A Nation Like No Other
By Newt Gingrich
Grounded in the ideals that formed this country, Gingrich has religious orientation but is not a religious zealot. His basic premise is; to give man a footing of moral consciousness, founded through any religion [or facsimile thereof] that distinguishes between good and evil, and allow the individual the power of society that begins with inalienable rights bestowed upon all men under one God. Gingrich is an ardent proponent to the study of history and this book is a reminder of these core American values, just in case any one of us has lost sight of them.
Gingrich sets the tone of the book building the scene in Manhattan as the American revolutionaries prepared for battle against the King of England. He depicts a battalion aid reading the Declaration of Independence to the troops that creates an air of exceptional reception to its ideals. He describes exceptionalism as the fabric that wrapped this new nation child at birth. Exceptionalism meaning American is an exception to all other nations. This does not imply a ‘Molly Brown’ better than persona but rather just unique. The reader is thinking aaah a good history book. Gingrich sets you back from that just a little bit when he mildly draws contrast as early as page three by introducing Obama as an example of how far we have drifted from that character that once wrapped us and sheltered us. Gingrich defines exceptionalism as that which 'leads inevitably to a smaller, more effective, accountable, and limited government.' he suggests that the American revolutionaries did not fight to have a future standing president 'fight in Libya for the liberties of man in that foreign country, as a nation of exceptionalism obligated to lead the world’, and then turn on our citizens with oppressive policy; forcing free men to purchase health care as his first on a list of policy that contradicts liberty of the individual in America. By page thirteen the book's theme is well stated. I like books like this. The reader is compelled to see it's depth, whether he agrees or not. Says Gingrich; ‘Our exceptionalism is being eroded by those who acquiesce to policy that undermines it.’
The first part of the book draws on a historic review of five principles that constitute American liberty. As the casual reader relives the story of a few of our founding fathers he would likely be saying to himself ' these virtues that brought us American liberty are
being eroded and are now under attack by an over reaching president, Obama and his party of democrats. Gingrich closes part one by stating the obvious and then prescribes a way back. He intrigues the reader to read parts II and III to explore how the five habits listed below of liberty evolved, how they helped to make America exceptional, how they are dangerously undermined, and how we can revitalize and restore American Exceptionalism. He first takes a moment to quote a few notable people to stress the importance of American Exceptionalism.
Ben Franklin: The expression of that principle [liberty to all], in our Declaration of Independence, was most happy and fortunate. Without this ... We [still] could have declared independence of Great Britain; but without it, we could not, I think, have secured our free government, and consequent prosperity.
Abe Lincoln: No oppressed people will fight, and endure, as our fathers did, without the promise of something better, than a mere change of masters.
There is no doubt that our Founding Fathers were deists. They arrived in this new America from Christian Europe. They brought their religion with them and purposely held on to its virtues that provided a moral compass and a basis for a new constitution, and the foundation of American law. In our Constitution Gingrich speaks to the higher authority that American man heeds to with no intermediary, be it a religious authority or a government authority. "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness." [not a life span to 150] This assertion makes some key assumptions about the relationship between man and God.
1. It assumes that God created man.
2. It assumes that God is Sovereign over the universe.
3. It assumes that man must obey an order of justice that God has instituted.
I note first that Gingrich assumes that God is a metaphor for nature. It seems evident however, throughout history that it is the nature of man to violate nature beginning with his violation of another man borne in his belief in scarcity. (Hobbs). Hence man must transcend his nature, I am not sure Gingrich, has given much thought to that. Second I find little coincidence that Gingrich quotes a Founding Father on liberty and then Abe Lincoln who ushered in liberty to all men…in America.
In quoting Franklin “My dear lady we have given you a republic - if you can keep it." Gingrich writes; ‘In a single sentence, Dr [Ben] Franklin summed up the extraordinary drama that would play out for all American history between two vital forces that sustain American Exceptionalism: freedom and responsibility.’
Gingrich writes there are five habits of liberty that come under the heading of Personal Responsibility – Virtue found in Religion, Morality
A. Faith and family
B. Work
C. Civil society
D. Rule of law
E. Safety and peace
Emphasis on these habits are vital to cultivating an engaged, informed citizenry which is needed to sustain a free republic... These habits set America apart from its European counterparts, where monarchs were intent on cultivating passive, obedient subjects unlikely to challenge their rulers claim to power.
