Climate Change: It's Called a Point of No Return for a Reason

As tired as we all may be about listening to environmental organizations preach about the need to reform our outlook toward global climate change, their message has still not fully been heard. The problems that climate change has placed on this world are very real, and are becoming more and more apparent everyday. Yet still, most Americans are content either giving in to apathy or ignoring these important issues all together.

In the past, it may have been easy to ignore warnings from scholars, scientists and journalists, but today, it is a little bit harder to turn a blind eye to rising sea levels, melting glaciers, and increasingly unpredictable natural disasters (just ask New Orleans). Regardless of how you may feel about what caused these phenomena, you cannot deny that the current trend ultimately leads to a grim and dark future many of us are too unnerved to imagine.

Studies from the United Nations’ climate panel have shown that the Earth’s atmosphere could reach a “point of no return” in as soon as six years. Even if the studies are being too cautious, I think by definition a “point of no return” is not something we want to flirt with.

Right now, North Carolina has the chance to set precedence for the rest of the country (even the rest of the world) with the introduction of House Bill 1050. We cannot possibly afford to let this bill, which is being backed by a coalition of non-profit organizations called NC SAVE$ ENERGY, be delayed by empty promises made by profit-maximizing utility companies.

As promising as “cap-and-trade” schemes and programs such as Duke Energy’s Save-A-Watt program may seem, we all have to realize that energy corporations’ ultimate goal is to make the most money possible by selling the most electricity and building the biggest power plants. We would have to be delusional to truly believe that the executives of our country’s biggest utility companies really want all of us to help curb global warming by increasing energy efficiency and using less of their product. Letting these energy companies run our state’s efficiency programs would be like letting Cinnabon (though they are delicious) plan your diet for training for the Tour de France.

The simple fact is there is a glaring of conflict of interests, and we would be much better served by implementing a program that puts the responsibility of developing a comprehensive energy efficiency plan in the hands of an independent non-profit organization as proposed by NC SAVE$ ENERGY.

The town of Chapel Hill and the Chatham County Board of Commissioners have already passed resolutions supporting the coalition and House Bill 1050. In addition, Orange County Representatives Bill Faison and Verla Insko have been involved in the campaign from the start as co-sponsors of bill. These individuals have set examples that all of us would be wise to follow. By voting to support NC SAVE$ ENERGY, these people have not only shown a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also a devotion to forward thinking that will lead to cheaper energy bills and an economy in the midst of recession being stimulated by an permanent influx of green jobs.

Frontpaged by the other Steve :)
Tags edited by James so as not to take up the whole front page