Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Is There a Climate Bubble?
Townhall.com ^ | June 25, 2014 | Mike Shedlock

Posted on 06/25/2014 6:39:38 PM PDT by Kaslin

Here's the question of the day: Is there a climate bubble?

In a New York Times op-ed, former treasury secretary Hank Paulson says there is. He calls it The Coming Climate Crash.

For too many years, we failed to rein in the excesses building up in the nation’s financial markets. When the credit bubble burst in 2008, the damage was devastating. Millions suffered. Many still do.

We’re making the same mistake today with climate change. We’re staring down a climate bubble that poses enormous risks to both our environment and economy. The warning signs are clear and growing more urgent as the risks go unchecked.

This is a crisis we can’t afford to ignore. I feel as if I’m watching as we fly in slow motion on a collision course toward a giant mountain. We can see the crash coming, and yet we’re sitting on our hands rather than altering course.

We need to act now, even though there is much disagreement, including from members of my own Republican Party, on how to address this issue while remaining economically competitive. They’re right to consider the economic implications. But we must not lose sight of the profound economic risks of doing nothing.

The solution can be a fundamentally conservative one that will empower the marketplace to find the most efficient response. We can do this by putting a price on emissions of carbon dioxide — a carbon tax.

Fewer than 10 years ago, the best analysis projected that melting Arctic sea ice would mean nearly ice-free summers by the end of the 21st century. Now the ice is melting so rapidly that virtually ice-free Arctic summers could be here in the next decade or two. The lack of reflective ice will mean that more of the sun’s heat will be absorbed by the oceans, accelerating warming of both the oceans and the atmosphere, and ultimately raising sea levels.

Even worse, in May, two separate studies discovered that one of the biggest thresholds has already been reached. The West Antarctic ice sheet has begun to melt, a process that scientists estimate may take centuries but that could eventually raise sea levels by as much as 14 feet. Now that this process has begun, there is nothing we can do to undo the underlying dynamics, which scientists say are “baked in.”

Some members of my political party worry that pricing carbon is a “big government” intervention. In fact, it will reduce the role of government, which, on our present course, increasingly will be called on to help communities and regions affected by climate-related disasters like floods, drought-related crop failures and extreme weather like tornadoes, hurricanes and other violent storms.

Ironies Abound

Pauslon argues along the lines of "to reduce big government, we need more of it". This is of course similar to the Vietnam war analogy "we must destroy the village to save it", or George Bush's famous solution: “I’ve abandoned free market principles to save the free market system”.

Curiously, Paulson believes there is nothing we can do to undo the underlying dynamics, which scientists say are “baked in.”.

If indeed global warming is baked in, why spend billions of dollars in a foolish attempt to prevent the inevitable? Wouldn't it be better to spend billions of dollars on something else?

Apparently not.

Let's now answer the original question: Is there a climate bubble?

Yes, Virginia, of course there is.

When people think man can stop climate change patterns that last tens of millions of years, when people think a map of the last 100 or even 1000 years of climate change predicts the future, and when Republicans tout big government to stop big government even though the results are "baked in", the appropriate words to describe the setup are indeed "climate bubble".



TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: globalwarmingscare; hysteria; scaremongering; thebiglie

1 posted on 06/25/2014 6:39:38 PM PDT by Kaslin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Follow the money.


2 posted on 06/25/2014 6:41:27 PM PDT by headstamp 2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

“We need to act now, even though there is much disagreement,”

AKA Turn all your money over to the feral gov’t. Big nanny will take care of you.


3 posted on 06/25/2014 6:42:05 PM PDT by dynachrome (Vertrou in God en die Mauser)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

The thing about liberals is they will scream and yell and freak out till they’re red in the face about climate change, but psychotic Muslims getting their hands on nukes? Perfectly OK! WW3 nuke style if perfectly OK for the environment, all that radioactivity, fallout, that stuff just does wonders for life.


4 posted on 06/25/2014 6:44:28 PM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (Hitlery: Incarnation of evil.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!

In less than 125 years every man, woman and child now living will be DEAD!!!

It is all Bush’s fault. Bush and those damned SUVs.

Womyn and minorities will be hardest hit.


5 posted on 06/25/2014 6:47:58 PM PDT by Bubba_Leroy (The Obamanation Continues)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
The only way to stop Global Warming™ is to disarm civilians and take their money.
6 posted on 06/25/2014 6:53:21 PM PDT by MrBambaLaMamba (Obama - "I will stand with the Muslims")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

The bubble is in their cranium.
.


7 posted on 06/25/2014 6:56:00 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: headstamp 2

I think Lake Superior still has ice.

Nope, cleared up 2 weeks ago, but still a record.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/great-lakes-ice-free-at-last/28517527


8 posted on 06/25/2014 7:05:26 PM PDT by xzins ( Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for victory!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: xzins

It cooled because the world was too warm. That’s the ticket!

Man, the surmise that these panicmongers are mired in.


9 posted on 06/25/2014 7:12:04 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: All
"...The West Antarctic ice sheet has begun to melt..."

Antarctic Ice melting?


10 posted on 06/25/2014 7:27:50 PM PDT by az_gila
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

“...former treasury secretary Hank Paulson says...”

Click.


11 posted on 06/25/2014 8:05:55 PM PDT by mbarker12474
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

You mean, you don’t believe Shifty Paulson and le petite Napoleon?


12 posted on 06/25/2014 8:13:48 PM PDT by Trod Upon (Every penny given to film and TV media companies goes right into enemy coffers. Starve them out!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Rabbit hole alert.


13 posted on 06/25/2014 8:17:32 PM PDT by pacpam (action=consequence and applies in all cases - friend of victory)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Paulson’s a reptilian.


14 posted on 06/25/2014 8:19:39 PM PDT by RckyRaCoCo (Shall Not Be Infringed)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: az_gila
Joe Bastardi posts on Twitter. Today the Antarctic ice was 1.8 something above a standard deviation of the mean. But who the hell knows or follows that bit of news?
15 posted on 06/25/2014 8:25:54 PM PDT by Excellence (Marine mom since April 11, 2014)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
The lack of reflective ice will mean that more of the sun’s heat will be absorbed by the oceans, accelerating warming of both the oceans and the atmosphere, and ultimately raising sea levels.

Of course an open Arctic Ocean means more participation north of 60 degrees and eventually continental ice sheets.

These guys are looking to be beneficiaries of a very regressive Carbon Tax.

16 posted on 06/25/2014 8:51:00 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Do The Math)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

These guys need to be standing on a street corner working a monkey grinder, because that is what they are really doing. Making a their monkeys dance for change.


17 posted on 06/25/2014 9:15:53 PM PDT by justa-hairyape (The user name is sarcastic. Although at times it may not appear that way.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

So much crap, so little time.

By the way, the Earth is ever so slowly tilting the Northern hemisphere towards the sun and the Southern hemisphere away from the sun. Part of its normal cycle.

And the Western shelf is melting because of magma and not air temperature.


18 posted on 06/25/2014 9:51:46 PM PDT by Revolutionary ("Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin
Some members of my political party worry that pricing carbon is a “big government” intervention. In fact, it will reduce the role of government,

It would only be the largest tax and the biggest redistribution of wealth in human history. But you won't have to fill out a 1040 for it, so, hey--conservative!

which, on our present course, increasingly will be called on to help communities and regions affected by climate-related disasters like floods, drought-related crop failures and extreme weather like tornadoes, hurricanes and other violent storms.

None of which show any sign of increasing.

19 posted on 06/25/2014 10:06:17 PM PDT by denydenydeny (Admiration of absolute government is proportionate to the contempt one has for others.-Tocqueville)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson