slashingtongue» eyebrows http://slashingtongue.com Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:22:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Embarrassment : South Africa to cut carbon emissions by 42% http://slashingtongue.com/politics/embarrassment-south-africa-to-cut-carbon-emissions-by-42/ http://slashingtongue.com/politics/embarrassment-south-africa-to-cut-carbon-emissions-by-42/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:47:01 +0000 PreetSG http://slashingtongue.com/?p=1067 The government of South Africa is going to cut Carbon emissions by a whopping 42%. China too has promised to cut her carbon emissions by 40%. But it is South Africa that is really raising my eyebrows, because, I have got to wonder, is it hot air, or a slap to the face of Western countries?

]]> The government of South Africa is going to cut Carbon emissions by a whopping 42%. China too has promised to cut her carbon emissions by 40%. But it is South Africa that is really raising my eyebrows, because, I have got to wonder, is it hot air, or a slap to the face of Western countries?

First, I would like to state the reason why I am more impressed with South Africa’s goal than I am with Chinese’ goal. Even though China has a bigger economy and is going to cut more Carbon if they succeed, they are communist. Whether or not their people like it, they can get it done as long as it is the whim and fancy of their government.

South Africa on the other hand is a free nation. It has a very good democratic system and is a large democratic state. So one would be expecting them to face the problems that other democracies are facing: opposition push back. But they did not!

US is trying to push a bill that is only going to cut emissions by 17%. And even that is too much for the right wing opposition the Republicans. It is the same with India, where the centrist Congress party is being based by the left wing socialist parties and the BJP led religious right wing. If you think Washington is bad, wait till you see the opposition to an agenda in the Indian Sabhas!

So how is this country able to get her houses in order? Is it because the 65% mandate of the ANC is enough for them while a 60% mandate would be disastrous just as it is in the United States with the Democrats? Or is it just a matter of will? The South Africans are willing to go along with it while we Americans are not…

I really feel ashamed that they can do it so easily unlike us. They are not an extremely rich country like we are. They have a higher debt vs GDP ratio than us. Their population is not so educated as us who know that the Earth is becoming warmer.

In my opinion, it is the disregard of the people over here about facts and counter checks. We do not put people in the spotlight and correct the facts. That is why there are leaders like Governor Sarah Palin, who thinks that the Earth is becoming warmer just by itself. That is why we have idiotic politicians that go on TV and can claim, “ Why is Mars and Jupiter becoming hotter? It is because the Sun is becoming hotter.” ( So I guess the Sun’s heat can only be felt by 3 out of eight of the planets for this guy! FYI, he is right but the rest of the planets are in sync with the Sun and is cooling due to the Sun’s cooling phase).

Come on America. We have single-handedly won 2 world wars. We have single handedly propped countries economies up; countries like Japan, Germany, South Korea, the United Kingdom, France, these countries all were literally built from the rubbles of war by the taxes of our forefathers. We are the beacon of hope and freedom. We even are the pioneers of green technology.

So Yes we can cut down out carbon emissions by more than the pathetic goal of 17% that the President has set. The Republicans should be demanding a higher percentage rather than claiming that climate change does not exist and that efforts to curb it would result in a loss of jobs. Lets rally and do the impossible, something only Americans can do.

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