This year, the polar ice caps actually grew and the global AVERAGE temperature decreased. It was the hottest summer in recent history in Seattle and a few other places, but the average global temp dropped. This is the same argument started recently with Al Gore that was caught on tape in Britain. His questioner, Phelim McAleer, is a noted climatologist. I've read his work and he's dead on. I believe he has a movie coming out to counteract Gores. If you simply go and check out the climatology data yourself, it's right there. You don't have to be a climatologist to understand it. It's really amazingly obvious.

My concern is about the acidity of our oceans which is linked and the fact that we live in a bubble meaning earth. If you pump in chemicals after sealing tight a fish tank some chemicals will leak out like on the earth but the remainder will stay in our environment, the only valid question is what does that mean and how fast will it happen and I believe we are seeing many of those effects now though in a mild way. The reason they are mild is because of global dimming caused by the fossil fuels we have burnt in the past that have yet to dissipate or reach the earths surface which makes the planet a bit like a smoky bar room which has made the effects mild but they are still moving at an incredible rate. My fear is the acidity rise in our oceans though and it is not being discussed much yet because it is some scary shit. Forgive me my ocean ignorance but I think you will get the jive of what I am saying but actually know the terminology which I do not. The ocean conveyor that cycles through the seas is fed through in layers and it cycles over time. We are currently seeing the water from the WWII era come to the surface and it has greatly higher acidity than in previously tested samples. It is already eating reefs and causing ocean changes which is why the jelly fish are exploding in population currently while other fish decline. The problem is this is caused by co2 in our air slowly getting into the oceans and our waste products and if we are looking at the 1940's the pollution levels only rise from there. I will not go further because I have already probably said something wrong but look into it I think you would enjoy the research from your interest in the topic in general plus the Navy background, to be honest that is the stuff that scares the living hell out of me, that is why I think we will need to find a way to reverse it either way since I think we have gone well past tipping point in it though we will not feel the full effects for another 5 or so years probably(on the global warming side the ocean thing I think will take longer to scare people but it should now).

We will baby step it we have no choice, this is a huge undertaking and the tech is largely new. Geothermal which is about the best thing since sliced bread but is still an infant and not yet ready for prime time(I am a tech geek) but we now have the batteries and the solar, wind, wave, nuclear tech is ready now as are electric vehicles for all but long haul drivers.

The problem is getting the tech out and making it affordable when it was actually needed twenty years ago which leads me to my prime concern with the republicans. They are so tied to being the grand oil party that they have no interest in taking their foot off of that pedal even though we have the tech to do so, what I mean is that instead of doubling down on the family fortune it woulda been really sweet if they had invested in the research for our future oil independence because then it would have been ready even faster. He liked us tied to the Saudi royal house though because they are his families benefactors, I am still not sure why Reagan took off the solar panels and doubled down on ME oil the way he did but maybe his VP Bush had something to do with it. Every dime that is spent on oil fuels terrorism in my opinion, that is where we buy it and the Saudi's have the schools and invest in them in other countries that then send them to terrorist academies in Pakistan(a country that Reagan gave nukes to) who then attack our troops and us, the same goes for heroin and anything tied to poppies. We will be forced to do it slowly but we need to have it done yesterday for our planet, ourselves and our nation but we will take our time because we have no choice and it is not even a political thing.

They can make caps on fuel efficiency until the cows come home once we switch to electric its game over because it no longer matters. They cant mandate you have an electric car but they can give incentives to get one and they will also have to build the infrastructure which will likely take a decade or more. After that you will see carbon taxes that effect gas guzzling cars in any real way but by then most people would have bought electric or converted their car to a hybrid or an electric in some way(how to's on the web ) and that is only if we have not found a way to reverse some of the effects which I think we may have. Then you will likely pay a tax to reverse the amount you created which would probably be pretty minimal akin to gas taxes now. I am also not fond of natural gas because I believe in self sufficiency and if in 10 years I can make my own electric at home to power my home and car I am independent, if I cant I am a consumer and dependent. But I have no problem with the natural gas until then though it is not really needed for cars since they will be out starting in 2010 at competitive prices.

