If you haven’t seen this Image–you will soon. It’s one that shows all Americans just how far these whack-jobs are going to take it before it’s all over. This brings some important questions to the surface for all of our local and state candidates.
The image below is one that is a shot to the heart of many of our aging grandparents. The way in which it was desecrated is likely just the beginning of much worse atrocities yet to come.
As the grandson of a man who fought at Iwo and the son of a Vietnam veteran, I’ve always held a soft spot in my heart for our brave fighting men. This picture (in it’s unmolested form) is one I use to talk to cub scouts about bravery and honor. This photoshop job angered me more than most people but it sparks a question that we need to ask of our candidates. Or more correctly; several questions.
First: What is your reaction to the comparison of the global warming issue to the battle of Iwo Jima?
Specifically: Does this belittle the sacrifices made by the soldiers who fought the battle?
Second: What is the correct role of local and state governments in framing the debate and research into Global Warming(climate change)?
Specifically: What responsibility do state and local governments have to fund and review research into the issue and to discuss and formulate plans based on this research?
Third: What government controls do you support or oppose concerning this issue?
Specifically: would you support “green” regulations being implemented in building codes or for government facilities such as schools, jails or other county facilities?
It will be interesting to see who responds and how. As it becomes more permissible for the Federal Government to pass regulations on businesses and individuals, state and local governments will soon follow in their footsteps.
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10 responses so far ↓
1 Brad Spry // Apr 18, 2008 at 11:42 am
First, you’re overthinking. It’s simply a visual metaphor to make the topic accessible.
Second, government should know we cannot consume more than we have. Government knows how fast we’re growing. They also know how much water we have access to and how much on average we consume. This is not rocket science.
Third, I support tax breaks for those who get off the grid, the problem is, governments won’t let you off. Sorry, you can’t have a well or septic tank in the city. Those laws and ordinences need to be repealed now. If a property can be self sufficient, government should get the heck out of the way, it’s a good thing. Additionally, government could be the epicenter of a bulk “green” buy such as replacing every sink aerator, shower head and toilet valve in the county. It’s possible to save on average 90 gallons per household per day. That’s 32,850 gallons a year per household.
I wouldn’t stop there. I’d legally clear the way for residential cistern systems. Instead of gutters spilling water into the ground, rainwater could be stored under the house or underground. This water could be used for everything but drinking.
It’s time for government to get really serious about our water situation. I’m not talking about Navy showers just yet
2 Aaron // Apr 18, 2008 at 12:25 pm
You can call it what you want. What it is is the trivialization of the deaths of thousands of brave soldiers for the chance to sell a few more magazines.
The “global warming–err uhh–climate change” debate is still wide open contrary to what certain nimrods like the Goracle say. The article in the magazine is another feeble minded attempt to close the debate and force the topic down the throat of the world. Who will die or have to sacrifice like those men on Mount Suribachi in order to solve the “climate crisis.” Most likely it will be the folks in Africa that these impending “solutions” will affect the most. The point is that the metaphor compares Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs and hybrid cars to loss of life and tragedy unlike any in this generation have experienced.
If this was Jesus photoshopped to show him driving a Prius then the Falwell followers would be holding sit in’s right now…
Secondly, I never said anything about water usage. This is something we’re dealing with right now. As for your points: You couldn’t be more correct. The illegalization of wells in city limits is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of. As for “government epicenters” I’d ask for more clarification. It sounds like you want the water police in my house checking my sinks and showerheads. If that’s true, where do we build the concentration camps for non-complying citizens.
We could just apply free market pricing structures to fix all of the water woes but most of the municipal governments can’t get the law of supply and demand nailed down.
The point of the questions are to ask about “climate change” and what the candidates and their pundits think should be done and what are the governments proper roles going into the future.
It’s going to be a real issue in a few years if the alarmists don’t get themselves under control and we need to know what we can expect from those folks who are running…
3 Justin Thibault // Apr 19, 2008 at 9:38 am
Aaron - I’m not big on making ANY image sacred - check out the second commandment. I thought it was clever and I have family that served (and died) in most every major conflict we’ve been involved with as a nation.
Wells and septic tanks - I don’t want to have a septic tank and I don’t want my neighbor having one. That’s another thing that wouldn’t get managed right and could be dangerous. In a densely populated area - you’re asking for it. The issue of density comes into play with wells. If everyone has a straw in the same container - then the guy with the longest straw wins. There’s only so much clean water and it needs to be managed better.
Water Solutions - Create a non-potable water supply better utilizing effluent from water treatment plants and runoff for irrigation at various scales, more enlightened “gray water” regulations (you can’t use used bath water to water the plants in NC - that’s juts stupid), and a statewide river basin policy.
Green Solutions - Since none of the candidates want to deal with this.
1. A three-year, transferable property and sales tax break on new sales of the top EPA-rated vehicles of the current model year (updated every year - of course) priced under $40,000 for each class. [The most efficient car available in the US is the Tesla - and it's worth more than I make in a year]
2. If the City of Concord wants to be in the utility business then they should offer us the option of buying Green Power (many other utilities in NC do) and implement net metering solutions. The idea isn’t to get everyone off of the grid - it’s to get the grid powered with the most efficient solutions.