I ask myself; where does one observe the erosion of these five habits? In a conversation with a friend of mine, a staunch Democrat and loud evangelist of atheism (a real irony), he said of conserving energy; Look at my toys. I have an Escalade, four other cars, two jet skis. All consume gas. We need to pass some laws or otherwise I wouldn't change my habits." I then think of Al Gore a democrat nominee for president of these United States, who writes a book on global warming and advocates the need for stringent federal regulation while at the same time has one of the largest carbon footprint of any US Senator in history. My friend voted for Gore. Neither acquiesces to personal responsibility. Both advocate though, laws for others to follow, of which only then will they conform ... Or will they?
It is no coincidence that Gingrich lists faith and family on top. He writes; ‘an America that openly rejects faith and the faithful will undermine the surest supports of human dignity in American life. That anti-religious America would soon cultivate a utilitarian culture, described in the above paragraph that elevates the powerful and crushes the weak. But an America that continues to welcome faith and the faithful as integral to American public life will transmit to the poorest and most forgotten segments if society the hope that they too have the right to the American Dream.
I am sure Gingrich is not espousing the fanatical right, but rather the faith found in our founding fathers, like Thomas Jefferson who picked out the parts of the Bible that work for him. Note that I used work in the present tense as his work transcended his body and far out lived its expiration. There is no coincidence that Jefferson’s Bible is limited to Christ’s message. Our Founding Father’s held out an expectation that emphasis on man’s moral compass would enable management of a civil society.
I know these people who advocate the adoption of rules, imposed by a supposed 'neutral' government that conform people to society. Gingrich writes ‘It is a utilitarian method that ignores man’s moral footing. In their mind the rules they envision are done so only by those with some innate ability to see right from wrong. Those assumed abilities in this context are what we know as morals. The Church, in theory but not always in practice, makes no assumption that morals are born in the human psyche. The church does not take morals for granted; rather it uses the message of Christ, as did Jefferson, as a moral compass. Contrarily these people claim the utilitarian higher ground, write the laws and then create institutions to correct those who have lost there cardinal headings. In my opinion if the ‘church’ or like kind were allowed to flourish those people of utilitarian methods would find their goal obtainable at a much lower cost to the government than what they have put in place of the Church.’ I can’t help but notice in writing this paragraph that the Caliph of the Ottoman Empire, commonly referred to by the 19th century as the Sick Old Man adopted a similar posture. It prompts a question in 2011’s world drama: where did Christ’s message get it right and Mohammad’s message gets it wrong? I know Christ’s message to be about transcendence through love {unconditional love meaning acceptance of things as they are] to one God, nature.
Alex de Tocqueville observed, “In the United States that associations are established to promote the public safety, commerce, industry, morality, and religion"...The Founders' insistence on limited government and created the space for the flourishing of civic life. In turn, to this day civic groups check and balance government power by fulfilling roles that government is tempted to assume, and by cultivating habits of personal responsibility that make individuals more capable of challenging government encroachments in their affairs. Tocqueville presciently predicted that government would eventually usurp many of the duties that private associations performed so effectively. Look at the American Red Cross as well as many other institutions that are the avant-garde of disaster relief. I ask does FEMA encroach on this society. Or should a limited version of FEMA merely complement all the non-profits that constitute the virtues of American man. Gingrich writes of a society that assumed the role of FEMA and note that post Katrina FEMA is now eroding away at the moral fabric conducive to society of Americans, I’ll also note as a case study that Bill Clinton, a self proclaimed public servant, has done more in the NPO sector in terms of humanitarian aid after his presidency than he ever hoped to do as president of the United States. And finally I remember hearing Gingrich say in 2005 that he would not pursue the office of President of the United States because government is too constraining to get anything done. So what is he really doing in 2011 as a presidential candidate? He is either running for President or laying the blanks for the Republican Party. Given his effort to date it is the latter.
