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

Skip to comments.

4 Questions You Probably Won’t Hear at CNN’s Climate Crisis Town Hall
Foundation for Economic Education ^ | September 4, 2019 | Jon Miltimore

Posted on 09/04/2019 10:51:20 AM PDT by gattaca

CNN’s description suggests the event may be closer to Greta Thunberg’s “I Want You to Panic” approach than a level-headed analysis.

Ten Democratic presidential candidates will square off in New York on Wednesday, fielding questions as part of a seven-hour telecast (yes, seven hours) that CNN is billing as an “unprecedented prime-time event focused on the climate crisis.”

Though questions will come from members of the audience, CNN’s description of the event offers some indication of what questions viewers can expect.

In his preview of the town hall-style event, CNN senior analyst Mark Preston writes that global warming “would cause coastal cities to disappear underwater, leaving hundreds of millions of people displaced and forced to migrate to dry areas.”Here are four climate change-related questions audience members should consider asking. Because of this, Preston says, the UN warns that governments must take "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society."

Whether questions that do not accept these premises—that global warming is a crisis and only governments can fix it—will be entertained remains to be seen. But CNN’s description suggests the event may be closer Greta Thunberg’s “I Want You to Panic” approach to climate change than level-headed analysis that explores the costs and benefits of inaction and action on climate change.

Regardless of CNN’s approach to the issue, here are four climate change-related questions audience members should consider asking.

1. If climate change is a dire threat, why do Democrats reject nuclear power? Nuclear energy is safe, comparatively cheap, reliable, and generates zero greenhouse gasses. For this reason, the Union of Concerned Scientists has said nuclear energy is necessary to address climate change. It’s already a proven solution to CO2 emissions. France and Sweden, two nations that have far lower per capita carbon emission rates than the US, rely heavily on nuclear power, generating 72 percent and 42 percent of their energy from it, respectively. The US, on the other hand, generates just 20 percent of its power from nuclear energy.

Despite its efficiency and low-cost, prominent Green New Deal plans from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders either reject expanding US nuclear capacity or propose phasing it out entirely.

2. Are less-invasive climate change solutions like planting more trees preferable to government regulations and taxes? A new study in Science magazine says one solution to the fears surrounding CO2 emissions is surprisingly simple: plant more trees. The study says that increasing the planet’s forests by an area the size of the United States “has the potential to cut the atmospheric carbon pool by about 25%.”

That is no small order since we’re talking about an area more than five percent of the Earth’s land surface area. Yet it’s likely far more achievable than becoming a CO2-free economy by 2050.

Assuming it could be achieved, would an international policy dedicated to increasing forestation not be preferable to taxing CO2?

3. Are you aware that climate-related deaths are today at historic lows and why that is? The environmentalist Dr. Bjorn Lomborg points out that since the 1920s, atmospheric CO2 concentrations increased by about 30 percent to more than 400 ppm, and global average temps increased by roughly 1°C. Yet during that same timeframe, climate-related deaths plummeted by 99 percent.

The reason for this is that people in wealthier nations are more resistant to climate-related deaths than people in poorer nations, and the 20th century saw an unprecedented increase in economic growth (see below). This suggests the best way to protect people from climate change is with economic growth, not austerity. As it happens, the “socio-economic pathways” (SSPs) literature makes it clear that the most abundant future is one that relies on fossil fuels and free markets.

4. Do you believe Americans could stay warm without fossil fuels? About 65 percent of all electricity in the US is generated by fossil fuels, according to the Energy Information Administration. This actually increases during the coldest months of the year. During cold snaps, according to the Department of Energy, independent system operators (ISOs) can depend on coal, nuclear, and natural gas for more than 80 percent of the electricity they generate.

Most parts of the country, however, aren’t heated with electric power. Natural gas—a fossil fuel—is the primary fuel for warming homes in most parts of the country by a wide margin. Kerosene and fuel oil also account for a sizable portion in some parts of the country. On a continent of about 3.8 million square miles that sees temps reach as low as 13 degrees Fahrenheit in Atlanta and -4 degrees in New York City, fossil fuels are what fight the freeze, keeping hundreds of millions of Americans warm during the coldest months.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-31 last
To: gattaca
The author assumes that the alarmists are honest people in search of a solution to a problem they believe exists. Not so.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the thorough discrediting of communism the left needed some other justification for power. Global warming is their chosen excuse to seize power over the economy and individual lives of the citizens. Gotta save the planet, doncha know.

Green New Deal? More like Green Dictatorship of the Proletariat.

21 posted on 09/04/2019 11:58:13 AM PDT by colorado tanker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Telepathic Intruder

“You’re a racist.”

You are actually on target even though you were being sarcastic (I think).

Booker says that climate change hits all minorities much harder than others. Therefore, if you are against fixing climate change, you hate minorities. And we all know what that means. Racist!


22 posted on 09/04/2019 12:02:46 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: gattaca

http://americanskynews.com/articles-a.htm
global hoax, real reason for climate changes, not by humans.


23 posted on 09/04/2019 12:27:59 PM PDT by Leo Carpathian (FReeeeepeesssssed)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gattaca

I have only 2 questions...
1-What is the “correct” temperature of the earth...?
2-What is the “correct” % CO2 of our atmosphere...?


24 posted on 09/04/2019 1:01:59 PM PDT by Repeal The 17th
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gattaca

Is CNN really using the word “crisis”? That is funny.

CNN is a parody of itself.


25 posted on 09/04/2019 1:14:51 PM PDT by UnwashedPeasant (Trump is solving the worldÂ’s problems only to distract us from Russia.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UnwashedPeasant

This is no Climate Crisis, it’s just another tricky day for you.


26 posted on 09/04/2019 1:16:57 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: cuban leaf

Increasing form 400 PPM to 1000 PPM would be allow us to grow a lot more food.


27 posted on 09/04/2019 1:28:35 PM PDT by OrioleFan (Republicans beliCNN eve every day is July 4th, Democrats believe every day is April 15th.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: gattaca
4. Do you believe Americans could stay warm without fossil fuels?

Why don't we ban home heating oil one winter and find out?

28 posted on 09/04/2019 2:54:17 PM PDT by OrangeHoof (Trump is Making the Media Grate Again)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gattaca

They are as positive about their computer change models showing warming, as they were about computer models all predicting a Dorian Florida landfall last week.


29 posted on 09/04/2019 3:26:45 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: gattaca

That was on tonight? I missed it. Darn the luck.


30 posted on 09/04/2019 5:02:45 PM PDT by Libloather (END CLIMATE CHANGE!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gattaca
2. Are less-invasive climate change solutions like planting more trees preferable to government regulations and taxes? A new study in Science magazine says one solution to the fears surrounding CO2 emissions is surprisingly simple: plant more trees. The study says that increasing the planet’s forests by an area the size of the United States “has the potential to cut the atmospheric carbon pool by about 25%.”

I thought grasslands were more efficient in turning CO2 into Oxygen....

31 posted on 09/05/2019 3:09:31 AM PDT by trebb (Don't howl about illegal leeches, or Trump in general, while not donating to FR - it's hypocritical.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-31 last

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