Clean Coal

In the absence of a working alternative to fossil fuels, it will become more and more of a necessity to turn to coal for fuel. Unless a renewable form of energy is developed that can power everybody's cars, the industry is going to turn to coal. I'm not advocating this, I'm just pointing out that that's the reality of the situation.

It is for this reason that I advocate research into clean coal technology. Of course at the very mention of this, environmentalists like to point out that there's no such thing, and, sure, the technology, right now, is very sketchy and few of the private companies who are advocating it are actually putting money into developing it. This is, in my opinion, the biggest reason people think clean coal is bullshit. And you what? Maybe it is, but in the absence of viable alternatives, we should at least be open to finding a way to make coal cleaner, because we may be stuck with it.

Fortunately, although private companies don't really want to develop clean coal technology, there are at least a few government programs that do. China, now the world's biggest polluter, has severe air quality problems, but at the same time, needs to continue to develop in order to prevent its collapse and widespread domestic revolt. Realizing that coal is likely their only future form of fuel, but also understanding that the current level of coal use is poisoning their population, is frantically trying to find ways to make coal cleaner.

Will this technology ever be effective? Maybe, maybe not. But if there is a chance that it can, and it looks like there may be? Why not investigate it? Why not research it?

Gay Marriage in New York

Looks like yet another state is about to legalize gay marriage through the legislative process rather than through the courts. After Vermont did this, the homophobes lost one of their favourite talking points about gay marriage in the US: that it was imposed by the courts. Now it's is being voted into law by the people.

The anti-gay groups don't seem organized enough to stop this one. They weren't even able to stop it in Maine and Vermont, and Vermont had a Republican governor who threatened to veto it.

Larry Auster was all butt hurt when Vermont legalized gay marriage, but hasn't made mention of Maine or New York.

The Market Has Spoken!

On Obama's Inauguration Day, the stock market dipped a bit and the crazies all said, "Obama is bad for the economy! The market has spoken!"

You haven't heard much of that recently. Especially not since about March 6th. Since then, the markets have been rising pretty steadily, and March 6th was just after Obama unveiled the details of his plan to revive the economy. If the reaction of the market is a good basis for predicting the outcome of a public policy, why has it been responding so well to Obama's "disastrous" bailout plan?

Of course, the market could tank tomorrow. It's not that predictable, but it has had a steady (although slowing) upward trajectory for the last two months. If Wall Street knows best, why hasn't the market reacted adversely to the Obama administration's plans? Aren't investors supposed to be running in terror from the market now that Obama has shown us his plans for its complete and utter destruction?