Turning to our struggle with Islamic Terrorists, one would think Gingrich has drifted away from the theme of his book, and has garnered a listening ear with this book in his quest for his presidency of the United States. What follows are excerpts to catch the general gist of his message. He writes: ‘The courage to be free is sustained by the moral capacity to distinguish between good and evil. If evil cannot be called by name [Obama doctrine], we will not be able to deter - or even recognize - threats to our nation. Likewise, if we cannot proclaim the righteousness of our traditional values, then we won't be able to mobilize the fighting spirit necessary to defend America. Throughout most of American history, our American leaders have not been hobbled by the kind of moral ambiguity that characterizes our present administration. [Obama]. Looking at the poor results of [President] Carter's foreign policy, we see that the president failed to understand the natural consequences of scaling back American power- it creates a vacuum that is typically filled by the most aggressive actors.’
My reaction to the previous paragraph goes as follows. You can read in history as early as the Peloponnesian Wars, that a society fears another society that is more powerful, not just in terms of military strength buying terms of economic prowess. The inferior will lash out at the superior as Iran does to the United States as an act of hybris, a term that has evolved to hubris. They impose an affront to your superior to show you are not the lesser society. With this as the nature of mankind as documented by philosophers and historians a U.S. President is derelict in his duties when adopting doctrine such as Carter or Obama. Kowtowing to those who aim to harm us is an imposition on our American spirit of liberty, let alone sending an invitation for attack. Kowtowing to our adversaries makes us slaves to an ideal that is foreign to our sovereignty as a nation. We lose that exceptionalism, exception to the rest of the world. We become like Europe whose history is fraught with strife and international conflict and intrigue. With this reaction I find Gringrich’s inclusion of the subject to be fitting with the theme of his book. Otherwise he is taking advantage of a captive audience.
After a foray into our economic situation of which I am in no adequate position to judge whether he has a good solution or not, Gingrich suggests what you the average citizen can do to incrementally contribute to that which makes America and exceptional nation. Below is a simple list.
Ten Steps to Restoring American Exceptionalism
1. Americans should learn about the issues and analyze how they relate to the principles and history of American Exceptionalism.
2. Once you feel comfortable in your knowledge start speaking out in favor of American Exceptionalism.
3. Question government and argue for the right policies.
4. Educate your [any child, defined as an enlightened(able) of any age person] Talk to them about our founding principles.
5. Insist on schools bringing the principles of our founders back to the classroom.
6. Defeat and replace bad judges. Replace activist judges who feel their elite status prevails over the will of the people or the principles of our founders and their Constitution
7. Reestablish work ethic; do so mostly with your children. Teach them to work hard toward their dream. This is still the one country called the land of opportunity.
8. Celebrate American holidays. Don't just take the day off to buy some furniture, remember the reason for the holiday and talk about it with others.
9. Volunteer. Alex de Tocqueville observed this in early America. Our society is [was] more capable than our government. Regain our societal footing.
10. Run for office. Be a prime mover in reducing it imposition on the principles of our founders and restore the values that go along with liberty.
Oddly enough the list is ten. Why does the individual need to pay attention to these ‘steps’? In short, the central failing of big-government welfare state is that it's designers and current champions [Obama] do not think of people as individuals with inherent dignity who are capable of both self- government and compassion for their fellow man; they think of citizens as groups of people to be organized, placated, and for some radicals on the Left, to molded into "New Americans." That radical goal is too ominously close to 1932’s New Germans. Each American’s adherence to any or all of the above steps is an incremental ‘fire fence’ to the same fate of 1932 Germany, and today’s European social problems. We started out an exception to that rule…it is that exception that allows us liberties still not achieved anywhere else. I have traveled to many different countries. There has yet to be a time where when I clear US customs on my return trip I breathe a deep sigh and say ahhh, no place like home.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Contract with the Earth
Contract with the Earth
By Newt Gingrich
This was a refreshing and insightful book from a political figure with a bipartisan message for us all to appreciate. I got on to this book when listening to an interview of Gingrich on NPR. I am curious if it were not for the timing in fall of 2007, with rise to a high visibility political season, would the interview had taken place. In that interview Gingrich was asked if he is running for President. He said he was not, for the same reason Al Gore is not running. He feels he can accomplish more for the world with regard to the environment as a citizen than he could as President, being encumbered with politics.
