CAT | Politics
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Old News Anew: The unintended ripples from the biomass subsidy program
0 Comments | Posted by George in Econ, Politics
It sounded like a good idea: Provide a little government money to convert wood shavings and plant waste into renewable energy.
But as laudable as that goal sounds, it could end up causing more economic damage than good — driving up the price of raw timber, undermining an industry that has long used sawdust and wood shavings to make affordable cabinetry, and highlighting the many challenges involved in decreasing the nation’s dependence on oil by using organic materials to create biofuels.
In a matter of months, the Biomass Crop Assistance Program — a small provision tucked into the 2008 farm bill — has mushroomed into a half-a-billion dollar subsidy that is funneling taxpayer dollars to sawmills and lumber wholesalers, encouraging them to sell their waste to be converted into high-tech biofuels. In doing so, it is shutting off the supply of cheap timber byproducts to the nation’s composite wood manufacturers, who make panels for home entertainment centers and kitchen cabinets.
This sounds a lot like the dumbest idea of 2009: “Cash for Clunkers.” First, find a process that is relatively efficient (say, using leftover wood to make useful products, or, selling used cars to people who need them). Next, make that process less efficient and more exciting (for instance, by taking the wood away from making useful products and instead using it in a relatively inefficient biomass-to-energy conversion, or, taking used cars and permanently immobilizing them so that no one will ever drive them again). In both cases the government increases the price of products people need (wood products, cars) but claims it is doing something “green” while improving the economy. Bogus.
Sarah Palin’s Op-Ed in the Washington Post today is illogical. She argues that the U.S. should boycott the Copenhagen talks:
This scandal obviously calls into question the proposals being pushed in Copenhagen. I’ve always believed that policy should be based on sound science, not politics . . . . [o]ur representatives in Copenhagen should remember that good environmental policymaking is about weighing real-world costs and benefits . . . . [t]he president should boycott Copenhagen.
She correctly points out the problem caused by the scientists involved in “Climate-Gate.” The problem is that facts were repressed, so arguably, the scientists and policymakers who read the scientific journals that suppressed this information could not make fully informed decisions about climate change. In other words, her premise is very valid: suppression of speech leads to poor policy choices because society can’t make fully informed decisions.
Her solution? Completely boycott the Copenhagen talks, thus completely ignoring all speech by those who believe that climate change is a serious issue. Apparently, to Palin, ignoring or suppressing the speech of those she agrees with is appalling, but ignoring or suppressing the speech of those she disagrees with is just dandy.
The logical fallacy is obvious. What’s worse is the whole Op-Ed is just an excuse for her to ramble on about herself.
Ironically, the Washington Post published this piece of SPEECH, yet I am sure that she would not mind if the Washington Post suppressed the swath of negative reactions to this piece that will be appearing in the paper for days to come.
From The Art of Manliness Blog:
During the early days of the internet, the web was heralded as a new kind of forum, a place where the free exchange of ideas would be unrestricted and people could interact and engage with all sorts of opinions and views. Unfortunately, what has happened is that the internet has instead been used to form narrower and narrower communities, smaller and smaller niches of like-minded individuals who enjoy having their preconceived notions confirmed and their egos stroked. (emphasis added)
This last sentence indirectly sums up how I feel about politics today. More and more people refuse to acknowledge the potential validity of opposing viewpoints, and are unwilling to explore the potential falsity of their own ideas. Exemplifying this notion is the fact that many people today treat politics like a team sport, voting the entire right side or left side of the ticket without stopping to consider the individual candidates.
I was happy to see that, for the most part, President Obama was received with open arms at Notre Dame’s Commencement over the weekend. However, the controversy surrounding Obama’s visit has prompted a number of questions, not only about abortion rights but about the value of speech and the value of tolerance.
Speech
Speech is extremely essential to any society. The right to free speech is one of the most celebrated and long-lasting rights in America. The First Amendment explicitly prevents the government from abridging our right to free speech. Additionally, society generally shuns private individuals (who are not obligated to observe the 1st Amendment) who try to censor speech.
