ENVIRONMENT

The Price Of Being Green

Can we still afford to invest in an environmentally friendly economy?

By Christina Gillham | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Mar 23, 2009

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  • Posted By: catvol@chartertn.net @ 03/29/2009 6:32:38 PM

    Newsweak is spelled Newsaweak.

  • Posted By: catvol@chartertn.net @ 03/29/2009 6:31:58 PM

    Newsdweak is spelled Newsweak.

  • Posted By: fent123 @ 03/28/2009 5:33:53 PM

    Man can't desotry the earth, they couldn't save it even if they tried, theu have no control over it, God does not man.

  • Posted By: fent123 @ 03/28/2009 5:32:32 PM

    "A bunch of idiots, a bunch of spoiled brat children actually think they're 'making a difference' by turning out the lights for 'Earth Hour.' So I urge all of you to fire up every light inside your house and out between 8:30 and 9:30 local time Saturday night. It'd be so wonderful if we get more lights turned on than they get turned off."

  • Posted By: rho1953 @ 03/23/2009 10:09:01 PM

    What a crock. We will destroy hundreds of thousands of high paying manufacturing jobs and replace them with low pay service industry jobs. This is the biggest lie I've ever heard. This is a net loss game we are playing. It is adding massive cost and overhead that will never be recouped.

    • Posted By: Vigilance @ 03/26/2009 8:50:44 AM

      I am really starting to despise the climate change deniers.

      If you're right, wonderful. All us environmentalists suck forever.

      If you're wrong, millions upon millions of people will die of starvation and exposure.

      But the right these days won't even admit the POSSIBILITY that climate change might be real...

      • Posted By: RO in Reno @ 03/26/2009 11:46:31 AM

        Just starting to despise them?
        Good Lord man, these are the people who have supported the right of industry to poison the water and air of the entire planet because it's more profitable to do so for the last 40 years or more.
        And they believe higher profits are more impotant than life itself, even if it means killing the people who buy the products.

    • Posted By: Spinaker @ 03/24/2009 11:15:29 AM

      We are all going to be here less than one hundred years (approx). This is the blink of an eye, in geological terms , and jobs and, for that matter humans, are not the defining reason to save the Earth. But, because of morons like you, it may already be too late. Then there is the fact that the Sun is a dying star and make envelope us in fire is another question.

      • Posted By: tiredofobama @ 03/24/2009 11:33:20 PM

        Nice of you to take the mature high road and call somebody a moron. You must be an Obamist

      • Posted By: DARWIN2009 @ 03/24/2009 5:33:41 PM

        WITH CHINA BUILDING 2 NEW COAL FIRED ELECTRICAL GENERATOR PLANTS EACH WEEK OUR FEEBLE ATTEMPTS AT CONSERVATION WILL BE NULLIFIED. CHINA IS WHERE WE WERE 100 YEARS AGO AND NOBODY IS GOING TO STOP THEM AND THE OTHER EMERGING 3RD WORLD ECONOMIES FROM POLLUTING. THEY ARE INTERESTED IN ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CONSUMERISM, JUST LIKE WE WERE AND STILL ARE. IN 10 -15 YEARS WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH ECONOMICALLY OR MILITARILY. THEY ARE THE FUTURE, WE ARE THE PAST!

      • Posted By: DARWIN2009 @ 03/24/2009 4:45:09 PM

        UNLESS THE ENTIRE PLANET INSTITUTES ZERO POPULATION POLICIES, NOT LIKELY, IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME.
        WHEN CRUNCH TIME COMES FOR FINITE RESOURCES DO YOU REALLY THINK EVERYBODY IS GOING TO SHARE?
        DARWINISM WILL PREVAIL, THE STRONG AND POWERFUL WILL PREVAIL ALL OTHERS WILL PARISH!

    • Posted By: McLovinB @ 03/24/2009 5:33:25 PM

      Yeah. Crock. Lie.
      Because we all know that Japan and Germany, some very green economies with difficult environmental legislation that they have had for decades, cannot manufacture anything anymore. Their economies are on the rocks while American economic muscle is dominating the globe. These Japanese and German manufacturers cannot sell all of their fuel efficient, low-emission cars, but GM and Ford are going strong, showing us the value of capitalism and the American CAN-DO spirit.
      You probably know that the EU is phasing out lead and mercury, right? Can you imagine? A group of very different countries just decided that some materials just need to be replaced because they are toxic. HA! The fools.