I prefer weening off of fossil fuels vice total immediate switchover that the lefists prefer. We have so much natural gas (that is cleaner than gasoline) and ways to clean what we have until the green tide is perfected. I believe it was “Pickens Plan” wasn't it? It makes sense. Anyone who doesn't think our national security is directly tied to our dependence on petroleum is not being honest with themselves.

And you shouldn't talk about horror stories about fruitcakes with weapons performing terrorist acts (and they are terrorist acts) to support your belief in an unarmed public. As was with the case of the black honor student murdered in Chicago by being beaten to death with a board. Are we thinking about outlawing boards?

You must severely, and I mean severely, punish anyone who commits a crime with a weapon. I have never done so, so please don't believe that I am dangerous because I am heavily armed. I am not. I am a law abiding citizen who excercises his 2nd Amendment rights. The aim should be to keep arms out of the hands of criminals, not out of the hands of those that obey the law.

And I totally agree with the free clinics. Bravo! I'm onboard. Regulation may, indeed, be circumvented; but as was the case in Teddy Roosevelt's time; regulate and break up the mega-monopolies. Yes, it will return after a time….Then, just do it again; and keep doing it. Allowing a forced government program to replace private enterprise is still not a good idea, IMHO. Do the Teddy Roosevelt maneuver again. It will make a huge difference in what people pay.

They're afraid to pass a tax on energy (fuels) before the elections, and they prefer to meddle, become intermediaries (perhaps to benefit financially from this, too — don't be surprised if they do), and to have more power. Cap and Trade means they get to engage in energy rationing.

Presumably if it could be hyped into another “crisis,” they'd love an excuse for water or food rationing, too.

Sadly, it's not limited to kids here, but includes kids currently in government, who are so impatient and imperious they even feel the need to pick on one media source that doesn't parrot their political views or worship them suitably…

I just checked out the website you reccommended as well as the blog that is attached to it. It does a good job of pointing out how the Democratic Party has strayed from its Jeffersonian root.

Unfortunately, it also 1) claims that Obama was born in Kenya and is not a U.S. citizen, 2) Repeats the Barack Hussein Obama meme, and 3) presents a rather biased comparison of Democrats vs. Republicans that basically defends the Republican Party's position on every single policy.

So you might be able understand my concern that your website isn't all that genuine about reforming the Democratic Party.

Yes, it would be nice if the Democratic Party would return to its classical liberal, Jeffersonian roots. Unfortunately, your website would rather have them adopt the Republican Party's platform (which is neither classically liberal or Jeffersonian).

Many Democrats already know their elected representatives within the Democratic Party are no longer following in the time-honored footsteps laid down by the founding fathers of our great Nation. More importantly, we as democrats see our elected representatives within the Democratic Party abandoning the values and principles as set forth within the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

At the very least, many of our elected representatives within the Democratic Party are no longer abiding to the sole reason the Democratic-Republican Party was founded by Thomas Jefferson – “Strong state governments with a weaker federal government.”

This is only the beginning of our problems as Democrats, for many of our elected representatives within the Democratic Party have clearly set their own agendas over the members of the Democratic Party, our Nation, and the American people. Overall, many of them no longer think of themselves as being our elected representatives, and now refer to themselves as leaders in the true form of tyrants.

Most Democrats already know their pleas are only being answered by repeated insult and injury by their elected representatives within the Democratic Party. Despite this, we as Democrats can restore control of the Democratic Party back to the party members. All we need to do is cut off donations to the local, state, and national headquarters of the Democratic Party, and to make sure the donations are made directly to worthy and honorable Democratic Party candidates.

So spread the message to everyone of our fellow Democrats, for the Democrat members are taking back control of the Democratic Party. Also, please don't forget to contact and request the Unions and other outside contributors to follow our lead as patriotic Americans. Thank you!