What is Gingrich’s message? First is unity in the cause. Not just across national party lines but across international lines as well. Second is recognition that we do not have all the facts, in terms of the full balance of the ecosystems of our planet earth. Third is the facts should not be proprietary but rather universally shared. Fourth, is government at all levels and business need to come together with effective participation and policy, in a cooperative posture. Fifth is education of our youth and remedial education of our elders on the individual contributions through consumerism, philanthropy, voting, and life style changes that can lead to a cleaner environment. All this says a collective conscience with one unified goal is essential. The key yet silent word through out the book is balance.
I was somewhat intrigued at a couple byproducts brought about with a collective conscience on the environment. First was recognition that democratic societies, where the free will of the people is prevalent, are more apt to participate as each individual can identify with their earth experience. Second is that our national security hangs in the balance of our recognition of the fossil fuel problem. Would focus on the environment reduce our focus on a major cause of our threat to our national security provided largely by volatile, non-democratic countries; or would it increase it? In my mind it depends on how you apply your focus. Reduce demand in fossil fuel by improving our technology and then sharing it refocuses everyone on being a good neighbor.
I find is interesting that while the still standing in Feb. 08 and probable presidential candidates they all have agreeable environmental platforms, I find Obama’s record and platform a bit more impressive. His voting record is superior to the other two and his platform calls for stronger international leadership where I have not heard the others reach beyond our boundaries. Interesting, it seems a popular cry today from our “Bush bashing talking heads” is that we should dampen our critique of other nations on their values and policy as though we are an arrogant nation. This would be to ignore specifically speaking to their environmental record as the reason for not endorsing the Kyoto Protocol. Meanwhile Gingrich is extolling the export of our technology commercially, and a call for international policy. There is a reason for my intrigue where leadership requires a genuine personal appreciation of a cause that translates to courage to advocate policy and practice towards that cause.
I did a search on the Internet and most easily found Obama willing to step up to the plate with right message. As a traditional Republican, I make the first move in reaching across lines with a call for good voting conscience as opposed to the “you go girl” mentality in choosing your candidate. We need to be for something, not against something. Its time we look for more than someone who is a divisive “I am not George W. Bush” as we hear from Clinton, but someone who actually has substance with leadership qualities as in Obama or McCain. On the environment we need unity and we need leadership, and if we saw a Presidential run off between McCain and Obama, for once either side would be voting for someone, whereby on the environment issues Obama stands tallest.
I am including notes in my review once again for those who do not make the time to read books. Shame on you who defer your information funnel solely to talking heads with agendas. It is my hope that the snippets will inspire you to read the book and get beyond the headlines or the five-minute take on TV or radio. If you are an Internet surfer, the back of the book provides a list of sites to surf. The more you know the issues and more specifically THE FACTS in depth the better you will appreciate what you as an individual can play as your part in this symphony we call Earth.
End Notes
p. 40 We don’t have a perfect understanding of Earth’s systems and processes; it may be unachievable in the face of such complexity. However, we continue to develop imperfect but useful mathematical models, and we have been able to isolate physical variables in the laboratory. We should celebrate our capacity to learn quickly about such things; and we need to continue funding the search for this vital information. We need to commit to the International Environmental Year project similar to the International Geophysical Year in the late 1950’s
p. 74 Conservation International has identified thirty-four hotspots in its most recent analysis. The degree of lost habitat can be expressed by comparing the 15.7 percent of original habitat with the remaining 2.3 percent of Earths surface now occupied by 34 hotspots, a precipitous loss of 86 percent. Amount them they contain 150,000 plant species as endemics, 50 percent of the worlds total…Hotspots are profoundly rich locales for the world’s wildlife, and the amount of biodiversity in hotspot is extremely high, so these remarkable hotspots represents an urgent priority for conservation. By protecting wildlife, especially undiscovered species, we also protect our opportunity to discover valuable new organic material.
p. 94 Non governmental organizations are driving those conservations because of the NGO’s inherent flexibility and speed…and their willingness to cooperate rather than criticize.
p. 119 Fred Kavli who is funding basic research for fairly open-ended projects in nanotechnology, neuroscience, and astronomy. He has launched fourteen research centers based at Yale, Stanford, Harvard, MIT, and Cal Tech.