      America used to be a land of infinite possibilities. Now it languishes in excuses, negative thinking, and woulda shoulda coulda.
      Pay closer attention to what other countries have done to succeed, and less attention to your fear mongers.

  • Posted By: Tesla007 @ 03/26/2009 11:24:47 AM

    We cannot afford not to be green alternative energy creates jobs in the US vs send money over seas to pay for oil.
    Low cost energy is critical to a healthy economy and the oil prices were partly responsible for the economic recession and 100% responsible for the rise in world food prices that hurt the developing world.

    China will soon pay a terrible price for their unchecked industrial and economic growth at the cost of the environment and dependence on foreign energy.

  • Posted By: Qidisrupt @ 03/25/2009 2:28:55 PM

    Good employment of the future will depend on green jobs...like it or not this is the way the economy is heading. The USA needs to increase alternative energy programs for practical use because we cannot afford to depend on foreign oil any longer. TIREDOFOBAMA, somehow your argument of a person being an Obamist is invalid...the term moron has been used by many more right-wing loonigans than those from the left. The GOP is the party who is manipulated, bought, and sold by corporate monies...quite the opposite of how they try to portray themselves. Just because you are a moron...does that make you an Obamist or whatever label you like to attach to yourself?

  • Posted By: DARWIN2009 @ 03/24/2009 6:36:21 PM

    Cap and trade and all the other naive failed paradigms of the environmental zealots will cause this nation to become a third rate nation. We will never be able to compete with the emerging 3 rd world economies because their costs will be
    too low for us to match. Large corporations are looking to china and India for their future, they cannot pay US workers wages and benefits and compete, so China and India will become their target. Those countries will not place all thecostly restrictions of companies that we do and with 2 billion consumers, they will not need the US. They are the future we are the past!

  • Posted By: DARWIN2009 @ 03/24/2009 6:29:37 PM

    Going green is another scam on the American people so the ruling elite can line their pockets with our gold. All the alternative energy sources will not supply our needs without increased nuclear and fossil fuels. They simply are too innefficient. We go greeen while China and India and Russia refuse, thus causing us not to be able to compete in the world market. They are where we were 75 years ago and nobody is going to make them stop polluting. They want what we have and in 15 years we will not be able to competewith them economically or militarily, but we will be green!

  • Posted By: francoisp @ 03/24/2009 6:06:32 PM

    We have to realize that as the country goes green a perverse effect will take place: the price of oil will either stagnate or go down as demand decreases. To prevent this, the government will likely need some sort of a levee to keep green energy competitive with low oil prices. This extra income should be used to subsidize green energy. We have a choice: we either send our money to foreign countries or keep it here, creating jobs in the process.

  • Posted By: francoisp @ 03/24/2009 6:05:36 PM

    We have to realize that as the country goes green a perverse effect will take place: the price of oil will either stagnate or go down as demand decreases. To prevent this, the government will likely need some sort of a levee to keep green energy competitive with low oil prices. This extra income should be used to subsidize green energy. We have a choice: we either send our money to foreign countries or keep it here, creating jobs in the process.

  • Posted By: USC DON @ 03/23/2009 6:24:08 PM

    Ultimately the savings have to pay for themselves. The linkage between the dots has not been connected except with generalizations, just like Geithner's economic comments. It has to go beyond faith to some really strong and rigor in the discussion. Part of the hemmoraghe in California economy's is the frightfully expesive cost of electricity. If it takes 1000 people to produce the same unit of electricity that another entity can do with 500 people - boom! That blows the lid off the logic here. His desire is honorable, but the logical rigor he espouses is weak.

    Go back to the mind map board and the word processor and start over. You missed way too many questions

    Don, Utah

    • Posted By: McLovinB @ 03/24/2009 5:48:33 PM

      You are right. An easy way to make the savings pay for themselves would be a carbon tax or fuel tax. I am glad to see that we are on the same page, Don.
      If we double the price of gas, then alternative energy will get a huge leg up and federal tax revenues will soar. The American people will finally have a chance to do the right thing and save money at the same time. Finally, these technologies will pay for themselves.
      Did I say double? Why not triple? That will let the new green industries grow even faster.

  • Posted By: austin c @ 03/24/2009 12:20:20 PM

    Yes, weatherization of building can save energy as well as to generate some jobs. In the stimulus plan, weatherization will be made for existing federal buildings, not other government buildings. Furthermore, five billion dollars have been set aside by DOE to weatherize low income housings. Is this Pelosi-obama's petty socialism ?

