Greenberg & Co.: how to sell hot climate action
http://gqrr.com/articles/1971/3378_energymessage.pdf
GREENBERG QUINLAN ROSNER May 9, 2007
Dramatic Transformation in Energy, Global Warming Debate America Must Take the Lead in New Energy Future
To: Interested Parties From: Al Quinlan, Stan Greenberg, John Podesta
The public debate about energy and global warming has undergone a =
dramatic transformation over the past few years. The results of =
recent polling and focus groups for the Center for American Progress =
argue that public officials should undertake an extremely aggressive =
and bold effort to make America energy independent and combat global =
warming. In the past, the public tended to think favorably of many =
alternative energy proposals, but these issues lacked both salience =
and urgency. That has changed dramatically in the past two years. The =
public now not only believes these issues are extremely important, =
but also feels strongly that America cannot afford to wait to change =
its policies on energy.
The sense of urgency is based on a well-developed notion that America =
is falling behind the rest of the world on energy and global warming. =
The poll found that just 14 percent believe America is a leader on =
energy and a majority see our country as falling behind the rest of =
the world. America is seen as captive to foreign governments and big =
oil, and we are failing to do what is needed to lead the world. The =
public concludes that America can do virtually anything once it makes =
up its mind to change.
The public is now poised to act, and will vote on these issues in a =
way that puts a political price on elected officials who oppose =
action on energy and global warming. Simply put, Americans believe we =
cannot afford to wait to change.
These issues are now a top priority for voters, they carry a sense of =
urgency and both energy independence and global warming have been =
elevated to a place unforeseen until this point.
=95 Energy independence and global warming more important than ever. =
Energy independence and stopping global warming now ranks alongside =
health care atop Americans’ domestic agenda. Twenty nine percent cite =
it as the most important challenge for us to work on as a country, =
compared to 32 percent citing health care. And energy dependence and =
global warming far outdistance education, economic globalization, and =
retirement security as top concerns. This response would have been =
unthinkable just a few years ago.
=95 Urgency=97America cannot afford to wait. People believe that America =
is falling behind and remains dangerously reliant on fossil fuels and =
they want strong action NOW. By an overwhelming 64 =96 35 percent =
margin, the public believes America “needs to act immediately to make =
our country less dependent on oil and move to cleaner, alternative =
energy sources.” It is important to note that this statement was =
posed against a position in favor of change, but in a gradual manner. =
Our focus group discussions were consistent as participants in four =
regions of the country were adamant that we must start “yesterday” to =
develop clean new energy and cleaner cars. Similarly, there is no =
appetite to wait to combat global warming as the public believes by a =
60 =96 33 percent margin that global warming has been set in motion and =
“we must take action now or it will be too late.”
=95 Global warming elevated to a major issue. Until now, global warming =
rested near the bottom of domestic priorities and failed to add power =
to arguments in favor of new energy policies. That dramatically =
changed, and global warming rose 15 points as “the top priority or =
one of the top two or three priorities for Congress and the =
President.” And it now adds power to the message for major change in =
energy policy by producing a 7-point increase in intense support for =
that change.
=95 Americans want clean energy solutions. In addition to their urgency =
about energy and global warming, Americans strongly favor mandates =
for clean energy technologies to address these problems. They see =
clean cars and fuels, wind and solar power, and cuts in global =
warming as essential to solving these problems, as well as enhancing =
our future economy.
Message and Positioning the Debate
The public is not only ready for our agenda, they demand that we =
change and move in a different direction on energy and global =
warming. The following are the key themes that project our mission =
and agenda is the most compelling manner.
- America as Leader. The message must be inspirational and build off =
the strong belief that America can do anything once we make the =
commitment. Americans are ready for their leaders to summon the =
willpower to act now. The notion that we should lead the world, not =
follow, is powerful and captures the public’s general mood and this =
issue specifically. Americans still believe that we have the =
technological know-how to improve our energy policy. The reality that =
other countries have accomplished some of these goals=97 in Europe and =
Brazil among others=97 is a strong reminder that it is not only =
possible, but is an imperative. America’s can-do spirit, coupled with =
a commitment to lead the world, is a powerful theme and puts the =
opposition in the untenable position of being the naysayer about =
American ingenuity and optimism.
