I wish new homes could be outfitted with energy meters that could tell us exactly how much energy each applicance was using (even when turned off!)

Does anyone have any idea how much energy their refridgerator uses per day/year?

Does anyone really have any idea how much energy your television or dryer uses per day/year?

Right now our government encourages use to "conserve energy" in a really vague way -- vague as in "just figure it out yourself and then do as much or as little as you want." Usually followed by a shrug.

What's the difference between this dryer and another? Reading the energy ratings aren't much help -- but if there was a little device you could plug your dryer (or washer or tv or computer)into and then plug both into the electrical outlet and it would actually show a dollar amount that was updated every quarter hour that would be useful!

Right now we get an electric bill in the mail; it has an amount due, and we pay it. We have absolutely no idea what devices in our homes cost what. Are we using too much hot water? Is it really wasteful to run the dryer with only a single pair of wet socks in it -- or does it not make much difference?

I don't think there is going to be much change in energy consumption habits in America until Americans have the ability to actually see where their energy is going and how much it costs!

Once you can conect specific dollar amounts to specific devices/usage -- then people will change.

Can any ONE candidate win over a whole nation?

No.

But if you combine them, say, Edwards and Obama, then you've just appealed to a super majority.

We gotta stop thinking that Obama alone will win. He can't.

If you take Edwards and pair him with Obama -- then quite simply you've locked up about 80 percent of the country.

Or Edwards and the very experienced Bill Richardson.

Or Edwards and even Joe Biden!

Does Hillary stand a snowflakes chance in hell of winning?

No. Probably because more Democrats hate her than Republicans!

Would it be a cake walk for Edwards or Obama if they went for some totally unknown VP that has no juice with the public? No.

Would it be a cake walk if Edwards went with Obama (or vice versa)? Hell yeah!

His entire viewpoint is that since climate change isn't "that big a deal" then there is no need whatsoever to radically change any of our industrial production methods.

Please tell that to the kid with tumors all over his organs because he grew up next to an industrial site with outdated pollution controls.

"Oh! We don't need to upgrade our emission controls," argues the plant manager. "Climate change isn't a big problem! Therefore we can pump as much cancer causing toxic waste into the air and water as we want!"

Kinda of like arguing that since DDT has no impact on our climate -- it's okay to spray it all over our food and, heck, spray it all over our kids too! It's not a problem because the science tells us that DDT doesn't impact the climate!

Do not let these Republicans equate climate change with pollution controls!

That's all they do: they argue climate change is a "hoax" or meaningless and then re-write laws allowing industrial sites to pollute freely giving your kids (and you) cancer.

Yeah. Okay. Fine. You win! It's all a big hoax! Ya got us! Can we please pass laws FORCING industrial sites to reduce these toxic emissions anyway?

Please???

We aren't arguing a theory -- we're arguing over whether it's necessary for our government to pass legislation that requires industrial sites to reduce their toxic emissions.

Industrial pollution causes cancer, birth defects and acid rain

Who cares about climate change?

The neocons and Lomborg are trying to insist that since climate change isn't a "big deal" then it's perfectly fine for these industrial sites to pump out as much cancer-causing emissions as they want.

They desperation we're seeing from businesses and pro-business Republicans to "prove" climate change is non-existent or so mild as to be easily ignored --- isn't because they care about the science. It's because they fear the increased pollution regulations that will result if a direct connection to pollution and climate change is made.

Birth defects?

Cancer?

Tumors?

Acid rain?

So far Big Business has waged a PR campaign to make us overlook all that. Climate change could be the one problem they can't fix with a slick 30 second commercial -- which would mean they'd be forced (finally!) to increase pollution controls.

And they have made it quite clear they will do anything to prevent that.