[NYTr] Union of Concerned Scientists Issue Some Global Warming Snakeoil

[nytr at olm.blythe-systems.com]

sent by Harry Saloor - Jul 23, 2007

The Union of Concerned [sic] Scientists have recently posted an article
on their website under the banner of Global Warming, titled: Ten
Personal Solutions. Unfortunately the article lacks adequate substance
and stands short of persuading the informed readers that their personal
choices can have a significant impact on global warming.

Ed Crane said: “The history of mankind is a history of the subjugation
and exploitation of a great majority of people by an elite few by what
has been appropriately termed the 'ruling class'. The ruling class has
many manifestations. It can take the form of a religious orthodoxy, a
monarchy, a dictatorship of the proletariat, outright fascism, or, in
the case of the United States, corporate statism. In each instance the
ruling class relies on academics, scholars and 'experts' to legitimize
and provide moral authority for its hegemony over the masses."

Not surprisingly, UCS’s Ten Personal Solutions fails to make an impact
in the absence of an appeal to readers for radical changes in their
politics, businesses and lifestyles that are urgently needed to save
the planet from the looming ecocide.

Cindy Smith, a member of Creating A Sustainable Future (CASF), has
prepared a brief reply to the UCS’s Ten Personal Solutions to Global
Warming which follows their article.

Harry Saloor 

                         ***

Global Warming: What You Can Do

Ten Personal Solutions

http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/ten-personal-solutions.html

Individual choices can have an impact on global climate change.
Reducing your family's heat-trapping emissions does not mean forgoing
modern conveniences; it means making smart choices and using
energy-efficient products, which may require an additional investment
up front, but often pay you back in energy savings within a couple of
years. Since Americans' per capita emissions of heat-trapping gases is
5.6 tons—more than double the amount of western Europeans—we can all
make choices that will greatly reduce our families' global warming
impact.

1. The car you drive: the most important personal climate decision.
When you buy your next car, look for the one with the best fuel economy
in its class. Each gallon of gas you use is responsible for 25 pounds
of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. Better gas mileage not only
reduces global warming, but will also save you thousands of dollars at
the pump over the life of the vehicle. Compare the fuel economy of the
cars you're considering and look for new technologies like hybrid
engines.

2. Choose clean power.
More than half the electricity in the United States comes from
polluting coal-fired power plants. And power plants are the single
largest source of heat-trapping gas. None of us can live without
electricity, but in some states, you can switch to electricity
companies that provide 50 to 100 percent renewable energy. (For more
information go to Green-e.org.)

3. Look for Energy Star. 
When it comes time to replace appliances, look for the Energy Star
label on new appliances (refrigerators, freezers, furnaces, air
conditioners, and water heaters use the most energy). These items may
cost a bit more initially, but the energy savings will pay back the
extra investment within a couple of years. Household energy savings
really can make a difference: If each household in the United States
replaced its existing appliances with the most efficient models
available, we would save $15 billion in energy costs and eliminate 175
million tons of heat-trapping gases.

4. Unplug a freezer.
One of the quickest ways to reduce your global warming impact is to
unplug the extra refrigerator or freezer you rarely use (except when
you need it for holidays and parties). This can reduce the typical
family's carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 10 percent.

5. Get a home energy audit.
Take advantage of the free home energy audits offered by many
utilities. Simple measures, such as installing a programmable
thermostat to replace your old dial unit or sealing and insulating
heating and cooling ducts, can each reduce a typical family's carbon
dioxide emissions by about 5 percent.

6. Light bulbs matter.
If every household in the United States replaced one regular light bulb
with an energy-saving model, we could reduce global warming pollution
by more than 90 billion pounds over the life of the bulbs; the same as
taking 6.3 million cars off the road. So, replace your incandescent
bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescents, which now come in all
shapes and sizes. You'll be doing your share to cut back on
heat-trapping pollution and you'll save money on your electric bills
and light bulbs.

7. Think before you drive.
If you own more than one vehicle, use the less fuel-efficient one only
when you can fill it with passengers. Driving a full minivan may be
kinder to the environment than two midsize cars. Whenever possible,
join a carpool or take mass transit.

8. Buy good wood.
When buying wood products, check for labels that indicate the source of
the timber. Supporting forests that are managed in a sustainable
fashion makes sense for biodiversity, and it may make sense for the
climate too. Forests that are well managed are more likely to store
carbon effectively because more trees are left standing and
carbon-storing soils are less disturbed.

9. Plant a tree.
You can also make a difference in your own backyard. Get a group in
your neighborhood together and contact your local arborist or urban
forester about planting trees on private property and public land. In
addition to storing carbon, trees planted in and around urban areas and
residences can provide much-needed shade in the summer, reducing energy
bills and fossil fuel use.

10. Let policymakers know you are concerned about global warming.
Our elected officials and business leaders need to hear from concerned
citizens. Sign up for the Union of Concerned Scientists Action Network
to ensure that policymakers get the timely, accurate information they
need to make informed decisions about global warming solutions.

                          ***

A Response to the UCS:

by Cindy Smith
Creating A Sustainable Future

The Union of “Concerned Scientists,” or overpaid hypocrites?

This must be a sick joke in 10 installments. Why don’t the Concerned
Scientists tell you 

1. The total number of “the best fuel economy cars” our planet can
sustain? 

2. Maximum amount of energy consumption before the ecosystems collapse
irreversibly?  

3. The threshold at which the Energy Star turns into a “white dwarf!”
How many more refrigerators, freezers, furnaces, air conditioners,
water heaters… could we buy? 

4. What is the total number of refrigerators and freezers that can
remain plugged in?

5. How many new homes would it take to offset the “old” family's carbon
dioxide emissions reduction?

6. How much difference would their suggested steps make when each year
more than 65 million cars and light commercial vehicles hit the roads
globally?

7. See the reply I have given in No. 6.

8. What are the total volumes of “good wood” that consumers can buy
each year without destroying the environment?

9. When they doubt you, tell them to plant a tree! So you must be the
good guys, otherwise you wouldn't be saying that.

10. Should we let policymakers and elected [sic] officials know we are
concerned about global warming before we impeach them for starting
illegal wars, murdering a million plus people, torturing prisoners and
spying on citizens, or afterwards?