How Green Is Your Candidate?

Obama is a nuclear proliferator. He voted to send GE nukes to India (as did Hilary), a country that refused to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and wants new nuclear power plants. According to Harvey Wasserman's article at nukefree.org, Hilary said in a Utube debate that she was agnostic to nuclear power. I thought I heard her say she would be against new nukes when she spoke in New Hampshire but she needs to be pinned down on this. The appropriate energy policy to be adopted is at the IEER website- free download of CARBON FREE/ NUCLEAR FREE US ENERGY POLICY. Ralph Nader could implement this. Al Gore needs to speak out against nuclear power. I wish the two of them would put their differences aside and run on a ticket together. The planet needs them. The young people who think Obama is so great need to know he and the nuclear industry are pulling a fast one over on them. He might be for change but it is in the wrong direction. Helen Caldicott's DVD from the MREA website ($10.00) explains everything about how the nuke plants cause cancer and she endorses Al Gore to be the next president. Thank You SO MUCH for caring. Check out NIRS, nukefree.org, NEIS, nuclearpolicy.org, MREA, Public Citizen, naderexplore08. SPREAD THE WORD FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If we the informed public would push what must be done with them more instead of depending on them to just tell us, they would have no choice but to update their plans to adequately face this urgent crisis as it must be faced now. They all propose 80% reductions in emissions by 2050... not feasible under the circumstances of Arctic melting which is three times faster than the most drastic scenarios (with summer ice predicted to be gone in only five years and all ice gone by 2030 with refreeze of winter ice already slowing down,) species loss, droughts (40% of this country alone was in some stage of drought last year with Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee now engaged in "water wars") water scarcity in just about 40% of our world in some stage, loss of crops, and the weather patterns we see already being altered in Asia, Africa, and right here.///////////So if I were writing a plan it would call for 90% reductions by 2020 (and we do have the technology to achieve that) through doing this: a carbon tax (the proceeds of which would go to investing in alternate energies such as hemp and switchgrass fuels, ocean energy, and other forms that are cleaner and more affordable for the middle class and poor) that can be adjusted based on adherence to caps set and adherence to transition periods to get off coal and onto alternate energies being more aggressively brought to market now instead of just talked about; a moratorium on all new coal and nuclear plants with an emphasis in aiding utilities to transition to alternate sources to generate 50% of their energy output within the next five to ten years, and also instituting the "electranet" Al Gore spoke of; real fuel economy standards that could give us cars that get us 80 MPG (and that technology exists) as well as affordable cars that run on electric and incentives to businesses to craft ethically and environmentally sound business practices that would actually bring them profit and growth. Also, environmental LEEDS standards on all new buildings, finally addressing the effects of population on global climate, by the U.S. leading the way in this by helping developing countries through a ratified global climate treaty regarding family planning and obtaining alternate energies like solar, wind, bio, geothermal, etc. to replace oil and coal (that they only use because it is more abundant and cheaper) within a decade. And also a major tree planting initiative in this country along the lines of the one Wangari Maathai initiated through her Greenbelt Movement (akin to the one I support through Tree Nation) that has been very successful. We also need to reward innovation not punish it, and we need to also reward companies and corporations that take a sincere lead in starting the transition we need to save this planet. I think people are looking for BOLD moves, not the same plan from everyone just to have something on paper.

cont.////However, in our political system it seems that no matter how evasive the plan must be it is always written to suit corporate America being allowed to procrastinate, and that does not bode well for this planet in this instance. So if I had to pick one I thought would have a better plan I can't based on their plans because they are basically the same and include nuclear (which is not green) corn ethanol(which is not environmentally sound and a threat to global water and food sources and does little to lower carbon emissions) and a penchant for liquid coal which is dirty and will do nothing to reduce emissions effectively. Again, more plans that simply allow corporations to procrastinate with the bold moves needed.////////So that is why I like Al Gore am not endorsing any of their plans but I am hoping that they all then listen and heed Mr. Gore's words regarding the true urgency of this crisis and bring their plans to where they must be to achieve those ends. Which of course, will require a moral courage and the ability to stand up to the status quo unlike what we have seen from any of them to this point. But that is where we must come into the equation, otherwise without our voicing what we must see we will get what we get, and that I fear won't be enough.