What Are Appropriate Actions?

For John, BLUF:  Climate changes.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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From The Instapundit we have a link to an article in The Wall Street Journal about climate change.

I would like to note that I believe that "climate change" happens.  Who wouldn't?  History tells us that climate varies.  The question is, how to react?  It is one thing to work for cleaner energy and it is another to create a world where there is little or no energy to support the life of six or seven billion people.  Besides, what is the upside of climate change?  Who talks about that?

But, back to the WSJ item.  Here is the link from Professor Reynolds.  Here is the link to the original Instapundit post.

By the way, the biggest polluter of the atmosphere is China.  There are practical politics in play, and as someone pointed out to me, the Chinese view environmental degradation as an acceptable price for:

1. Preserving the power of the Party, by
2. Raising the level of economic activity, and
3. Preserving employment/preventing unemployment.♠

This is not simply a matter of allowing polluting INDUSTRIES to remain in operation, but also in allowing high-sulfur coal mines, poor quality coal, etc., to remain in use. (China has some of the largest coal reserves in the world.)

As China's economy has begun to slow down, the idea of cutting back on pollution by closing down even more businesses is a non-starter, whatever the level of profound optimism.  This notwithstanding Secretary of State John Kerry calling climate change a National Security Threat.  (Ms Clare Foran, The National Interest.)  Secretary of State Kerry called for international cooperation and for all nations to work to curb emissions.  From the article:

… while the U.S. is taking steps to rein in carbon emissions, developing nations must also curb air pollution.

And, of course the new symbol of the Obama Administration, the crossed pen and phone, came in to play.  Regarding the US failure to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, Mr Kerry said:

"On the subject of climate change and the international conventions, actually the United States of America is taking a lead today," Kerry said. "President Obama has decided that he will do, by executive order, what Congress has been unwilling to do … [and] we have lowered emissions in the United States significantly."

Ah, the pen is mightier than the Congress.

Hat tip to the Instapundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  The view of the current US Administration seems to be somewhat different.  Unemployment is an opportunity to go out and write poetry.  (That is a link to The [Lowell] Sun.  Remember, articles in The [Lowell] Sun may go away after a while, to a different place.  I will not be updating their links unless I am bedridden and have read every book in the house.  And, besides, the Editor tells me the links cost money after a few weeks.  It is the new business model.)