    • Posted By: McLovinB @ 03/24/2009 5:40:54 PM

      I am surprised that it costs so much, but conservation is the low-hanging fruit of being green.
      Drive more slowly. Consume less. Use thermostats and refrigeration carefully. Weatherize homes. Use fans, not air conditioners. Compost garbage, do not compact it.
      In the long run these simple changes in the way we consume energy and goods are almost costless, but provide huge environmental benefits. The US consumes 25% of the world's resources. Cutting that consumption is so much more important in the long run than the fledgling tiny efforts at changing consumption. In other words, driving a GEO Metro or a 10 year old Honda is probably better for the environment than a shiny new hybrid car.

      People should do what they can instead of dreaming about what they can't.

  • Posted By: DARWIN2009 @ 03/24/2009 5:39:26 PM

    CHINA IS BUILDING 2 NEW COAL FIRED GENERATING STATIONS EACH WEEK. OUR FEEBLE ATTEMPTS AT CONSERVATION AND GOING GREEN WILL NOT STOP THAT POLLUTION FROM ENCOMPASSING THE GLOBE. WE THINK WE CAN STOP ALL THE 3RD WORLD EMERGING ECONOMIES FROM DOING WHAT WE HAVE DONE FOR 200 YEARS? THEY WANT WHAT WE HAVE AND WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THEM BECAUSE THEIR WAGE SCALE IS WHERE OURS WAS 75 YEARS AGO. IN 10-15 YEARS WILL WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THEM ECONOMICALLY OR MILITARILY. THEY ARE THE FUTURE AND WE ARE THE PAST!

  • Posted By: McLovinB @ 03/24/2009 5:22:53 PM

    "Other countries now have the upper hand in developing the technologies that will reduce emissions and power the global low-carbon energy economy. But I'm confident we can win the race if we get in soon."

    This mentality has got to go. What a stupid zero-sum loser attitude. How discouraging to see that a spokesperson of US efforts does not even have a clue about what America's burden on the environment is.
    If other countries are miles ahead, it just means that America and Americans are shunning a necessary burden of supporting a world wide effort to right some wrongs. A leader? Apparently America has trouble even working on a team anymore.
    Forget trying to have THE BEST NEW TECHNOLOGY!!! It would really be great if the US could just stop consuming so much, recycle about twice as much, and stop producing disposable junk. Jobs from being green should not come from producing more, but by consuming less or through recycling. You don't have to eat tofu, but at least stop importing strawberries from Australia. Why not produce and consume food locally? Why not use public transportation instead of dreaming about a new rail system? Carpool. Green homes? It would be more green to use the homes you already have... take care of the glut you have rather than cutting down a forest to create more homes that nobody wants. Cap and trade? Why debate that when the US cannot even join the Kyoto protocol?
    Sheesh. Being environmentally friendly is not a NASA and Wall Street endeavor. It is not something to be delegated to science, industry, or Japan. Being environmentally friendly starts with abandoning ME-FIRST consumerism. America has serious catching up to do in the mentality arena. If that does not get straightened out, then American "green-ness" is just a schizoid pipe dream.

  • Posted By: eveiemae @ 03/24/2009 4:56:56 PM

    We can't afford not to be green. We may have waited to long already!!!

  • Posted By: joannvanmeter @ 03/24/2009 2:54:09 PM

    I believe the question is how can we not be environmentally friendly?

  • Posted By: Spinaker @ 03/24/2009 11:11:38 AM

    DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT SAVING THE PLANET AFTER MORE THAN 100 YEARS OF UNCONTROLLED POLLUTION WOULD BE FREE ?

  • Posted By: Spinaker @ 03/24/2009 11:10:37 AM

    DID YOU REALLY EXPECT THAT SAVING THE PLANET WOULD OR COULD BE DONE FOR FREE?

  • Posted By: John Dough @ 03/23/2009 9:28:22 PM

    does this guy really believe that weatherization material manfuacturing will create millions of jobs. Does he also believe that other countries woon't manufacture the same materials at lower costs since they are not bound by Cap and Trade restrictions. Every American household will initially pay an extra 110 dollars a month in home energy costs due too cap and trade. Imagine what it will cost government (raising taxes again) and the cost of doing business. Expect many major manufacturing companies to leave this country.

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