Palin Changes Position on Climate Change

Not a Flip-flop

"A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location.... I'm not one, though, who would attribute it to being man-made."

"I believe that man's activities certainly can be contributing to the issue of global warming, climate change."

These two statements are not in opposition to one another. Just because one doesn't believe global warming is DUE to man-made issues does not rule out acknowledging than man can CONTRIBUTE to the problem. I believe that climate change is part of Earth's natural cycles. That being said, I also believe we can speed the process up somewhat by abusing our environment. Most of the things affecting the environment occur within Nature itself.

Pz of CA @ Sep 12, 2008 16:08:11 PM

Cap and trade is a scam

Since when did supporting cap n trade become the litmus test for whether you believe in helping the environment? Cap N Trade is a scam to deliver a so-called 'tax' into the hands of equity firms (and the like) holding logging rights to most of the world's major forests. It's top down control with money flowing upward to inhibit carbon use by people at the bottom. Socialism for billionaires. Any real environmentalist that has been bought and sold by a foundation would support gas rationing instead. Gas rationing is a bottom up approach, that delivers money to those that need it most, and it inhibits the lunatics at the top from flying around over our heads fornicating in flying airbus-estates. They would have to buy credits from working people in order to do that. the working-poor would conserve gas like crazy, so they could sell their credits to rich persons who want to overconsume. Gradually the amount of credits granted each person could be reduced, thus making it even more expensive to buy credits, and giving people even more incentive to conserve (so they could sell really valuable credits to overconsumers). Eventually, overconsumers are forced to conserve to some degree too, as it gets too expensive to buy credits that would be getting harder and more expensive to purchase. It's a perfect system that feeds off itself and gives everyone lots of incentive to conserve. The majority of the population would start to get really excited about getting their credits each week, so they could turn them into cash. It would become everybody's hobby to conserve. Meanwhile, gross overconsumers gradually pay the way for everyone else who chooses to conserve. Whole communities would get involved in ride-sharing and similar programs once the credit-incentive existed. Billionaires and millionaires delivering money downward because they overconsume to the people who have choosen to conserve and sell their credits. Is gas rationing fair. Of course it is, since every American has invested their tax dollars in creating a military (and serving in it too) that delivers the oil, and we have all spent 200-250 years building the infrastructure that allows the gasoline to be delivered to market. If it's socialism, at least it's better socialism than the top-down, heavy on control and monitoring, cap n trade scam. Cap n trade is the exact opposite of gas rationing. It strips money from us all and delivers it to the oligarchs running our countries. They're going to drive up the cost of buying carbon credits in the same way they speculated in the oil market. It's control under the guise of environmental protection. The bonds merchants are going to eventually trade logging rights to all of our national parks for debt payment relief. Cap n trade is a billionaires scam being shoved down our throat by environmentalist from foundations run by the same billionaires who are buying up logging rights right now. Real environmentalist believe in gas rationing. JoeRyanForCongress

Joe Ryan of CA @ Sep 12, 2008 16:02:57 PM

GLOBAL WARMING SHEEP....

For anyone who has done serious, unbiased research on the subject of Global Warming, you will find out that: a) there is no SCIENTIFIC evidence that CO2 emissions causes Global Warming, b) there is no SCIENTIFIC evidence to show that the human CO2 emissions are actually significant to Climate Change, c) there is no SCIENTIFIC evidence that Global Warming is even a danger....instead of focusing on actual man-made pollution, the environMENTALists made up a bunch of junk science that is hard to refute, but impossible to prove...

...when the Earth gets hotter, it's because of the SUN!

when science becomes political...it's not science!

Jim of NH @ Sep 12, 2008 16:00:43 PM

I agree completely

Palin's response was clearly a departure from her earlier statements.

With this woman she either (a) had no opinion on a matter prior to her nomination as VP or (b) she has not been sufficiently scripted to cover her tracks for ridiculous statements made in the past.

We should continue to point out her incosistencies. The voting public deserves as much.

Leandro of DC @ Sep 12, 2008 15:59:54 PM

Great American Leader?

