Comments on: A Climate of Transparency

By: Michael F. Sarabia

Michael F. Sarabia — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:48:05 +0000

On last comment on the half-life of Carbon Dioxide: Endless!
When are we going to, finally, accept that.
ALL Carbon Emissions are forever harmful and there is no way to remove CO2 from the air.
Got that! No way, no how, never, not 100 years, like some say, even now and during a meeting sponsored by Progress.
Should we build a car tunnel to help traffic and reduce Carbon Emissions or should we restrict one lane in all tunnels for buses, only?
Or, should we wait another ten years, see how much the ocean temperature increase?

By: Frank

Frank — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:01:04 +0000

Excellent initiative.

The fact that Kevin Weigard takes appropriate notice of the concerns of operating entities is surely an essential part of encouraging cooperation, voluntary action, and awareness.

A more open approach seems to me badly needed in dealing with health insurance. From my media I hear mainly a one-sided stream of criticisms, unflattering assertions, claims, about the inefficiency, profit-orientation of insurance companies, or their efforts to exclude clients from treatment, etc. I have heard almost nothing from “the other side”, and have only rarely heard dicussion of differences in the performance of different companies and sectors within the insurance industry. I therefore don’t feel that I have an accurate handle on real-world background for this aspect of U.S. health care.

A factor consistently underrated by polarized activists for causes on either side of issues is the effect of image on the recruitment of talent to societal activities. When we demonize or stigmatize sectors of society we discourage people with leadership talent and idealism – i.e. those whom we would most likely to see have influence in them to from getting involved. That leaves those areas more likely to be managed by people with thicker skins.

The benefits of maintaining creative interest and courtesy applies even when dealing with demonstrated “bad guys”. At the risk of overdoing it, I think of Winston Churchill’s comment that “Even if you have to kill a man it doesn’t hurt to be polite”.

By: Michael F. Sarabia

Michael F. Sarabia — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:12:01 +0000

I see the G-8 adopted the concept of keeping global warming below 2 Degrees C.
That is something clear, like 5 deg F.
Perhaps, they do not know that once a molecule of Carbon Dioxide is far from the Earth surface, there is nothing, nothing whatever, at all, that will split the Carbon from the Oxygen.
In short, they do not know the process is irreversible for all the CO2 above 45,000 feet, or is it 30,000 ft.?
Brownian Motion will mix gases but the probability of a molecule above 50,000 ft., will ever reach the Earth surface is not very high, it is possible but most unlikely.
So, when they decide there is a REAL problem, say by 2080, it will be too late.
But, it is good that at least they admit there is a problem and it will be accepted, they said, when the average temperature (of the oceans?) increases by 2 deg. C.

By: Mark Pike

Mark Pike — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:46:49 +0000

Great stuff, Kevin. Incentivized transparency certainly seems like the right approach.

As both a former CAP staffer and a former ELPR staffer, I love seeing two of my favorite organizations team up to do excellent work.