The purpose behind this celebrated right is that we recognize that humans are fallible, and that the government is not all-knowing. We recognize that no single person or group of persons can always be right about everything. Rather, we recognize that new, unpopular ideas may turn out to be correct. See Galileo. Simply because an overwhelming majority of scientists believe that climate change is man-made does not mean that we should censor the dissenters. A belief of a large crowd can often be wrong, and if we refuse to believe that we could ever be wrong, then we risk severe harm to human civilization.
Additionally, speech is often the vehicle by which people can come to optimal solutions. Theoretically, when we debate important ideas, and we allow many people to speak, the best ideas will rise to the top as more and more individuals become convinced. Furthermore, speech can help us strengthen our convictions in our own beliefs. If we learn the best and most convincing arguments of people that believe differently from us, but we can rationally reject those ideas, then presumably we must reject them because we believe our views are even more convincing. We could not realize our own views’ strength if we did not compare them to those of others.
Although Notre Dame is not the government, and does not need to obey the 1st Amendment, Notre Dame should have been shunned if it decided to keep Obama away purely because some students do not like his views on one issue. Keeping him away would be asserting a kind of infallibility in both the school and in the students themselves. It would encourage students to believe that they do not need to recognize that any beliefs other than their own, and it would encourage students to shelter themselves only with those that believe the same things they do. It would prevent the students from learning other ideas that could either strengthen their own convictions or change their mind.
Obama was not at Notre Dame to convince Catholics that killing babies was a good idea. Primarily, he was there to say congratulations for graduation. As a secondary matter, he was there to respond to the protests at Notre Dame, and say that although perhaps pro-lifers and pro-choicers will never agree on the issue of abortion, they still have to live with one another and be able to speak with one another. Moreover, if there is ever to be any serious abortion-related legislation, both sides are going to have to work with each other. If you never speak to the other side, that will never happen, and neither side will ever be able to compromise.
Tolerance
Obama’s visit also raised questions about tolerance in society. By tolerance I do not mean that Catholics should believe that Obama’s pro-choice view is just as correct as their pro-life view. Rather, they need to accept him as a human being despite having conflicting views with their religion. I am a recently-confirmed Catholic. One of the most important lessons that I learned in the Bible is that Jesus did not only associate with saints, but sinners as well. Jesus did not fight with other people; he turned the other cheek. Jesus loved his neighbor, and he loved his enemies.
Catholics who responded to Obama’s visit by handing out hateful pictures of aborted fetuses and calling Obama a murderer did not act the way Jesus wanted people to act. Instead, they shut their minds and showered Obama with hatred. The Golden Rule that not only Christians but many persons claim to obey is “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Would a Catholic who had an opportunity to speak at a school that was very pro-choice have wanted to be showered with this type of hatred?
Conclusion
Those that are pro-life and pro-choice need to put down their weapons. First, abortion is not the most important policy issue going on right now in the world. Both sides are going to have to work together to deal with a number of other important issues. If they refuse to talk to one another because of abortion, that will be a shame, and more important things will not get done. Secondly, humans are not infallible. Assuming that one is all-knowing is extremely foolish and risks a “Galileo situation.” Finally, Catholics who treat others with hate, even those who are their greatest enemies, are contradicting Jesus’s teachings. It sounds tacky to say this, but: can’t we all just get along?
I don’t understand how someone could make Mr. Hinchey’s statement, below, with a straight face:
And Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey (D-N.Y.) vowed to force the White House to accept delivery of a new presidential helicopter Obama says he doesn’t need and doesn’t want. The helicopter program, which cost $835 million this year, supports 800 jobs in Hinchey’s district. “I do think there’s a good chance we can save it,” he said.
I guess “save it” means extract money from the federal government that serves no purpose. Instead of employing 800 people to do something worthless, why not just pay those 800 people money for doing nothing? That would be more efficient.