P 122 One model for the new philanthropy is the Clinton Global Initiative that aims to accelerate active philanthropy, especially when it is confronted with global emergencies….
P132 with regard to the decrease in air pollution in Loa Angeles, This is a significant decline, and new technology can take most of the credit for this change. For example, it is estimated that it would take twenty of today’s new cars to generate equivalent air pollution by just one mid 1960’2 car. This goal was accomplished through recognition and regulation. Gingrich adds (paraphrased)Los Angeles is seeking greater federal policies on emissions of locomotives, cargo ships, and airplanes that come in to the Los Angeles basin from outside jurisdictions
P 140 Our national security and our nation’s economy depends on supply and demand shifts that are orderly, predictable, and carefully managed. Chaos is the enemy of national security.
By reducing expectations, it is easier to enable fossil fuel to retain its grip on the American consumer, an it becomes more difficult for competitive industry to gain a foothold, even if the industry is spawned by Big Oil…..our nation will need tax incentives to continue research on alternative fuels…a continued heavy handed policy will only limit the progress in research.
P156 With regard to leadership in environmentalism….In his best selling book, Good to Great, Jim Collins observed that effective leaders channel their self interest into the larger goal of building a great company. Their ambition is mostly for the good of the institution rather than themselves…Clearly , a sustainable environmental culture will require staying power. Today’s leaders must be tenacious advocates for the natural world, driven by results and guided by evidence. Where will we find such leaders? According to Collins…look for a well run company.
P157 A recent study published in the Journal of Peace Research demonstrated that democracies exhibit stronger international environmental commitments the non democratic nations.
P 159 In the book Green to Gold the authors identified many ways leading edge companies go beyond mere compliance to adapt environmental perspectives into all aspects of their company operations. These companies mindful of the increasing transparency provided by Internet access to the business world offer proactive pathways to an environmental business culture. Examples are provided
P 167 Because adventure capitalists tend to fund ideas that are nearly ready for the marketplace, the type of arduous research that produces real breakthroughs can only be funded by astute governments. America needs to be that kind of government, but our commitments have wavered in recent years so government incentives for energy research will be issues in future political campaigns.
P168 Mobilizing other countries to join us will not be as easy as it may appear. Many nations that signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol are lagging behind on their commitments. Canada’s commissioner Johanne Gelinas, said in 2006 that her country has “done too little and acted too slowly” in addressing climate change.
P177 On wild-life preserves, Crane-Medows ( a government preserve) does not live in a vacuum. It owes much of its success to Omaha-born entrepreneur Peter Kiewit, a generous philanthropist who died in 1979, but who left much of his fortune to his foundation….(paraphrased) contributing to the improvement of preserves.
P 188 A return to the subdued style and scholarly depth of the storied Lincoln-Douglas nineteenth-century political debates is a reform badly needed in our time. Media corporations should be working to achieve an unbiased, in-depth presentation of the original ideas, platforms, and philosophies of all political candidates so the American people can select their leaders based on trusted, reliable information sources.
P 189 We recognize that global climate change is supported by a wealth of scientific data derived from a diversity of measurement techniques….However we still cannot be certain about the variance introduced by distinctly human activities. Should human behavior be a cause, to any extent, it wouldn’t be surprising, given the role human beings have played in other environmental event…however, the debate about the origins and sources of climate change should not be left to scientists alone
P190 In three recent reports from the National Academy of Sciences, climate scientists decry the lack od adequate systems for collecting, sharing, and modeling climate data. We must heed these calls and provide the scientific community with the resources to improve future climate projections. A key first step is the development of a sophisticated data-gathering system with appropriate investment in gathering and analyzing data….The data should be available to everyone. Scientific debate and descent should be encouraged in pursuit of a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the complexities of our environmental systems
By Newt Gingrich
This was a refreshing and insightful book from a political figure with a bipartisan message for us all to appreciate. I got on to this book when listening to an interview of Gingrich on NPR. I am curious if it were not for the timing in fall of 2007, with rise to a high visibility political season, would the interview had taken place. In that interview Gingrich was asked if he is running for President. He said he was not, for the same reason Al Gore is not running. He feels he can accomplish more for the world with regard to the environment as a citizen than he could as President, being encumbered with politics.
