Election 2012

Why has global warming not been a hot issue in this election cycle, no pun intended?

It is strange. New polls show that 70% of the American people believe in climate change and more that 50% believe it is caused by humans.

Nevertheless, Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan express the opinion that climate-change science is either a hoax or hysteria. Remember? Romney said, “By the way, I like coal. I’m going to make sure we can continue to burn clean coal.”

Except that there is no such thing as clean coal.

I guess he can be forgiven because once long ago, Ronald Reagan blamed trees for pollution and then removed the expensive solar panels from the White House, the ones President Carter had installed.

On the other hand President Obama’s efforts on global warming have been less than audacious. His 2008 promises to “roll back the seas and heal the planet” have gone mostly unfulfilled. Environmental bills died because of an uncooperative congress and because the President didn’t push hard enough.

However, Mister Obama knows that climate change is not a hoax nor is it mass hysteria. He said so in his 2012 convention speech. He has appointed world-class scientists to advisory positions, improved automobile efficiency regulations, and champions the renewable-energy industry. He knows that wild fires, floods, and increased violent weather patterns like Hurricane Sandy are no joke. He proved it by creating the Environmental Protection Agency which protects us by writing regulations and enforcing those passed by congress.

Big oil, coal, and agriculture companies rage at the Environmental Protection Agency because it means regulations. Koch Industries and Monsanto for example can support their interests with huge amounts of money–how much nobody knows–in dark PACs money. They don’t even have to report those expenditures to their shareholders.

One of the first things Mr. Romney promises to do if elected president is to get rid of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The 70% of us who believe in climate change better hope that President Obama is re-elected because this agency has the power to protect our environment. Think kids and grand kids.

Because the need to produce coal has diminished, coal-mining jobs are at an all time low (83,000). The fact is, coal-mining jobs are decreasing. Yet Mr. Romney proposes creating more coal mining jobs as a way of putting us back to work. Happily in this country, coal is being replaced by new energy sources in wind, natural gas, and nuclear plants where jobs are proliferating.

Even before this latest Hurricane struck, the American people had begun to understand the environmental urgency. Then,  winds whipped up the Atlantic with heretofore unheard of force. Parts of the east coast were devastated.

President Obama immediately sent help via the newly reorganized Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  New Jersey’s Governor Cristi and Mayor Bloomberg of New York City spoke highly of the government’s efficiency and assistance.

What should we the people do? Forge ahead in our quest for better energy sources or pretend that the problem doesn’t exist and think only of today? Worry about the long-term consequences of do nothing politics or be satisfied with what only happens to us in the here and now?

We can answer these questions by:

1. Being an informed voter. (Who better than President Obama  to deal with China and India in gaining their cooperation to reduce carbon emissions?)

2. Speak out.

3. Financially support your convictions.