3. There are myriad grants for energy efficiency and small-scale green power production. We’re not applying for enough of these. Local boards need to spend more time on that and less time on arguing who’s going to be chair.
4 Aaron // Apr 19, 2008 at 11:36 am
As far as making images sacred goes: I won’t take it as far as the actual Iwo veterans who have been literally saying that it’s sac religious or that the Photo Shop Editor is going to hell or anything. That whole statement seem a little to Shiite for my liking. The image they edited shows a bunch of mud covered, blood stained GI’s raising the flag at the deadliest place on Earth to date. Most of those guys died less than a few weeks later and I think it’s a little low brow to make any comparison to that sacrifice versus the sacrificing of your Incandescent Lightbulbs.
I will say that in the area of science, the entire global warming issue is still very much open provided you don’t get all your facts from NPR or the IPCC reports. Still, as I said in my comment to Brad, this entire thing is being brought to a moral term and not a logical term. It’s the typical liberal method: Get people to stop thinking and get them to start “feeling”.
You’re dead right about the EPA rated cars. It’s the only thing that will make someone pay the same price for a smaller car and it will take some mass production and word of mouth to get folks interested in the savings enough to make the leap. Folks are used to stupid gas prices and it’s easily visible along I-85 because as far as I can tell, no one’s changing a damned thing about how they get to and from everywhere.
As for Wells, I don’t think Brad or Myself advocated the return to privatized, “You’re on your own” water provisions but rather the option of going on city water versus keeping your well. It’s asinine for the powers that be to annex an area, stroll in with water and then condemn the wells folks have been using for years.
In new subdivisions, I don’t see a need for everyone to drill a well if city water will be there when the first owners move in but what private company that you know of can force you to buy their product under penalty of law lest you die of thirst (theoretically)?
As for “green” power, You’re in the power engineering field so you’re much more familiar with the technology than I am but I wasn’t aware that it got any more “green” than uranium and nuclear power (water usage not withstanding). The only problem with Green Power is the “NIMBY” claims that follow around the wind turbines or solar arrays. Heck the Kennedy’s have been blocking a wind farm for years near their home in Hiannisport whilst simultaneously demanding all of us serf’s and vagabonds stop using oil and coal for energy.
The “war” on “climate warming” or “global change” or whatever they’re calling it has much more to do with politics than anything else. Good old dollars and cents is all the motivation the average joe needs to be convinced that something is a good idea. But because it deals with politics I thought it important to ask our local candidates. Maybe on of them will respond.
PS: I like the second commandment too… But no one’s sure where the good Lord stands on the Climate Change issue. It is HIS climate after all…
5 Larry M. Burrage // Apr 20, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Larry Burrage
Justin,If I might weigh in on some of these extremely controversial and undeniably serious issues.
Sadly enough ,the satirists will use anything for their agenda or a kneejerk reaction to achieve as much dysfunction among all people.The Photoshoppers are totally left of center on this one.I agree we all need to conserve energy,plan for the lack of water as bountifully as we enjoy today but we do not need governmental mandates ,we need educated youth involved in all aspects of what they are facing in the near future? I appreciate your comments on the commandments,I agree too.
We are a selfish GIMME society with all of the unknowns facing us,We need to realize our resources are limited and the Government can not enact any legislature or laws to reproduce a continuos supply of what we want.Nor Do we want them involved?
Green,is only the color of money to them and other entities forcing this on us. I agree with the recycling ,any measures in planning to incorporate better growth not just for a tax base.
Justin,I have really gleaned a lot of valuable insight into our future leaders,hopefully you will be at the forefront.leading and instucting with your vast knowledge and in depth study of our country ,county and the lack of suitable candidates.IF AT ALL POSSIBLE
6 Steve Smith // Apr 20, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Justin
See, I’m not the only one who thinks you should run for office…..
7 Justin Thibault // Apr 20, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Steve & Larry - Thanks - I’m flattered.
Luckily, you have better, more qualified choices across the GOP ballot than me for 2008.
8 Justin Thibault // Apr 21, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Aaron - To answer your question - it depends on what you mean by “green” and what you mean by “power”.
Power is one of the rare commodities that’s consumed when it is produced - so you have to answer two questions - where do we get “baseload” power from and where do we get “peaking” power from. And, as for the green question, what parts of the environment are we most concerned with (air, water, radiation exposure, political bloviations, etc)?
The answer to the question is so complex that I can’t pretend to have an answer for it or propose one on my own (lest I lose my job). I can say this: an individual with solar panels on his roof will consume less net power on a sunny day than his solar-less neighbor. That same solar user will have more of an incentive to do so if he were to be compensated for the power that he put back into the grid. Also, that same user would be much more conscientious of his net power consumption because he had more feedback (Prius drivers have more fuel efficient driving habits because they’ve got real-time information on power consumption).
A paper done by EPRI last year (disclaimer - the people who employ me) underlines the multi-solution approach to this challenge.
9 Steve Smith // Apr 21, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Justin
Oh, how I wish that were so!!!!!
10 Cabarrus Cheap Seats // Jun 6, 2008 at 2:14 am
Friday Five: Don’t Vote For Daddy…
Hey, it’s Palmer Thibault again! Recently, someone posted a comment in an article that Mr. Aaron put up that Daddy should run for elected office. Now, most of the bad ideas ’round here come from Daddy - so I’m shocked to see that a…
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