American Exceptionalism
Climate researchers at Scripps Institution
Of Oceanography recently published a report projecting a 5% chance
of abrupt climate change within the next 30 years, leading to
human extinction within 50 years. This is the first dire warning
issued from a mainstream research center. Some researchers feel
both the timing and the odds to be optimistic.
The fourth National Climate Assessment, a compilation
of research results from over 15 Federal agencies, was recently
released, stating that humans are causing global climate change.
No other explanation can account for what is occurring worldwide.
The 23rd Conference Of The Parties, a global
discussion about climate change, met last month in Bohn, Germany.
Climate change is a global problem, and global cooperation is
required to deal with the changes. Every country on the planet
is working to avert a global threat to all of humanity. Every
country but one, the United States, which thinks climate change
is just a Chinese hoax. This is American exceptionalism in the
21st century.
Climate denial in the United States is a disinformation
campaign, well funded over many decades by fossil fuel industries,
the morbidly rich, and some evangelical organizations.
There is documentary evidence that all major
oil companies knew about the adverse effect of atmospheric CO2
starting in the 80's, but made the decision to hide the evidence
and fund denial and confusion, thus protecting their annual profits
of hundreds of billions of dollars. But oil discoveries have
not kept up with the depletion rates of established fields and
new oil is too expensive in a weak global economy. As affordable
oil and gas are getting scarce and profits are declining, some
of the majors, like Shell and BP, have abandoned climate denial
and begun investing in renewable energy.
The morbidly rich are those who have more wealth
than they know what to do with, but are devoted to gaining even
more, which requires the death of people all over the planet.
They tend to be heavily invested in fossil fuels.
Some evangelicals are still fighting the old
war between science and their particular interpretation of God.
This anti-science bias is a hold over from the time when the
Catholic Church could burn people for disagreeing with doctrine.
In an age of smart phones and nuclear weapons, a time of massive
changes in human life, they claim climate change cannot be caused
by man. Only God has that kind of power. Younger people, who
will be alive when the consequences of this denial will be lethal,
are questioning the wisdom of current leadership.
Climate deniers have currently taken over the
Republican Party, with their cheerleader being President Trump.
Fossil fuel executives are now in positions of power, and climate
change scientists are being purged. Despite traditional Republican
dogma about the power of the free market, obsolete 19th century
coal technology, and bankrupt, toxic, 20th century nuclear technology,
are given special taxpayer subsidies. Rather than investing in
21st century renewable technology, American consumers and businesses
will be paying more for electrical power, and be less competitive
in the global economy.
Rather than subsidizing renewables, which are
surging elsewhere on the planet, climate deniers are attacking
solar regulations at state levels, to prevent American development.
Stiff tariffs are being placed on solar cells from China. Domestic
solar production faces an uphill battle and won't fill the gap,
blocking thousands of good paying jobs in the renewable power
industry.
The federal electric car subsidy is being eliminated
at a time when the world is shifting to electric transportation.
American auto companies, discouraged in producing electric vehicles,
will find limited markets for gas engines as the rest of the world
moves to renewable energy. The Chinese have made serious commitments
to renewable and electric car innovations. China already produces
more cars than any other country, and while their economy is second
to the US, they are growing faster than we are. Instead of American
industry competing economically and leading in a rapidly changing
global technology, we are being left behind with obsolete technology.
The loss of political leadership is already
happening on the global climate stage. As the US removed itself
from the discussion, China has stepped in and taken the lead.
The American economic empire began to decline in 1972. Being
the only country to deny man made climate change will not make
America great again: it will make America irrelevant faster, and
the Republican Party is responsible.