Justus For All

How neat it would be if all of those on both sides of the argument were to spend an hour or three on a very hot summer’s evening standing on the corner of a busy city street - say in New York, or Chicago, or Tokyo, or Sydney or even Auckland.

A few hours marinating in a cocktail of CO, CO2, SO2 and the other minor products of internal combustion engines might help concentrate their minds on the real problem.

I would imagine that nearly all of the participants in this debate have indeed spent signifigant time in large cities when it was hot. I would imagine that they have also done so when it was cold. Why you think this would provide some sort of enlightenment seems odd to me.

Don’t you ever read past the first line?

A few hours marinating in a cocktail of CO, CO2, SO2 and the other minor products of internal combustion engines might help concentrate their minds on the real problem.

Yes, I read that. I believe that most of these people have indeed spent time outside in large cities, apparently marionating in just that cocktail. As to how that would miraculously give them some knowledge as to the effects of each of these gases on global warming, what the feedback loops are, and how to best regulate them, and how to deal with the economic costs of that regulation, I remain confused.

Obviously I must not have spent enough time marionating in this solution, as no knowledge has ever been imparted to me in this fashion. Perhaps if we increased the percentage of each of these gases enough I could also find the enlightenment that you have received.

I think Probligo has stumbled into something worthwhile. I think a whole lot of people could definitely use a refresher course on what a “pollutant” is and what it isn’t. Here in Salt Lake, our mayor fancies himself quite the global warming activist. In the meantime, actual pollution — that God-awful mix of NOx, SOx, O3, and particulate matter that has a real, measurable impact on our quality of life — is totally out of control. Maybe if enviros spent more time in hot, unpleasant, smoggy cities it would help refocus them on air quality problems that everyone agrees are really problems and that have actual, non-absurd solutions. Of course, probably not; as you note, most enviros do in fact live in such cities and it doesn’t seem to help. But it’s nie to dream.

Brian, exactly…