What is Gingrich’s message? First is unity in the cause. Not just across national party lines but across international lines as well. Second is recognition that we do not have all the facts, in terms of the full balance of the ecosystems of our planet earth. Third is the facts should not be proprietary but rather universally shared. Fourth, is government at all levels and business need to come together with effective participation and policy, in a cooperative posture. Fifth is education of our youth and remedial education of our elders on the individual contributions through consumerism, philanthropy, voting, and life style changes that can lead to a cleaner environment. All this says a collective conscience with one unified goal is essential. The key yet silent word through out the book is balance.
I was somewhat intrigued at a couple byproducts brought about with a collective conscience on the environment. First was recognition that democratic societies, where the free will of the people is prevalent, are more apt to participate as each individual can identify with their earth experience. Second is that our national security hangs in the balance of our recognition of the fossil fuel problem. Would focus on the environment reduce our focus on a major cause of our threat to our national security provided largely by volatile, non-democratic countries; or would it increase it? In my mind it depends on how you apply your focus. Reduce demand in fossil fuel by improving our technology and then sharing it refocuses everyone on being a good neighbor.
I find is interesting that while the still standing in Feb. 08 and probable presidential candidates they all have agreeable environmental platforms, I find Obama’s record and platform a bit more impressive. His voting record is superior to the other two and his platform calls for stronger international leadership where I have not heard the others reach beyond our boundaries. Interesting, it seems a popular cry today from our “Bush bashing talking heads” is that we should dampen our critique of other nations on their values and policy as though we are an arrogant nation. This would be to ignore specifically speaking to their environmental record as the reason for not endorsing the Kyoto Protocol. Meanwhile Gingrich is extolling the export of our technology commercially, and a call for international policy. There is a reason for my intrigue where leadership requires a genuine personal appreciation of a cause that translates to courage to advocate policy and practice towards that cause.
I did a search on the Internet and most easily found Obama willing to step up to the plate with right message. As a traditional Republican, I make the first move in reaching across lines with a call for good voting conscience as opposed to the “you go girl” mentality in choosing your candidate. We need to be for something, not against something. Its time we look for more than someone who is a divisive “I am not George W. Bush” as we hear from Clinton, but someone who actually has substance with leadership qualities as in Obama or McCain. On the environment we need unity and we need leadership, and if we saw a Presidential run off between McCain and Obama, for once either side would be voting for someone, whereby on the environment issues Obama stands tallest.
I am including notes in my review once again for those who do not make the time to read books. Shame on you who defer your information funnel solely to talking heads with agendas. It is my hope that the snippets will inspire you to read the book and get beyond the headlines or the five-minute take on TV or radio. If you are an Internet surfer, the back of the book provides a list of sites to surf. The more you know the issues and more specifically THE FACTS in depth the better you will appreciate what you as an individual can play as your part in this symphony we call Earth.
End Notes
p. 40 We don’t have a perfect understanding of Earth’s systems and processes; it may be unachievable in the face of such complexity. However, we continue to develop imperfect but useful mathematical models, and we have been able to isolate physical variables in the laboratory. We should celebrate our capacity to learn quickly about such things; and we need to continue funding the search for this vital information. We need to commit to the International Environmental Year project similar to the International Geophysical Year in the late 1950’s
p. 74 Conservation International has identified thirty-four hotspots in its most recent analysis. The degree of lost habitat can be expressed by comparing the 15.7 percent of original habitat with the remaining 2.3 percent of Earths surface now occupied by 34 hotspots, a precipitous loss of 86 percent. Amount them they contain 150,000 plant species as endemics, 50 percent of the worlds total…Hotspots are profoundly rich locales for the world’s wildlife, and the amount of biodiversity in hotspot is extremely high, so these remarkable hotspots represents an urgent priority for conservation. By protecting wildlife, especially undiscovered species, we also protect our opportunity to discover valuable new organic material.
p. 94 Non governmental organizations are driving those conservations because of the NGO’s inherent flexibility and speed…and their willingness to cooperate rather than criticize.
p. 119 Fred Kavli who is funding basic research for fairly open-ended projects in nanotechnology, neuroscience, and astronomy. He has launched fourteen research centers based at Yale, Stanford, Harvard, MIT, and Cal Tech.
