Date: Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:55 am. By: Guest
On Sep 22, 7:03pm, Fred Kasner wrote:
hhc...@yahoo.com wrote: On Sep 18, 11:41 pm, sar...@greatmedia-group.com wrote: Japan has signaled that it prefers a voluntary - rather than mandatory - carbon trading system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Japanese industry is concerned that a binding target on emissions for big business would hurt growth and add to competition with international rivals.
A trial scheme next month will allow companies exceeding their target to buy credits from companies below their limit but without any binding limits.
Japan government insiders told Daily Planet Media that Japanese industry was philosophically opposed to the European Union cap-and- trade system that sets binding limits.
Targets would, however, be set on a company's total volume of emissions or as the amount of emissions per unit of production, according to a draft of a government plan.
Companies would be be permitted to trade credits from the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism which funds clean-energy projects in developing countries.
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Actually, not very surprising news.
As Japan gradually transitions its major sources of energy to nuclear rather than coal or oil, it it not very suprising that they would be inclinded to moderate the conditions required in the original Kyoto Protocol, to which the United States is, thankfully, not a subscriber.
Face it, if nuclear were eliminated as an energy source for Japan, they would be the very first nation in the world to abandon the Kyoto Protocol entirely.
Be very aware that not only are the Japanese very intelligent people, their businessmen are among the sharpest negotiator on the planet. Were only our current American generation so intensely devoted to Country, Honor, and Duty. Their intensity deserves honor, but I personally suspect that the Kyoto Protocol arose from not the most honorable motives, evidently an oversight.
Harry C.
Sorry, Harry, but honor as a virtue has disappeared from the real world. It died with duels to protect a perceived honor infraction. Instead we replaced it with full population sized wars. Honor is a snare and a delusion since it is based on small coterie of individuals concept of what is honorable. Perhaps you should have look (I'm sure you saw it at some time years ago) again at that wonderful film "Le Grande Illusion". It is a recipe for mass suicide led by those who do not understand the needs of the mass of a population. I'll even wonder about the concepts of "Country and Duty". Ask those who defended the indefensible in the US Civil War. Or those peaceful among the Germans who followed with little protest the urgings of Adolf Hitler. Criminal behavior on the national level is always justified under the concepts of "Duty" and "Country". To view these as unquestioned virtue is to regress to a time when the large masses of people had essentially no say in the choices made. I always am reminded of the classroom sequences in "All Quiet on the Western Front" as the ultimate in obedience to "Country and Duty". Off to the government sponsored abbotoire! FK- Hide quoted text -
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Fred, I don't disagree, but I suppose that I am the eternal Boy Scout raised to appreciate the values of duty, country and honor, raised to appreciate the values of virtue. Today that sounds rather corny, but some people do value virtue and honor, and believe it to be the basis for civilization.
Then too, I may have been partially misguided by the books of several writers, who equally to those of great scientific accomplishment have guided my life for the past rougly 60 most recent years. Some are more inspirational, and some are lesser.
http://charon.sfsu.edu/TENNYSON/poems/mortedarthur.shtml
Here's a description of the classic...
http://www.arthurian-legend.com/le-mort-darthur.php
I really do believe that it was between these two great works in literature, the the beginnings of my personal character took root. My parents had no idea what was going on at that time and likely had never heard of Tennyson or Mallory, although they were both good, loving, and caring parents...still I can't remember any on them owning a book other than a Reader's Digest condensation. I puzzle about this at the age of 12, and never solved this mystery since from that age on my life was heavily focused on reading everything that I could lay my hands on.
Now Fred, you posted that: "I'll even wonder about the concepts
of "Country and Duty". Ask those who defended the indefensible in the US Civil War."
Fred, I really believe that you were very truthful in posting this, but now I on the Conservative side of the aisle need to take exception to this statement. It has to do with truth and simple ethics and the American Constitution. Now I am not going to drag out the Constitution and cite chapter and verse, but the right to have an adequate and competented defense presented for any accused offence, no matter how grave, is an entitlement to US Citizens provided for under the Constitution. Fred, I know that this comes as no great surprise to you, and neither do I like some of the ramifications of the Constituion, but as the basis of our nation it is incumbent to we as citizens to accept them in their totality, at least untile they are modified...something that because of the wisdom of the authors is somewhat difficult to accomplish, but something that with concerted effort can be done.
Now Fred, I believe I know what your are heading for, and let me try to nip that thought in the bud. Both Obam and McCane are United States Senators, elected for to perform their duties as such, and whose salaries are paid by US Citizens to do our work in the Senate of the United States.
I believe that we can both agree on that.
Both are fully able to run for President of the United States or for the Dogcatcher in their local communities if they wish to seek such a position, but in doing so, obligates them to do so in their spare time remaining after performing their elected Senate duties, which is what taxpayers pay them to do.
Did I lose you one that one Fred? Hope not.
Now Senator McCane returned to perform his elected duties, suspending his campaign activities until this vital economic issue is resolved (the complexities of which evade the comprehension of most average citizens, which won't really hit until their local ATM machine will not allow them to make a withdrawl.) We are only a week or two away from this point as I write.
By contrast, Obama elected to go on with politics as usual, and would not even agree to having the preidential debates delayed for even one week.
Perhaps this was a political ploy by Senator McCane, but Senator Obama seriously fumbled the ball, and I would suspect that this error will hurt him fatally in the later portion of the campaign.
Fred, the person that I vote for is someone who demonstrates that he values Country over Self Interest. Today, we have far too many political hacks, and discrimiating between them is increasingly difficult.
Fred, I suspect that deep down you are a little like me, Our personal ideals would do stupid things like sacrificing ourselves for the good of others and our Nation. This is a concenpt that it neither central to either the Democratic or the Republican parties, being far more primal. After all, who in their right mind would thow their body down over a burning hand-grenade in order to save others.
Some would, and it is fiction authors like Tennyson and Mallory that help to explain why humans actually do perform such acts of heroism, Today, it is John McCane, a guy that neiter needs the wealth associated with becoming elected president, nor the fame.
Harry C.