Democracy is not a system in which decisions are made based on what the majority of the population want. Democracy is actually a system in which people elect representatives. They entrust those representatives to make decisions on their behalf 'in the national interest'. Those representatives outline their position on various issues and people pick and choose - no single candidate can represent every possible combination and permutation of public opinion on every issue, so we each vote for candidates who tick as many boxes for us as possible.

The problem, as I see it, isn't democracy. The problem is that global warming is a long term issue that candidates can ignore because they won't have to deal with it within their 4-5 year terms of office. It's easy for candidate A to say 'global warming is nonsense and dealing with it will affect our economy, competitiveness and raise your taxes' because that stance (whether they believe it or not) will not come back to bite them in the a** in the next 5 years. The same is true of those candidates who argue in favor of dealing with global warming. It's not about the science but about the popular vote.

What should happen, in my opinion, is:

1. Weight votes by family size. If two parents have 3 children, and one parent votes republican and the other democrat, then that counts as 2.5 votes for each party. This means that parents are effectively proxy voters for their children until those children can vote for themselves. It also raises the interesting possibility that political parties have to assess how their policies will affect the next generation of voters besides those who happen to be above the voting age at the time of the election.

2. Remove the Collegiate voting system in the US. Proportional representation is a fairer system.

3. Mandate a 10 year plan. Every candidate must outline their manifesto, not for their election term, but for two consecutive terms if that occurs - this is our plan for term A, and if re-elected, this is what we'd do in term B.

4. Challenge funds. Every political party must allocate some of their funding to a legal challenge account. During the elections, any statement made by a politician can be brought before an independent board who assesses its legal merit. This then forms the basis as to whether subsequent libel cases can go before the courts and ensures that personal expense is not the limiting factor on libel cases against a politician who makes defamatory or legally dubious statements before the electorate.

5. Compulsory voting. Failure to vote incurs a hefty fine.

That is the general idea.

Quote by Gus Hall, former leader of the Communist Party USA: "Human society cannot basically stop the destruction of the environment under capitalism. Socialism is the only structure that makes it possible."

Quote by Christine Stewart, former Canadian Environment Minister: “No matter if the science is all phoney, there are collateral environmental benefits.... climate change [provides] the greatest chance to bring about justice and equality in the world.”

'Justice and equality' are code words for communism.

Ha! Ha! Just look at the greenies fight back against the truth.

For example, CR, and I agree with his statement, "Tyrants never care about the greater good, only for themselves."

Clearly, wouldn't the greater good for all mankind be to PROVE Catastrophic Climate Change BEFORE reaching in our pockets and enacting tyrannical laws? Just what are the answers to GW of CC by the greenies. Taxes and tyranny. That is supposed to solve an environmental crises? And yet these social misfits who emulate Goebbels, Alinsky and Gore attempt to make out the more sane people on this site as the real crazies. Ha! Ha! Their statements are similar to what you hear in asylums coming from behind the bars, "Come closer, I won't harm you."

And I suppose Al Gore has the greater good when he bilks millions of dollars out of the taxpayer and lives his greedy lifestyle and all the time pointing to the working class as a bunch of greedy lowlifes. These mental misfits adore Al Gore, George Soros and Maurice Strong as they fly over all of us in CO2 spewing jets and give us the one finger salute as they get richer and more powerful.

Also CR must realize you have some intelligence as he feebly attempt to thwart real logic with his peremptory attack by stating, "Knowing you, you will almost certainly ignore the answers by realists and instead pick some conspiracy minded denialist, like perhaps Sagebrush and his irrelevant quotes."

This just shows to everyone that CR really knows the truth and the truth is not his friend, he is afraid of it.

As to Gary F's quote, "“A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” - Thomas Jefferson" Thomas is absolutely right. He was against Democracy and that is why the forefathers set up a Republic. Our government is a Republic and not a Democracy. Apparently, our communistic friends on this site have never heard of 'The Pledge of Allegiance' where it clearly states, "for the Republic for which it stands."

They have effectively removed democracy already. It's called Executive Order. It also helps to not enforce the laws you don't like. "I have a pen and a telephone."

No. Tyrants never care about the greater good, only for themselves.

If the human race can't resolve global warming through the democratic process, then, if the consequences of global warming is for the human race to die, would be Philosopher-Kings should just let it die.

We should be concerned about future generations, but if ours is no good, future generations will be no better.

Knowing you, you will almost certainly ignore the answers by realists and instead pick some conspiracy minded denialist, like perhaps Sagebrush and his irrelevant quotes.