Brandon,

Great American Leaders: Both Rooseveldts, Eisenhower, Truman, Kennedy, Reagan, Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Ben Franklin, to name but a few. You should read about them. After doing so, you will realize that Palin is a pale, pale shadow of anything great, let alone a "leader." You have not heard of her until McCain picked her for VP. Had she been a great leader, you would have known all about her, BEFORE she was selected.

Let's assume that Palin did not repolish and alter her position to bring it into alignment with McCain's views on the environment. Her views on science, oil development and the US Constitution are not worthy of a VP or President of the US.

Oh, and yes, also read the US Constitution, too. Include the Bill of Rights. Study this document. It is the Owner's Manual to the United States of America and the document that our leaders (ahem) are sworn to protect and uphold.

Zenbob of CA @ Sep 12, 2008 15:53:27 PM

Great American Leader?

Are you kidding me Brandon in AZ you think McCain/Palin are great American leaders?? If all American's are as clueless as you on the issues and what is at stake in this election we are finished as a nation... I cannot get over the blind ignorance and arrogance of people out there that would willfully ignore the insanity of the last eight years and vote for someone who is going to carry on the disastrous policies that are rapidly pushing us towards being a third world nation. If you are in the wealthiest 3% bracket at least I could understand that you are voting your wallet but if you are from the ever-squeezed middle class then I have trouble understanding anyone's rationale for voting for complete wacko's.

Christopher of NJ @ Sep 12, 2008 15:53:20 PM

Obama has 10 times more experience than Palin

All agree that John McCain has more experience than Barack Obama. However, some argue that Sarah Palin's experience equals, or even surpasses Obama's. This is false. When we construct a straightforward, unbiased measure of experience we find:

McCain is 5 times more experienced than Obama, and

Obama is 10 times more experienced than Palin.

Obama and Palin are not roughly equal: Obama's experience advantage over Palin is larger than McCain's over Obama.

Here is the reasoning behind these figures. We define experience as the total number of people governed times years in office. For mayors, governors, and presidents, the number of people governed is simply the population of the entity governed. For city council members, representatives, and senators, the number governed is the size of the entity governed divided by the number of fellow legislators.

We will use the following 2007 population estimates for simplicity, rather than the figures for each year someone was in office:

Population of U.S.: 301,139,947

Population of Illinois: 12,852,548

Population of Alaska: 683,478

Population of Wasilla: 9,780

Here is what the experience of each candidate would be in January 2009:

Joe Biden: 36 years U.S. Senate

John McCain: 4 years U.S. Rep.; 22 years U.S. Senate

Barack Obama: 8 years Illinois Senate; 4 years U.S. Senate

Sarah Palin: 4 years Wasilla city council; 6 years Wasilla mayor; 2 years Alaska Governor

There are 100 U.S. Senators, 435 U.S. reps, 57 Illinois senators, and (at a guess, which will not affect the outcome much) 5 Wasilla city council members. Therefore we get the following experience for each candidate:

Joe Biden: 36*(301,139,947/100) = 108,410,381

John McCain: 4*(301,139,947/435) + 22*(301,139,947/100) = 69,019,891

Barack Obama: 8*(12,852,548/57) + 4*(301,139,947/100) = 13,849,464

Sarah Palin: 4*(9,780/5) + 6*9,780 + 2*683,478 = 1,433,460

And thus,

Joe Biden is 1.6 times more experienced than John McCain.

John McCain is 5.0 times more experienced than Barack Obama.

Barack Obama is 9.7 times more experienced than Sarah Palin.

Leesburg VA of VA @ Sep 12, 2008 15:50:10 PM

Gov, Sarah Palin

Some people of ractist devine will counter attack even when they can not admit that this candiate is no were near or has the ability to run a big city, and not even the United States. If I had to choose a Vice President, she woulden be in the top 50 on my list. What you are listining to is more of nothing. She should with draw her self from this race, by the virtural default that she dose not have a clue on what her job is, let alone the VP's job. As you start to learn her views, it will over shadow how she looks, and who she represent.

taylor, Washington DC of DC @ Sep 12, 2008 15:46:47 PM