Climate change bill may cost you; electric rates will 'sky-rocket' with cap and trade, pt. 2

July 2, 9:00 AMMiami City Buzz ExaminerRobbin Swad

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Part 2  (click here for Part 1)

Carbon concerns-- it's not what you think 

The article, Energy legislation could bring deep change explains how coal, which accounts for half the electricity produced, would continue as a major energy source, however-- and here's the fascinating part-- the carbon released when coal is burned would be "captured".

"It's a technological hurdle with a complication: "not in my back yard" complaints over what to do with the billions of tons of carbon dioxide captured from power plants and pumped beneath the earth. Would people feel comfortable having it stored near or under their homes, factories and businesses?"
 

Doesn't taking viable carbon dioxide essential for sustaining trees and all other plant life and pumping it beneath the earth-- beg the questions-- just how will this effect the ground, water, and drinking supply? Plus, how much could it possibly cost to pump "billions of tons of carbon dioxide" beneath earth?

Science Daily examines carbon sequestration in an article entitled Carbon Capture And Storage To Combat Global Warming Examined

Of greater concern to the researchers are the potential risks of carbon sequestration to human health, mainly through asphyxiation and groundwater contamination. The threat of asphyxiation-or suffocation due to carbon dioxide displacing oxygen-is very low, the researchers said, because of the unlikelihood of a rapid leakage, which would have to occur to cause a problem.

Sally Benson, the executive director of the Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP) and professor of energy resources engineering claims that 
   

"Drinking water contamination is the more probable danger. For example, if carbon dioxide enters the groundwater somehow, it can increase the water's acidity, potentially leaching toxic chemicals, such as lead, from rocks into the water. People often ask, 'is geological storage safe' It's a very difficult question to answer. Is driving safe"?

Okay, so how about is thinking safe?

 The global climate power shift?

 While those of us across America and here in South Florida, might actually be more concerned with being able to pay bills and keeping food on the table, in Europe-- climate protection issues are taking front stage. Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international news website is assuring us all that climate protection will guarantee some ominous sounding "power shifts" between "countries, institutions, and economic actors."

The goal of achieving an ambitious climate protection convention in Copenhagen in December calls for a new development paradigm, and that in turn has implications for established power structures.... It also goes without saying that the power shifts that this implies between countries, institutions, and economic actors will not be to everyone’s taste.

Are we to understand that major power struggles will be intentionally initiated under the guise of climate protection? One might wonder exactly what these "power shifts" mean and its implications for we Americans.

 Is there a climate change debate?

In his weekly address on Saturday, the President has definitively announced that

"There is no longer a debate about whether carbon pollution is placing our planet in jeopardy. It’s happening."

Conversely, CBS is reporting that

"The Environmental Protection Agency may have suppressed an internal report that was skeptical of claims about global warming, including whether carbon dioxide must be strictly regulated by the federal government... [and] warned against making hasty 'decisions based on a scientific hypothesis that does not appear to explain most of the available data.'
 

The Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OISM) also has a signed petition of 31,000 scientists rejecting claims of human-caused global warming.

"The purpose of OISM's Petition Project is to demonstrate that the claim of "settled science" and an overwhelming "consensus" in favor of the hypothesis of human-caused global warming and consequent climate damage is wrong. No such consensus or settled science exists. As indicated by the petition text and signatory list, a very large number of American scientists reject this hypothesis. " Reuters

 President Obama highlights more scary energy efficiency

 (click here to continue reading article)