Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Global warming debate pointless


People in some circles are still debating whether global warming is really happening, and if it is, whether it is man-caused or not. That debate is pointless and irrelevant. Air quality is the point, and air quality equates to atmospheric quality.

There's certainly no debate that the air in many places around the world—think L.A. and Beijing—is unfit to breathe. Isn't it absurd that we accept a "pollution index" on the news to warn us to stay indoors, rather than reducing the source of the pollution? There's no debate that burning fossil fuels—gas, oil, coal—pollutes our air. There's no debate that energy supplies are dwindling while demand is rising.

And yet, Idaho House Minority Leader Wendy Jaquet floated three bills this year that were environmentally related, and all three were dead on arrival. In other words, irrespective of global warming, Idaho legislators don't consider Idaho's air quality important enough to warrant legislation.

There's no debate that moving away from fossil fuels is the very thing that results in cleaner air (and a better atmosphere if you're a proponent of global warming). We've all heard that Beijing's air is so polluted (due to China's rapid growth and unregulated use of fossil fuels) that they're scrambling to clean it up before the Summer Olympics. We all should care about Beijing's polluted air. Where Beijing goes, so goes the Earth.

There's no debate that the only way to move away from fossil fuels is to develop alternative fuels, which mostly means solar, wind, and hydrothermal energy.

Our city, county, state and federal legislators must take the lead. Think of all the roofs on government buildings that could be generating solar power. The cost of solar systems is prohibitive for the average homeowner because the demand isn't large enough yet. But if our elected officials mandate use of some solar energy in all new government buildings, the cost would come down, not to mention that it would save taxpayers money.

There's no debate that vehicles are a major source of air pollution. Vehicles sold in California must meet stronger emission standards than in any other state. California's legislators weren't pro-active, they were reactive, but at least they were active. Our leaders in Washington, D.C., seem complacent about mandating higher vehicle mileage. I'm reminded of when auto-makers lobbied Congress not to require seatbelts because it was too costly, but the public forced the issue and now automobile passengers are safer because seat belts are required.

On the bright side, many corporations have realized that energy efficiency makes "cents." They might not be motivated by global warming as much as by the financial benefits, but the result is less "bad stuff" spewing into the atmosphere, and that's a good thing for anything that breathes. And if global warming is a reality—well, they're helping the planet, too.

The bottom line is that cleaning up our environment makes for better living, a better quality of life—the very thing that Idahoans care about so much. It is up to local, state and federal leaders to start the ball rolling by passing legislation that forces improvements. The state can begin by requiring that all new government buildings make use of some form of alternative energy; that power producers develop alternative fuels; and that auto emissions and mileage meet higher standards. Cities and counties can mandate that all new commercial buildings use some form of alternative energy. Cities and counties should audit their own energy use (for example, convert street lights and traffic lights to LEDs), looking for ways to conserve energy (and save money).

We need more Wendy Jaquets in the Legislature. If some legislators cannot see the common sense of pro-active leadership, it's up to us to vote for representatives who do.

Kathryn L. Olson

Hailey




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