“In the past ten years the world has added three-quarters of a billion people to the middle class. For more than two centuries the United States has helped lead many of these advancements by spreading our ideals of free markets, free trade, rule-of-law, and limited state involvement that allow private initiative to innovate and drive advances.”
Chevron CEO John Watson’s pro-energy emphasis in public forums has been featured at MasterResource before. His latest speech was made before the Economic Club of Minnesota in Minneapolis on September 16, 2014. It is reproduced (subtitles added) in its entirety.
Minnesota is home to so many great companies…3M, Target, General Mills, Cargill and others that play a very important role in our country’s economic growth. These companies and the other members of the Economic Club of Minnesota are providing jobs and opportunity for this community and serving as an example of leadership for the entire Midwest.…
“As governments consider far-reaching, costly policies to mitigate human contribution to global warming, Christian leaders need to become well informed of the scientific, economic, and ethical debates surrounding the issue.”
– Cornwall Alliance, “Protect the Poor: Ten Reasons to Oppose Harmful Climate Change Policies,” September 19, 2014.
The Cornwall Alliance’s recent release, “Protect the Poor: Ten Reasons to Oppose Harmful Climate Change Policies” (reproduced below)—signed by more than 140 scientists, economics, theologians, and philosophers—blends a good deal of climate realism and pro-poor public policies. Of the ten, #2 through #10 are science/intellectually based. Point #1, however, is partially faith- (not science-) based but can be easily fortified. As amended, the Cornwall release can appeal to secularists, not only evangelical Christians.
Restating Point #1
Point #1 reads as follows:
…As the product of infinitely wise design, omnipotent creation, and faithful sustaining (Genesis 1:1–31; 8:21–22), Earth is robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting.
In a recent blog, The People’s March (August 29, 2014), James Hansen urges his readers to join the New York City March this Sunday (September 21st).
“[B]efore plainly stating why the March is important, let me address several issues,” he writes. Here are Hansen’s issues–the good, the bad, the ugly, the uglier–by quotation from his recent post.
Reject CO2 Cap-and-Trade (The Good)
…“The ineffectual UN Kyoto cap-and-trade scheme was doomed from the start. A ‘cap’ approach inevitably raises 190 fights about each nation’s cap. Countries must be bribed to accept a low cap, governments at home often refute them, and even ineffectual caps are unenforceable.”
“Regulations are not a solution….”