Climate Initiative Cooperation...Or Rather, Lack Thereof

 I recently staggered across a map of the Regional Climate Initiatives in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, whilst looking for clip art and developed some impressions about it. I was slightly taken back by it at first glance to be candid, right now-” 23 U.S. states have actively participated in the design and/or implementation of three regional cap-and trade programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”. Of course it should read 50 states, why wouldn’t all of our states be involved? It became no surprise to me; I surely wasn’t flabbergasted in the least, that the states that are not participating, concurring, partaking...are in the southeast region primarily, some Midwest, some Mid-Atlantic and Texas. (Butter my biscuit! It’s like two goats in a pepper patch, better not count my chickens ‘cause it’s gonna’ be a snowballs chance in hell that they will!...I just jest with them. I love the South.) The “Solid South’s” representatives can always be depended on in matters such as this!  It really is just like trying to shove an elephant. On the map are- “The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord (Midwestern Accord), and the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). Five Canadian provinces are also active participants and five Mexican states”. Our collective and collaborative objective should be to maneuver ourselves to subsist in manners that protect the Earth in all its grandeur and beauty and all its flora and fauna.

Presumably, we’ve all seen these statements from the EPA, “Glaciers around the world are shrinking, and the amount of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has decreased since the 1970s. Average sea level worldwide is projected to rise up to two feet by the end of this century. This rise would eliminate approximately 10,000 square miles of land in the United States. Hurricanes in the Atlantic are likely to become more intense as ocean temperatures rise. As temperatures rise, some migratory birds are spending the winter an average of 35 miles further north than they did 40 years ago.” No matter what the debate is over, causes and consequences, please don’t argue over its obviously apparent existence. Science doesn’t care whether someone believes in it or not. I’ve lived along coastlines my whole life, I’ve been in hurricane prone areas, which would not be a good time to have the sea level rise 6ft or have a category 8 hurricane. Waterworld was an epic FAIL, we don’t need that! I don’t want to have to live in the limestone caves of Missouri or experience not getting a ticket to the ark project being built in china. (Those are movies in case you don’t recognize that). How does seeing the polar bear clinging to the one little piece of glacier, starving, not affect somone?

 I watched CSPAN not too long ago during a bill debate ( I suggest watching while playing a drinking game, take a shot every time you hear the words, yield, gentleman, gentle lady and good friend, then cancel all plans) that would put tighter regulations on the cement companies. Republicans said, regulating the companies will cause them to move to china, and china has little to no regulation (look at the street food) and is responsible for the massive amounts of mercury already that’s contaminating the country particularly the west and the south, and it will become worse. Democrats say that the regulations will not be to the extent that the companies will find it necessary to relocate, and that’s not reason enough for all of the companies that would remain, to not abide by these regulations, considering mercury is a neurotoxin and is causing damage and killing American children, using the equation, 1 American child=10,000 children from the Congo. (OK, not the last part) Good enough reason, though. I wouldn’t crack open an antiquated thermometer and drink it.

 It’s along similar, analogous lines, the states that don’t want the regulation, are from an aforementioned particular region. I deride at the fact the posture of the regions are way too easy to stereotype. The sentiment is not representative of all the citizens in those areas, just the citizens that elect these cretins to represent them. One of the most important reasons against and answer to why those states lack of participation and nihilism (what they do believe it is, is Liberal agenda mumbo-jumbo, hocus-pocus, God's wrath and/or science fiction) is the fact that most of those states are knee-deep in natural gas extraction. It’s a very formidable, unstable, potentially fatal process, it’s not called fracturing for nothing or “fracking” (different spelling, but it is not a term of endearment if you’ve ever watched Battlestar Galactica). Watch the documentary Gasland by Josh Fox. He talks to citizens that live at or around these sites and they suffer from a variety of chronic health problems, amongst other damaging happenings, one being a lack of adequate drinking water (for instance, it’s combustible) to which the companies response, reimbursement, and punitive reaction was to provide the victims with a shiny, new portable water tank. I just jest for the most part with the south, however, it is a serious matter. I would rather NOT be able to set the water that comes out of my sink on FIRE, aflame...no matter how fun it is for the kids!