Why Green?

Going green, as it is termed, has many benefits.  However, the true advantages are seldom mentioned.  





“Going green”, as it is termed, has many benefits.  However, the true advantages are seldom mentioned.  The recent tax measure passed by the House of Representatives was, as always, “for a good cause”.  This time the good cause was “saving the planet”.  It reminds me of all the states who implemented a lottery for such good causes as education and the environment.  These, like this green legislation, have nothing to do with the “good causes” that the proponents tout. Going green to save the planet from globe warming is absurd at best.  Before the “cap and trade” legislation was voted on by the House, Ron Paul submitted a petition signed by 31,478 American scientist stating that:“We urge the United States government to reject the global warming agreement that was written in Kyoto, Japan in December, 1997, and any other similar proposals. The proposed limits on greenhouse gases would harm the environment, hinder the advance of science and technology, and damage the health and welfare of mankind.

There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth.” This statement sounds convincing to me.  I have not seen the list of scientist so I cannot vouch for any of them or their character.  However, I am always ready to take a person at their word until proven different.  This I do know – the cause of any warming of the plant is not the result of man or animal.  The whole global warming hysteria sweeping the planet is a fraud. Plainly put, we are not in control of this planet. We have little, if any, influence on its functions. For example, we can not stop earthquakes which we know cause horrific damage to much life and property.  Yet we are supposed to effect and change the climate of the whole planet?  I cannot find anyone who even knows what gravity is and what makes it hold us here. There is a copious amount of information explaining what gravity does but nothing on what it is.The notion that our actions affect the atmosphere is a humanistic and proud attitude. We all know that the natural man is an enemy to God. (Mosiah 3:19)  So is global warming.  Given all this, “going green” should be about economy and practicality. Here is one of many articles debunking food commodities as a replacement for fossil fuels.  However government melding in the market has lead many people to believe that this is a wise course for ridding us of foreign dependence on fossil fuels and of course “saving the planet”. It is, of course, helping special interests and paid for by huge amounts of debit to be paid by future generations. This article addresses the $790 million which only entails the most recent government stimulus for biofuel (mostly corn and soybean). Brazil's bioethanol approach, which uses sugar cane, seems to be much more economically based. The main objection from the green crowd to this approach is the deforestation associated with it. Sweet sorghum has an even better chance of success .“So with the promise of corn biofuels now gone the way of the dodo, biofuel experts have been pushing for something called “cellulosic ethanol”.  This relies largely on agricultural plant waste, thus sidestepping a great deal of the inefficiency involved in spending energy to make energy.  The problem is cellulosic ethanol requires significant amounts of reliable biological products from an already existing, widely grown plant.Enter sweet sorghum. A resilient grass cultivated in warm regions all over the world, the plant tolerates drought extremely well, and, perhaps most importantly, contains a large, lingocellulose-rich stalk that is completely irrelevant to its use a food crop. The first large-scale studies of sorghum-based cellulosic ethanol (oddly enough this has been done in conjunction with the Tata Motor Group which will likely amplify world carbon emission drastically with it's new Nano) reveal sweet sorghum could produce eight times as much energy as is expended in growing it.” The practicality and economy of biofuels or other fuel substitutes should be the primary objective. Transporting petroleum thousands of miles by sea from where it is recovered to where it will be consumed does not seem economical or practical. Recycling is also supposed to help save the planet.  This, however, can be a practical and economical practice.  Recycling is nothing new as it has been around for a long time. As youth we went to the “automobile recycling center”, better know in those days as a junk yard, for used parts for our cars. Their price was reasonable and it served our needs. A “junk yard” is a very profitable business.  Here is an explanation of a few of the economic benefits of recycling.Most businesses involved in recycling did not begin with government grants, loans, or other incentives. They began, as with any business, by finding a market demand and went to work to satisfy it.  When the profitability of recycling of household refuse becomes well known, it will quit being a cost to the public and rather become an asset to those who collect, separate, and deliver it to commercial recyclers.

There are many examples of “going green” that are profitable, practical, and economical.  There are, perhaps, just as many examples that are not any of the above.  In the 70’s, when a gallon of gasoline went from twenty cents to almost a dollar, many people, including the Brazilian government, started searching for alternatives.  At the time the inflation factor made it seem ridicules to pursue these alternatives.  However, continuing to ignore these viable alternatives will not be possible now or in the future. Too many Chinese, Indians and other Asians want to drive, eat, and consume as Americans to say nothing of the rapidly growing Mexican, Brazilian and other middle class emerging economies. “Going green” has become a must for the right reasons.

 

Marvin Colley has been studying and teaching the functioning of law for the ordinary person for over 20 years.