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Global warming cooks Roy Ashburn's brain

The Bakersfield Californian | Wednesday, Jul 2 2008 5:07 PM

Last Updated: Wednesday, Jul 2 2008 5:12 PM

Ashburn: We deserve better

The Californian recently ran a commentary by Sen. Roy Ashburn regarding Assembly Bill 32, legislation that addresses global warming. Ashburn stated "the bill embraces left-wing global warming theory. ... The science behind the global warming hysteria is too weak and the health of California's economy too important to sacrifice on the altar of a feel-good political movement."

Ashburn refutes widely accepted, credible science, including the work of a prestigious U.N. panel that shared in a Nobel Prize. Since he gives no reasons for his glib rejection of the science, likely it is because it does not fit with his ideological thinking. Even President Bush has come around to recognizing the warming planet is a reality that must be addressed.

While it is reasonable to evaluate proposed mitigating measures intended to offset human actions that exacerbate global warming in the context of their economical, social and environmental impacts, it is unreasonable to allow dogged adherence to ideological principals or plain lack of intellectual curiosity to blind legislative representatives.

Our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren deserve better from us and the legislative representative we elect.

FRED DORER

Bakersfield

Ashburn 'short-sighted'

Roy Ashburn contends action to mitigate global warming is simply left-wing hysteria designed to steal everyone's money. He clearly doesn't understand AB 32 and the urgency of early action. Most of the actions being implemented to reduce climate change are efficiency measures. Since when is saving energy not good for the economy?

Surely, even Ashburn realizes our continued reliance on fossil fuel is no longer wise, necessary or even possible. Together with efficiency measures we are quickly moving towards a far greater proportion of renewable sources in the state's power portfolio.

Construction of massive solar generation plants, rebuilding of city centers as vibrant magnets for residents and businesses, plus rapid expansion of public transportation are but a few ways to create thousands of new "green" jobs to replace the ones lost as we leave our fossil fuel economy.

If a carbon tax turns out to be the best way to help reduce our consumption of fossil fuel then it should be implemented. The tax can be rebated to those significantly reducing their carbon footprint and/or invested as seed money in the new technologies.

We need optimism as we face the challenges of the already obvious changes to our climate and economy. We can do without the short-sighted negativism of people like Ashburn.

TOM FRANTZ

Shafter