To: WEF Government Affairs Climate Change Work Group
Re: Draft Water Sector Message on Climate Change - Response Requested March 4
Thank you for volunteering to serve on WEF's Government Affairs Climate Change Work Group. As this topic continues to receive more attention from the federal government, WEF will look to you for insight and input on legislative and regulatory actions related to climate change. For example, EPA's Office of Water is expected to release a draft climate change strategy, and this work group will develop WEF comments.
WEF has been meeting and discussing climate change with other water sector organizations, including NACWA, AMWA, and AWWA. Together, we've drafted the attached document, intended to unify and guide our message on the subject. If you would like to provide any comments on this document, please send them to me, Sharon Thomas, at sthomas@wef.org by COB on March 4. Please use the track changes tool!
WEF GA staff members look forward to working with you on this exciting and important issue.
Sharon
----- Original Message -----
From: Kenneth L Keil
To: 'Sharon Thomas'
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 11:56 AM
Subject: RE: WEF GA Climate Change Work Group
- Sharon,
I'm a member of RMWEA Gov't Affairs Committee and am responding to your request on the draft water sector message on climate change.
On the surface, the draft appears good. Trying to make ourselves more efficient will benefit many if not all in some way. However, calling on the federal gov't to assist w/ this matter is where I have a problem. Didn't the federal govt. prove to us all that it is not taking care of us by 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina? Given the failure of the CIA, FBI, FEMA, Congress and the president with these disasters, what makes WEF think that a govt. coordinated effort involving research of how to address the effects of global warming will be successful? Could starting another govt. boondoggle on this subject possibly lead to govt. controlled industries or for that matter the extinction of certain industries? Would the outcome of govt. led research lead to more squealching of rights like what happened with the Campaign Reform and the Patriot Acts?
The draft paper noted that irrespective of the cause of global warming we need to address mitigation measures of how it will affect our water resources. I agree, but later on in the paper, discussion is given to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Isn't this an insinuation that the cause of global warming is greenhouse gas emissions? Carbon dioxide, an alleged greenhouse gas emission, has a specific gravity of 1.03. Freon, the initial culprit of global warming going back to the late 80's and early 90's, has a specific gravity much greater than 1. I'm not familiar w/ your background, but these specific gravities indicate these gases are heavier than air. So how can they be getting up in the atmosphere/stratosphere and blowing holes through the ozone layer and causing the alleged global warming? Do you know there are hundreds of scientists in the world that are either saying global warming is bunk or we need to study what the real cause(s) are? Many of them would love to engage a debate w/ Al Gore, he who with little intellectual humility refuses to do so. One such scientist is Dr. Willie Soon. Check out one of his articles at http://www.wspc.com/books/physics/5199.html. He also will be giving a presentation at the Good Neighbor Forum in Cheyenne, Wyoming on March 15th called "Global Warming 101- Al Gore's CO2 Theory". You may want to consider sending a representative to this forum. You may find more information at http://www.goodneighborlaw.com.
Besides the uncertainty of knowing the cause of global warming, there are reasons for not having the govt. coordinate the research which include: - Where is the govt. going to get the money? The fed. govt. is running $250 to $450B/yr. deficits now. How much more debt are we going to place on ourselves, our children, grandchildren, etc.?
- The 10th amendment to the US constitution states whatever powers not vested to the fed. govt. per the constitution lie with the states and the people. Where in the constitution are powers delegated to the fed. govt. regarding control of water and addressing weather related issues? The answer is it doesn't.
- Govt. controlled research could lead to control or at least impacts to certain industries, whatever they maybe. For example, Congress passed a measure in which part of our energy supply is coming from ethanol created from corn. Some pundits say it costs more energy producing ethanol from corn than the benefits we receive. Some pundits state sugar beets would be more effective than corn. What has happened since the passage of this ethanol bill? There has been a shortage of corn as livestock feed, thereby, driving the cost of meat in this country. Essentially, hasn't a well intentioned bill adversely impacted a whole industry and the American consumer?
Sharon, please do not consider my comments being anti-research or anti-global warming. However, I'd like to suggest research be conducted from the private sector. Why couldn't a prestigious organization like WEA or AWWA coordinate this effort? If nothing else, this would take out some of the politics that would be inherent w/ a govt. led effort. Water is critical to life and out west it is extremely critical where water battles have been going on for over a 100 yrs. and don't seem to be improving as the cities continue growing all the while looking for sources of water. So becoming more efficient of not only our water, but all of our resources and at the same time respecting individual rights is paramount to the success of our continued civilization.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to comment and I ask my comments be seriously considered.
Kenneth L. Keil, P.E. ? OWEN PSOMAS
Senior Project Manager
Water Group
5353 W. Dartmouth Ave.
Suite 402
Denver, Colorado 80227
303.969.9393, (c) 303-483-3044
Fax 303.969.9394
kkeil@owen-engineering.com
www.psomas.com