this rate.

These presume that we are incapable of adaptation.

The US economy is - literally - charged by people buying trinkets. It is primed by cheap energy.

I find it hard to believe our society (the important thing, more important than the economy) will collapse if we can’t go out to a restaurant or fast food 5 times a week or buy cr*p from Target or Wal-Mart whenever we get a whim. How the h*ll did we survive for ~170 years as a nation before we bought cr*p at the slightest whim?

Have we suddenly gotten so stupid* that we can’t figure out what to do with ourselves if we can’t jump in the car at the slightest whim because gas is $8.00/gal? Please. If we can’t survive at $8/gal., then we are indeed a nation of whiners and it will be time for a collapse and a rebuild.

Best,

D

* Moronic dialogue during political season notwithstanding…

Here is such a resource at wiki…
Scientific opinion on climate change
http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Scientific_opinion_on_climate_change

Good, but I think it should start to include other groups statements such as
Brookings pew

BAS
http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/ / bas_research/ our_views/ climate_change.php

defra
http://www.defra.gov.uk/ corporate/ ministers/ statements/ dm061030.htm

accuweather
http://www.accuweather.com/ global-warming/ global-warming-position.asp

CMOS
http://www.cmos.ca/climatechangepole.html

etc.