Summary
As we proceed along the path of everything green and while these efforts are press worthy and of corporate value these days, perception has to finally one day match science and reality.
Analysis
Everything CSX mentions they are doing to reduce their "carbon footprint" is fine. Let us all agree with that.
If there is such a thing as a carbon footprint then this and other measures are welcomed and to be applauded.
So, thank you CSX and a hearty "well done".
Now to more of the issue.
To get serious about cutting down carbon footprints of any size and before one runs off changing every light bulb in America and the world, we should first make sure that we do as much good and as little damage as we can to another component of the planet´s life, economic activity and human life style maintenance.
This will ultimately translate into sound energy policy, in my opinion at the individual State levels but, okay, we all seem to want Washington to tell us what to do and how to live, so let´s have a Federal Policy.
First however, we should review science and make sure we have a role to play in all of this. After all, planets, suns, stars and some of the more elemental aspects of the universe might have something to do with all of this.
In fact they do and most likely, a much larger role than we like to think we have in things. Seems to be a trait of we humans.
Due to some major changes in some of the scientific aspects of all of this, Australia put on hold their less than two week old Cap and Trade plans.
Their leader even flew to Washington to meet with Mr. Obama to discuss some of this before making his decision and, after that meeting, went home and took the decision to not support the implementation of the plan and has asked for more study on the entire matter.
I applaud that leadership and suggest that some of that same sanity be applied here as we consider the issues.
Well over 700 scientists throughout the world have said that the science does not support the concerns (hysteria?) nor the positive impacts of these programs aimed at reducing global warming.
Dr. Kiminori Itoh a Japanese environmental physical chemist and one of the original contributors to the UN´s Climate Change Report along with Ivor Glaever, a Nobel Prize winner in physics have both decried the idea of global warming and manmade activities adding materially to it´s cause as well as it´s control as "the worst scientific scandal in history" and " a new religion" respectively.
Facts show that since 2001 the temperature of the earth has basically flatlined.
So, what is a planet to do and more importantly, what is the value of actions like CSX´s in the overall equation.
The honest answer is no one really knows for sure.
The planet is a little over 4.6 billion years old. Studying events in even million year periods of time is not the best way to understand effects of this kind in a system that large.
Long cycle studies (100 million year cycles, 200 million year cycles) demonstrate that the Sun and Earth actions and subtle movement variations have enormous effects on these very subjects and there is not much activity of any kind by man that can make any difference to these variances as they occur.
It would be like suggesting that if everyone moved to one end of the Earth we would be able to alter it´s orbit.
So, more study is needed is what would seem to make sense.
But, in the meantime, we will make these kinds of news worthy statements and take these actions but, we have to understand the values of it all.
But, we do all know one thing, it is the direction of things for now and as to the planet, probably cannot do much harm so, why not?
But, as to the economy, especially in these troubled times, that is another matter all together and for that reason, we should take measured steps and try to understand the consequences (intended or unintended) before we jump too far into space. We could be jumping into a void.
Reducing energy use is in everyone´s interest and finding alternatives for power generation and crude based transport fuels make a lot of economic sense. Energy policy is a great sounding political topic.
But, even with that, we have to make certain that in addition to these "feel good" steps, we don´t cause ourselves economic chaos, which at the moment a lot of what is being bantered about and certainly considered on Capìtal Hill, could be the case.
If all these changes aimed at reducing CSX´s "carbon footprint" can be done without increasing costs or can be seen as helping them to reduce costs, then by all means and every means do it.
But, if the cost of those energy saving bulbs is 5 times the others and this will cause CSX to have a reduced earnings picture or have to pass on an increase (no matter how minimal) to it´s shipping clients, we should look at it with a brighter light and perhaps a longer period just to make sure that while we think we are reducing planet temperatures, we could very well be raising the temperature of the economic soup pot we find ourselves in right now and we could just be adding to the tempreature that is slowly cooking our own...., well I will let you fill in the end of that sentence.
