As a rule 'government' hires private contractors to do any actual work. Government defines certain problems based on the best science and data available. First you have to understand that there is a problem, then you define the problem, then you come up with a practical way to solve the problem. The 'government' sets up a plan, let's contracts and rides heard on the results. That's how problems of national importance gets dealt with in the real world.
If you don't believe there is a problem then the process stops. The GOP/Tea/Fox/Jesus party doesn't believe there is a problem, so they've stopped and for political reasons they want everyone else to stop as well. Should these people run the table in the next election nothing will be done.
I think it's going to take a partnership between the government and the private sector to handle this problem.
I don't think the private sector can do it all themselves because the private sector is purposely focused on business. IT's going to take government action to set global warming as a new priority. Ultimately though it's going to have to be a problem which the private sector solves.
I'm not sure I buy your premise of needing a "cure" for global warming - but if you are talking about sustainability and a reduction on our use and dependence on fossil fuels, I'd go with the free market.
What has the government done already? Imposed taxes on fossil fuels and carbon output, and imposed a cap and trade policy. Cap and trade does nothing but create a secondary market in carbon - companies that exceed their quota buy credits from companies that don't - shifting money around but not affecting the total amount of carbon being produced by all companies. Taxing fossil fuels hurts the middle class - people like you and me who need to put gas in our cars and heat our homes. The demand doesn't go down, in fact, with an increasing population the demand goes up - so the effect of taxing these fuels only enriches the government.
They also forgive loans and offer grants to companies like Solyndra, but the problem with these companies is that they have no market. If they can't sell their products, they're going to need a whole string of bailouts for a failed business model.
This does nothing. If anything, the government has found a way to exploit people's fears about global warming in order to pass their own agenda and enrich and empower themselves, to increase taxes and at the same time convince people that they alone have the answer to the problem. Fears about global warming have been around for 25 years, but nothing significant has been done. Hybrid cars still only account for 3% of the market, and our highways are full of single drivers in older cars and SUV's. Those who do drive hybrids don't save any fuel, because they just drive more.
At the same time, there has never been an industry in this country that people wanted, that would change our lives, that would change the way we do things, that ever, ever needed government intervention to survive. The automobile, the airplane, radio, TV, cell phones, computers, smartphones, tablets, the Internet - all proliferated because of the free market, the profitability of the business models, and because these companies gave people what they wanted to buy.
If those of us who are truly concerned about global warming actually lived our lives according to our beliefs - if we invested in solar panels for our homes, hybrid cars, if we car-pooled to work, pooled our other trips and turned our heat down in the winter and our AC off in the summer, you can bet that profit-motivated companies would find a way to develop and sell us the products that supported our sustainable lifestyle.
The only reason the Koch brothers are so wealthy and powerful is because WE buy what THEY own. No one forces us to do this. Research polling shows that 40% of Americans believe that manmade global warming is a real threat - if that 40% did everything they could do reduce their carbon footprint and to live their lives in a truly sustainable way, then HUGE markets would be created for solar and geothermal heat, hybrid and alternate-fuel cars. What would happen if we all refused to buy products - any products - that were encased in plastic shells? What if we decided to buy our nails and screws by the pound in cardboard boxes instead of two or three at a time in heavy plastic display shells? What if we spent the extra money to buy all cotton fabrics, and stopped using synthetics?
Short of controlling our behavior like a despotic tyranny, the government can do very little to change our behavior. They're not interested in doing that, anyway - as long as they can keep us afraid and dependent, they will get what they want from us. Everything else they do is superficial and designed to get headlines, money, and votes.
You should get out of the house more, the climate is actually quite nice. But since you ask, yes, the private market is the best “cure” (can’t cure something that isn’t sick), for global warming. The vast amount of innovation and technological advancements being made in the green energy sector are by none other than private companies receiving private capital.
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/...
..."'Tis interesting that now the global warming deniers are now looking for a cure."...
That's the first problem with your premise. The second is that the government can do something right.
What global warming? It's cold out here.
There is no cure, there is no changing climate change, we do not have that type of power, arrogant assholes who somehow believe we do are either the sheep, part of the cult mentality or. Those like Gore making millions off of the threat.
Stop feeding Americans gas-producing fast foods?
the free market started the problem, because animals and icebergs don't spend money.
'Tis interesting that now the global warming deniers are now looking for a cure. But how clear is their thinking?
Is stimulus to the private industry for development of renewable power a government solution? Or a private industry solution?
How successful has private industry been w/o encouragement in addressing global warming?
Is there really any solution other than government to address a problem that is world wide?
