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183 comments on DrumBeat: March 23, 2008

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x on March 23, 2008 - 9:39am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Brilliant! I'm serious.

The United States has lots of coal which is even exported to Europe among others. The only problem I can see is it would put a cog in the wheel of globalization and probably bring on a world wide depression if effective. It might be so effective that pressures would be brought to bear to reverse it as unemployment increased in Europe.

I disagree on the effect on price. The price of coal would fall since there would be a surplus in the United States for example as coal piled up because of no export market. This has happened before with grain embargoes put on by the Nixon administration, if I remember correctly. The price of grain fell and never really recovered. Huge subsidies were the only way to keep farmers afloat and until recently have been the rule. Expect the government to have to support the coal industry with subsidies because it would be they who destroyed the market. The effect would be to slow down or stop alternative energy developement as there would be little need with such low coal prices.

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River on March 23, 2008 - 12:01pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Yeah, a brilliant approach that would have as it's only drawback 'a world wide depression.'

Just what markets need...more government intervention...which leads to?...more government intervention. Slippery slope, that one.

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Black_Dog on March 23, 2008 - 3:17pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Well, that's certainly a possibility. But, just how would you go about reducing CO2 emissions, which might mean that the world's economies must go toward zero emissions in a short time period? Wouldn't any effort to do that require some sort of government intervention?

E. Swanson

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weatherman on March 23, 2008 - 8:45pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

It seems strange to worry about global warming when in England we are having a white Easter. Not normal here.

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Undertow on March 23, 2008 - 9:08pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

This is the earliest Easter since 1818. Easter can fall between March 22nd and April 25th.

And I'll bet the final March average temperature across the UK will be above average (as were November, December, January and February).

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losthorizon on March 24, 2008 - 10:04am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

It's not 'Global Warming', it's Climate Change.

While the overall trend is towards warming, the great deal of disruption and dislocation with come from the fibrillation and arrhythmia of 'Normal' weather patterns.

Extreme fluctuations of temperature and rain fall can average out to Normal.

However, it's alot different experience to have 2 weeks of 100 degree(F) heat wave followed by 2 weeks of zero degree(F) freezing. The Average is 50 degrees(F)

It will feel alot different than 4 weeks of 50 degree (F) weather.

This is what is coming. The heat part will be the least of our problems.

How about 2 years of no rain at all followed by 2 years of torrential flooding.

The 'Average' over 4 years is 'Normal' rainfall, Not.

If climate change deniers (mostly rightwingnutters) what to see an example of real world conservative business models response to the weather fluctuations coming our way, just give a good gander to the insurance industry. They are bleeding from weather pattern losses that were based on old outdated actuarial tables that had 100 year storms only happening every 100 years. Those same storms are happening once a decade.

Does this make those same storms 10 year storms now?

Inflation in weather patterns?

Reminds me of the bumper sticker I just saw:

The Quarter is the new Nickel

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ET on March 23, 2008 - 4:04pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Just what markets need...more government intervention...which leads to?...more government intervention. Slippery slope, that one.

Seems that we have reached a point where government intervention is the worst possible solution.... except for all the rest.

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alan on March 23, 2008 - 5:43pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I disagree on the effect on price. The price of coal would fall since there would be a surplus in the United States for example as coal piled up because of no export market.

Maybe I was clear, I am advocating the production, not exports, be capped. what I'm advocating is in essence a coal producers cartel. If demand continues to grow at the current rate while the production growth is constrained the price should climb.

The companies producing coal would have increasing profits with no additional effort needed. Thats one of the advantages of this plan: the parties that be required to act will not resist taking action because they are likely to benefit from the plan.

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183 comments on DrumBeat: March 23, 2008

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