The U.S. Department of Energy, presumably in a last act of suicidal madness before George W. comes on board and eliminates it, just published a report debunking the whole notion that doing something about global warming would hurt the US economy. Study after study has shown this: the economy-hurting models are all programmed with the most conservative estimates for technological change: surprising for a culture that has proved over and over again how rapidly it can innovate when pushed. The whole thing is ridiculous. It would hurt a small section of the economy, the fossil fuel dinosaurs, and would benefit all the new energy entrepreneurs and everyone else. But the fossil fuel dinosaurs own the place.

It is the Canadian position as well. My own theory is that the dinosaurs are simply trying to recreate the heated swampworld from which they arose: and the rest of us are in thrall to them.

yours, Peter T.