Re: Global Warming Pounds Europe
jayflash said:
Manufacturing products which utilize free (solar, wind, biomass, bio diesel, geothermal, etc) energy will improve our economy, balance of trade, job security and national security. The USA can produce the machinery and engineering to harness free energy and sell it to the rest of the world. We can set the right environmental examples and have it work to our advantage.
While it still may not be provable beyond a reasonable doubt that mankind's actions are causing climatic change, we should change for our own economic salvation. The vibe I get here is deep denial; that it doesn't even pay to change and that we have the right to go on consuming a disproportionate amount of the world's resources.
Since you brought it up, one point here, is that though the USA consumes a disproportionate amount of the worlds resources, it also produces a tremendous amount of the worlds products. Through Clinton pushing and lecturing businesses to go overseas, the American know how has taught folks all over the world. Because of this, China is becomming more and more of a threat. Plus there are alot of secrets we shared with the Chinese, under contract during previous president. That and China has a great spy network, who is shaking us down for secrets, and there are plenty of stories in the press of folks that got caught. It is estimated that there are a multitude of folks that haven't been caught. All this has allowed them to leapfrog by decades, and jumpstart their economy. Meanwhile, we send an awful lot of dollars overseas, while industries die here.
The USA produces 32.9% of the Gross National product with 4.65% of the world's citizens, with countries like Germany 6.0% GNP, Britain 4.6% GNP,
France 4.2% GDP, China 3.7% GDP. This would mean it would make alot of sense for us to consume alot more of the worlds raw materials, and we do.
The average American also can purchase more for his money than anyone in the world. The purchasing power parity shakes out at 37,600.00 per person. The next closest is Canada 29,400, followed by Japan 28,000, Australia 27,000, Netherlands 26,900, then follow the rest of European countries who are strapped down by the heavy taxes and social welfare, which cripple their countries with a heavy burden
http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/gnp.html
Economies that burden their citizens with heavy taxes and social welfare programs really show up in this list:
Long-term unemployment
Italy (63%)
Greece (52%)
Belgium (52%)
Germany (52%)
Spain (43%)
Portugal (38%)
France (37%)
Switzerland (30%)
Britain (28%)
Japan (27%)
Finland (27%)
Austria (23%)
Sweden (22%)
Denmark (21%)
Australia (21%)
Canada (10%)
USA (6%)
Norway (5%) <- The exception, but they have a tremendous injection of surplus oil revenues into their economy, which is somewhat unique.
And the US workers are the hardest workers in the industrial world,
"Workers in the United States are putting in more hours than anyone else in the industrialized world.
In hard numbers, what Johnson is saying is that his ILO statistics show that last year the average American worked 1,978 hours -- up from 1,942 hours in 1990. That represents an increase of almost a week of work. And it registers Americans as working longer hours than Canadians, Germans, Japanese and other workers."
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/CAREER/trends/08/30/ilo.study/
The Germans even work 500 hours less per year than Americans, which works out to 12 and a half weeks less.
Adding in developing nations, the only Czech Republic and South Korea put in more hours.
Anyhow, since we by and far produce the most product in the world (33% of it), it truely does make since that we'd also consume the most worlds raw goods, such as oil, especially since Americans are the hardest workers in the industrialized world, putting in more hours than anyone in the industrialized nations.
So, we are second in the world for oil production (Millions of barrels per day).
1 Saudi Arabia: 8.528
2 United States: 8.091
3 Russia: 7.014
4 Iran: 3.775
And we are first for consumption (Millions of barrels per day).
1 United States: 19.993
2 Japan: 5.423
3 China: 4.854
4 Germany: 2.814
But, since we both consume and produce, 19.993-8.528 = 11.465 Millions of barrels per day. This brings things much more into perspective, when you consider we produce 33% of the worlds goods.
Lets take Germany that produces 6% GNP, and the USA which produces 33%.
33/6= 5.5 times. So we take Germanies oil consumption, 2.814, and multiply it by 5.5, which equals 15.477 Millions of barrels per day. The USA is not at all far from this target, or is much better, depending on which side of the fence you look from.
Anyhow, I responded to your comment since you brought it up. Could we please get back to how Global Warming is Pounding Europe right now, and get more pictures?