Web site: http://www.democraticreformparty.com

And thank you for the response. I was being serious, not snarky.

On the statist thing he was my favorite but they were all statists. Only RP was not some version of a New Deal statist, whether it be a strong central gov focused on ensuring profits for the elites while going to war(since that is the one type of spending no one questions in a recession and of course a great way of inventing money) or the strong central gov safety netters who ensure profits for the elites.

I GREATLY respect and understand your fear and dislike(thats my reaction) to statists, I am a lil new dealie but at the state not the federal level which cant happen in our current system. But all of our presidents since FDR have been statists so its a job of choosing lesser of evils which is never pleasant. I like Obama I really do but he is still a pol and no matter how many dreams of mine he makes true he will dash 100, thats what pols do. I had to pick my favorite person to take the reigns of the patriot act, please give me Obambi sir.

I guess that's why, even when people from left and right agree on some of the problems (and even on part of the solution), it's still almost impossible to forge ahead with something we'd both agree on.

On the one hand, we seem to be agreeing on the need to support small businesses, but I see the rest of your proposal as a complete disaster (and in fact I see it as the direction that this administration is heading- they're picking off certain 'winners' of large companies and completely allowing them to run the table. I don't see- at all- how that would be preferrable to having a large conglomerate of companies having a place at the table and certainly neither of those would be my choice if there was any real possibility of having the govt do what is right without regard to which corporate or special interest groups they need to buy or bribe at all.

In another thread you mention that you supported Obama because he's the statist you trusted the most…and I guess the point is that as a conservative I don't trust statists at all (and it's not any better on the GOP side even though they generally keep the private corps nominally private and the Dems are more explicit about public-private 'partnerships'.)

You may be right, MSF. I guess we'll see. Heck, at this point…..I'd try anything to get rid of this anxiety and worry. If Obama does well and get this problem under control, I'll give him full props. But I dont want to be peed on and told it's raining. That's the way I feel with climate change and the bogus crap behind that. I am wholeheartedly behind green energy. But don't lie to me to get it across. Green energy makes sense as long as you don't try to change it in one year. Our economy runs on petroleum for now. Do it slowly. If they do it right, the Cap and Trade nonsense will no longer be needed.

As far as the Chamber, I do think they ought to represent small business interests over large corporations and so if the big corps line up at the govt trough and bypass having the Chamber as their mouthpiece, I would hope that it might eventually be a good development. I agree with some of your points about supporting dinosaurs that need to fail, which isn't good for the economy as a whole…but if they were more of a support for start ups and entrepreneurs then the function would be positive during transitional times.

I also think this will be done incrementally much like the backing off of the special interests in the prior era began with a boom with the union breaking but then went about its time tip toeing to the finish line. My guess is that he may de-fang the chamber which will be the boom but the rest will be done slowly. I think they are just trying to end the marriage of the US gov and corporate America, that began during the new deal, starting with a “trial separation where they can see other people” at which point they are pealing off what will be the future of US industry who may share some of their interests in common. I as well am a bit worried but I also know in the old system the chamber got what the chamber wanted whether under Bush or Clinton largely and I cant say that has really helped our country.

You started the personal attacks and numbers throwing:
“I see the light. You, Jefferson, are the kind of Democrat that agrees with 90% of everything that Republicans espouse and disagree with 90% of everything Democrats are doing and trying to do… “

And the comment I made to father time on another thread “More agree with me here than you…” was in direct response to his stupid comment that “no one agrees with you Jefferson.”

And the angry partisan line…. First of all, I do apologize for the “angry” remark. It was off the cuff and I shouldn't have said it. I have no way of knowing your disposition. I do however recognize a patter of nasty comments from you toward me, unless I hop on your spin train. Well that's never going to happen.
And your are absolutely a partisan. I've seen them on both sides here, and I call them all out on it. I, however, am not a partisan. I recognize good and bad in both parties and try to call em' like I see em'. The more reasonable commentors here know that and have acknowleged it. I am a moderate – a fiscal and social conservative democrat.