P 122 One model for the new philanthropy is the Clinton Global Initiative that aims to accelerate active philanthropy, especially when it is confronted with global emergencies….
P132 with regard to the decrease in air pollution in Loa Angeles, This is a significant decline, and new technology can take most of the credit for this change. For example, it is estimated that it would take twenty of today’s new cars to generate equivalent air pollution by just one mid 1960’2 car. This goal was accomplished through recognition and regulation. Gingrich adds (paraphrased)Los Angeles is seeking greater federal policies on emissions of locomotives, cargo ships, and airplanes that come in to the Los Angeles basin from outside jurisdictions
P 140 Our national security and our nation’s economy depends on supply and demand shifts that are orderly, predictable, and carefully managed. Chaos is the enemy of national security.
By reducing expectations, it is easier to enable fossil fuel to retain its grip on the American consumer, an it becomes more difficult for competitive industry to gain a foothold, even if the industry is spawned by Big Oil…..our nation will need tax incentives to continue research on alternative fuels…a continued heavy handed policy will only limit the progress in research.
P156 With regard to leadership in environmentalism….In his best selling book, Good to Great, Jim Collins observed that effective leaders channel their self interest into the larger goal of building a great company. Their ambition is mostly for the good of the institution rather than themselves…Clearly , a sustainable environmental culture will require staying power. Today’s leaders must be tenacious advocates for the natural world, driven by results and guided by evidence. Where will we find such leaders? According to Collins…look for a well run company.
P157 A recent study published in the Journal of Peace Research demonstrated that democracies exhibit stronger international environmental commitments the non democratic nations.
P 159 In the book Green to Gold the authors identified many ways leading edge companies go beyond mere compliance to adapt environmental perspectives into all aspects of their company operations. These companies mindful of the increasing transparency provided by Internet access to the business world offer proactive pathways to an environmental business culture. Examples are provided
P 167 Because adventure capitalists tend to fund ideas that are nearly ready for the marketplace, the type of arduous research that produces real breakthroughs can only be funded by astute governments. America needs to be that kind of government, but our commitments have wavered in recent years so government incentives for energy research will be issues in future political campaigns.
P168 Mobilizing other countries to join us will not be as easy as it may appear. Many nations that signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol are lagging behind on their commitments. Canada’s commissioner Johanne Gelinas, said in 2006 that her country has “done too little and acted too slowly” in addressing climate change.
P177 On wild-life preserves, Crane-Medows ( a government preserve) does not live in a vacuum. It owes much of its success to Omaha-born entrepreneur Peter Kiewit, a generous philanthropist who died in 1979, but who left much of his fortune to his foundation….(paraphrased) contributing to the improvement of preserves.
P 188 A return to the subdued style and scholarly depth of the storied Lincoln-Douglas nineteenth-century political debates is a reform badly needed in our time. Media corporations should be working to achieve an unbiased, in-depth presentation of the original ideas, platforms, and philosophies of all political candidates so the American people can select their leaders based on trusted, reliable information sources.
P 189 We recognize that global climate change is supported by a wealth of scientific data derived from a diversity of measurement techniques….However we still cannot be certain about the variance introduced by distinctly human activities. Should human behavior be a cause, to any extent, it wouldn’t be surprising, given the role human beings have played in other environmental event…however, the debate about the origins and sources of climate change should not be left to scientists alone
P190 In three recent reports from the National Academy of Sciences, climate scientists decry the lack od adequate systems for collecting, sharing, and modeling climate data. We must heed these calls and provide the scientific community with the resources to improve future climate projections. A key first step is the development of a sophisticated data-gathering system with appropriate investment in gathering and analyzing data….The data should be available to everyone. Scientific debate and descent should be encouraged in pursuit of a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the complexities of our environmental systems
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)