- Freedom and Independence. Freedom, independence and self =
sufficiency are the essence of what the public believes is our =
ultimate energy goal. When asked in focus groups, people cited =
independence and self sufficiency as the most important objectives in =
an energy plan. These values are our country’s foundation, but have =
been lost. Instead, people now believe that we have become captive to =
big oil and foreign countries. We should seize the mantle of freedom =
and independence.
- Seize the Economic Debate. The public believes America is losing =
ground in the rapidly changing world economy and they strongly =
conclude that moving to clean, alternative energy technologies will =
make our economy stronger, create jobs and save people money. We =
should take the offensive, not defensive, in the economic debate and =
advance a message that production of clean, alternative energy will =
help to restore America as a leader in the world economy, create =
future jobs, higher incomes and put us back in the forefront of world =
economic advancement.
Dramatic Transformation on Energy, Global Warming Debate The Agenda
The desire for immediate action on energy independence and global =
warming is clear, and there are several concrete steps that leaders =
in government can take right now to bring us closer to our goals=97all =
of which enjoy broad public support and can make a real difference.
=95 Renewable electricity standard=9725 percent renewable sources such as =
wind and solar by 2025
=95 New mileage standards for all cars=9740 miles per gallon
=95 Carbon cap=97Cap and then reduce carbon emissions by 2 percent each year
=95 Tax credits=97Provide incentives to people who use clean, alternative =
energy and companies that produce it
May 25th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Models are GIGO. For instance, sequester enough CO2 and you starve plant life, cut down on oxygen and CO2, and freeze the planet. We will then need to burn the furniture to keep warm which could tip over into burning the remaining oxygen while we all choke in the cold. Sound incredible? It is.
The planet has evolved mechanisms over geological time (4.5 billion years of trial and error) to protect itself. Earth’s climate varies for a lot of extraterrestrial reasons. The shortest period has to do with the interplay of solar activity and cosmic radiation from the Milky Way. During quiet periods of solar activity, like now, cosmic radiation penetrates the atmosphere and creates clouds where conditions permit. Over long periods this cools the earth. Most of the time however, sun’s magnetic activity induces earth’s geomagnetic field. The geomagnetic shields are up during most of the 11 year sun spot cycle. Earth’s cooling (1940-1965) and earth’s heating (balance of the 20th century) is 95% correlated to sunspot peak frequency. Short cycles induce cooling and long cycles induce warming. This is a magnificently balanced system because the total solar irradiance varies very little. The subtlety is the correlation with sunspot peak frequency. During the Maunder Minimum there were no sunspots and the world suffered through the Little Ice Age.
CO2 has come out of the planet during 4.5 billion years of volcanic activity. Plants use CO2 to produce carbohydrates, oxygen and water vapour. Free oxygen is not produced by volcanoes. CO2 has the property of inverse solubility. Global warming from the sun forces CO2 out of the ocean in increasing quantities like warming beer. CO2 is the effect, not the cause of the warming. Moreover, the absorption wavelength for CO2 in the spectrum is filled. CO2 will not contribute any more heating. The analogy is adding a second Venetian blind to your window may not make the room any darker.
Sea level is said to be rising (ICPP) at 2 – 3 mm a year. Since the Pleistocene it has risen 125 metres (6 mm a year) and most of the coastal tribes of the earth have a Noah. The coral reefs of the oceans have kept pace because of a symbiotic relationship with algae that keep them thriving in the sunlit surface of the sea no matter how fast sea level rises. Barrier bars like the Atlantic longshore bar are dynamic features that are fed sand by Piedmont rivers and maintain themselves in the surf zone. A summer beach is wide and fine and a winter beach is coarse and steep. Common sense needs to be applied.
By the way modern coal-fired power plants produce electricity, water vapour and CO2; plant food not pollution. The US has enough coal and oil shale to support itself for 1,000 years. This AGW piece is political, not scientific, and is coming out on party lines.