IS THIS THE FIRST REAL STEP THE USA TAKES TO COMBAT GLOBAL WARMING?

Nancy Pelosi and her entourage are today in Singapore.  Read her Singapore statement.  She met with Singapore President Halimah Yacob.

However, the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong since 2004 has really been running the country, who also met Pelosi.   But will she visit Taiwan?  Apparently yes, but only as a one night stopover.  She will also stop by Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.  

Most of these countries rank near the top in new cases/million population.  While reportage on weekends are spotty, here is how they ranked of major countries in terms of new cases yesterday/million population:

• 
  #1      Japan  1695
• #2      S. Korea  1433
• #3      Australia  1160
• #4      New Zealand  891
• #5      Taiwan  881
• #6      Singapore  859
• #8      Italy  625
• #12    France  481

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 negotiated by Senators Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer is a pale version of the bullish $3+ trillion original package, and $2+ trillion Democrat wish-list legislation, that nevertheless might well be the the first real step the USA takes to combat global climate warming.  The details:

    Total Revenue to be raised = $739 billion

• 5% Corporate Minimum Tax           $313 billion
• Prescription Drug Pricing Reform  $288 billion
• IRS Tax Enforcement                      $124 billion
• Carried Interest Loophole               $  14 billion

    Total investments = $433 billion

• Energy Security/Climate Change   $433 billion
• Affordable Care Extension             $  64 billion

    TOTAL DEFICIT REDUCTION = $300+ billion

Want to read the full legislation?  It is 725 pages long.  Supposedly Senator Kyrsten Sinema is carefully reading it.  That's what staff do.  Will she become the next Joe Manchin?

• For the first time in a long time Manchin will today meet with Sinema.

• 
  Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who has been in that position for a decade, will still need to rule if this bill can pass through reconciliation.  She could delete the legality of certain budget items.
• Note that she serves at the pleasure of Chuck Schumer.
• If Sinema agrees, then will Senator Dick Durbin be able to vote because of COVID?

• 
  Will House Democrat moderates bend enough.
• The current plan is to pass the senate by August 5, when it goes on recess.
• There is too much promise for this legislation to now be scuttled.

If all goes well, let's face it, a total of $433 billion is not quite the $50 trillion it will take to end global climate warming.  This Senate bill is worth less than 1% of what is needed.

According to Forbes, funds are needed for renewable energy ($14 trillion), electric vehicles ($11 trillion), biofuels ($27 trillion), hydrogen ($20 trillion) and carbon capture/storage ($2.5 trillion).  Note:  1 trillion dollars = 1000 billion dollars.

UK professor Bill McGuire published a new book, Hothouse Earth.  He says:  we’ve passed the point of no return and must now brace ourselves for climate breakdown.  If we act now it could be merely “grim.”

I actually met with him in his campus office when I was writing SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for Planet Earth.  He is a bit into hyperbole, as he was on mega tsunamis.

The usual sites are suffering this year, like Pacific Northwest, Europe and China.  Yes, China.  They are breaking records, something, for some reason, that escape media hype.  Shanghai hit 106F, the highest since 1873.  All-time highs:  Tunisia 131F, Iran 129F, Death Valley 134.

Finally the full blooming of my Blood Lily on Day 13.

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