Gases that trap heat in our atmosphere are called Green house gases. These gases can be emitted naturally and humanly. Green house gases maintain the planets temperature, keeping it from being deathly cold, but a large amount can make our planet unbearably hot. They are called greenhouse gases because they have the same effect of a green house; they trap carbon dioxide and other gases that trap heat, this is called the greenhouse effect. In our past century greenhouse gases have caused a planetary raise in temperature. If green house gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc keep building up our temperature will continue to rise causing deadlier storms, flooding, setting up for disaster.
Nuclear weapons are usually in the form of missiles with nuclear warheads that can decimate a city. There are several different types of nuclear weapons, depending on what process they use to explode, whether it is fusion or fission. Fusion is combining of atoms and fission being the cutting of an atom, for both there are several ways to go about doing it. The type of explosion also depends on what atoms the bomb is using. The explosion of any type, depending on the variables mentioned above, can equal up to millions of TNT. Nuclear weapons are to be taken seriously considering “there are enough nuclear weapons in the world to blow up the earth a 20 times” according to Mr. Ritter.
Offshore drilling is the drilling for oil pockets in the ocean floor. The drilling is done by stationary or moving platforms. The platforms cost large amounts of money to have drills that can penetrate the ocean floor and reach the oil. They also cost ample amounts of money because they need to be able to hold the oil, support the crew and if they are moving, generate enough power to move. Off shore drilling tears up the ocean floor disrupting fish and coral reefs, this affects other species too. If the fish don’t have homes they die affecting the food chain, eventually affecting humans. Although there are consequences there are also gains, oil wells on land are running out and drills aren’t hard enough to penetrate the earth to get to oil in the earths crust so off shore drilling is a new way to deal with the energy crisis.
Nuclear weapons are usually in the form of missiles with nuclear warheads that can decimate a city. There are several different types of nuclear weapons, depending on what process they use to explode, whether it is fusion or fission. Fusion is combining of atoms and fission being the cutting of an atom, for both there are several ways to go about doing it. The type of explosion also depends on what atoms the bomb is using. The explosion of any type, depending on the variables mentioned above, can equal up to millions of TNT. Nuclear weapons are to be taken seriously considering “there are enough nuclear weapons in the world to blow up the earth a 20 times” according to Mr. Ritter.
Offshore drilling is the drilling for oil pockets in the ocean floor. The drilling is done by stationary or moving platforms. The platforms cost large amounts of money to have drills that can penetrate the ocean floor and reach the oil. They also cost ample amounts of money because they need to be able to hold the oil, support the crew and if they are moving, generate enough power to move. Off shore drilling tears up the ocean floor disrupting fish and coral reefs, this affects other species too. If the fish don’t have homes they die affecting the food chain, eventually affecting humans. Although there are consequences there are also gains, oil wells on land are running out and drills aren’t hard enough to penetrate the earth to get to oil in the earths crust so off shore drilling is a new way to deal with the energy crisis.
Republican Stances
Climate Change:
• Climate Policy Should Be Built On Scientifically-Sound, Mandatory Emission Reduction Targets And Timetables.
•Climate Policy Should Utilize A Market-Based Cap And Trade System.
•Climate Policy Must Include Mechanisms To Minimize Costs And Work Effectively With Other Markets.
•Climate Policy Must Spur The Development And Deployment Of Advanced Technology.
•Climate Policy Must Facilitate International Efforts To Solve The Problem.
Nuclear Weapons:
He supports nuclear missiles in defense against Iran, North Korea and any other nuclear weapon capable country.
Offshore Drilling:
Congress already has investigations underway to examine this kind of wagering in our energy markets, unrelated to any kind of productive commerce, because it can distort the market, drive prices beyond rational limits, and put the investments and pensions of millions of Americans at risk.
John McCain believes that where we find abuses, they need to be swiftly punished.
To make sure it never happens again, we must reform the laws and regulations governing the oil futures market, so that they are just as clear and effective as the rules applied to stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments.
A windfall profits tax on the oil companies will ultimately result in increasing our dependence on foreign oil and hinder investment in domestic exploration. Jimmy Carter put a windfall profits tax in to place with little to no useful results.
Democratic Stances
Climate Change:
· Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
The Obama-Biden cap-and-trade policy will require all pollution credits to be auctioned, and proceeds will go to investments in a clean energy future, habitat protections, and rebates and other transition relief for families.
· Make the U.S. a Leader on Climate Change.
Obama and Biden will re-engage with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) -- the main international forum dedicated to addressing the climate problem. They will also create a Global Energy Forum of the world’s largest emitters to focus exclusively on global energy and environmental issues.
Nuclear Weapons:
He is against nuclear weapons to the extent of not total disarmament immediately, but as president “he would seek a world in which there are no nuclear weapons”.
Offshore Drilling:
Obama has changed his stance on offshore drilling to pro offshore drilling if it enacts a comprehensive policy to foster fuel-efficient autos and develop alternate energy sources.
He said “he could get behind a compromise with Republicans and oil companies to prevent gridlock over energy.”
My Opinions and Solutions
Greenhouse gases:
I think we should have started working on making cleaner energy a long time ago. The energy problem has just been passed from president to president with nothing being done. We can begin to lower greenhouse gas emissions by forcing more fuel efficient cars, investing in nuclear energy and clean coal technology and supplementing our current fuel usage with natural energy based on geographical location. The Midwest can use wind, the South solar, etc. The government should offer tax incentives to those who invest in alternative energy. Companies that try to solve the puzzle of clean, efficient energy should be given a tax break too so they will be more likely to try it. If companies start making clean cars or cleaner energy it will create jobs and help us to become a world leader in alternative energy technology. We didn’t create this problem in a day and it’s going to take longer than a day to fix, but someone needs to start taking action. Delaying action will allow the earth’s temperature to increase resulting in melting ice caps, more endangered species and make it harder to grow crops.
Nuclear Weapons:
After every country in the world has the ability to blow up the world twenty times over, then what? Countries say they must have nuclear weapons as a deterrent, but when everyone has them they lose their effect. The task of ridding ourselves nuclear weapons will be difficult considering the extremely long half life of plutonium. Maybe a way to lessen the needs for nuclear weapons would be to join with other countries to come up with a way to use plutonium for energy instead of destruction. I think way to go would be to have peace talks with other countries and form a bill in the United Nations banning production of anymore nuclear arms. If we can make other countries feel comfortable and start using the plutonium for energy it could solve a few major problem, such as the energy crisis and the possibility of nuclear warfare.
Offshore Drilling:
Most of the large oil reserves in America are already in use and almost or completely dried up. The remaining reserves offer smaller returns in quantity and also because much of this oil is harder to get to. At best offshore drilling is a band aid to our energy crisis. Also, offshore drilling is harmful to the environment, but produces the much needed oil in America. If we were to switch to alternative energy sources and do offshore drilling conservatively it would help America get back on its feet, economically. If we could find locations causing minimal damage to the environment that would be ideal. But offshore drilling is usually very detrimental to the environment due to oil spills, disturbing coral reefs and interfering with whale migration. I think if we only built a few movable oil rigs and used alternative energy sources it would work. Also by making the oil rigs movable it would make it easier to take them in and use them for scrape metal. It would be expensive at first, but it would help keep the price at the pump down.
Sources Used for Party Issues:
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