Patt Morrison for Thursday, 12/17/09

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Thursday, December 17, 2009

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

 

 

1:06 – 1:30

Not every environmentalist loves Copenhagen: James Hansen, the angry green

While most of the world looks at the Copenhagen climate summit with hope and at least a few shreds of optimism, there is harsh opposition to the conference coming from a seemingly surprising source.  James Hansen practically pioneered the public thinking about global warming with his testimony in front of Congress back in 1988, making an early call to limit the impacts of climate change.  Now Hansen has called for the collapse of the Copenhagen talks, instead believing in an immediate and escalating carbon tax on any and all emitters of greenhouse gasses.  Will the greatest opposition to Copenhagen come not from the global warming doubters, but the environmentalists?

 

Guests:

James Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies; adjunct professor of earth & environmental sciences at Columbia University

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• Hansen’s brand new book is titled “Storms of My Grandchildren:  The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity.”
• Hansen announced that the climate talks in Copenhagen must collapse if the world is to tackle global warming effectively.  He said that any agreement that emerges from Copenhagen will be counter-productive if it plumps for a “cap and trade” system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Hansen on cap and trade:  "This is analogous to the indulgences that the Catholic church sold in the Middle Ages. The bishops collected lots of money and the sinners got redemption. Both parties liked that arrangement despite its absurdity. That is exactly what's happening.”
• In Hansen's view, the only way to cut emissions is through an ever-increasing tax on carbon emissions. He believes that the "carbon tax" should start at around $1 per gallon of gasoline, with revenue returning directly to the public purse.

 

 

1:30 - 1:39

Can any kind of meaningful agreement emerge from Copenhagen?

Reports from the Copenhagen COP15 climate summit have negotiations on an international agreement that would regulate greenhouse gasses and establish some kind of “cap and trade” system breaking down, or at least grinding to a halt.  The problems were predictable:  developing countries want massive financial incentives to produce green energy and cap their carbon emissions, while rich developed countries don’t want to pay out the money, and want to continue to pollute without much interference.  In what could be the most complicated (and important) international agreement in recent history, can a deal be reached in Copenhagen?

 

Guest:

Robert Stavins, director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program & director of the Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements

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1:41 – 1:58:30

Reflections on Healthcare: How Cancer changed my life… for the better

According to the American Cancer Society each year approximately 24,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Patricia Ganz is joins Patt to discuss the mental transition from being a Cancer Patient to a Cancer Survivor and why a cancer patient would ever consider their diagnosis a gift.

 

Guests:

 

Dr. Patricia Ganz, Director of Cancer Prevention and Control Research at UCLA’s Johnsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

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2:06 – 2:19

(EMBARGOED UNTIL WED 12/16  - 9 P.M. - DO NOT PROMOTE UNTIL AFTER 9 P.M)

Republicans lag in governor's race says new PPIC survey

In a statewide survey released last night (Wednesday), the Public Policy Institute of California found that Democratic candidate for governor, Jerry Brown, would beat out all the declared Republican candidates if the race were today.  But the highest percentage of likely Republican voters - 44 percent - is undecided.  With the election more than a year away, what are the voters thinking about, if not the gubernatorial race?  Well, the budget, gay marriage and legalizing marijuana are in the top five areas of concern. We hear from PPIC president and CEO Mark Baldassare and San Francisco Chronicle political writer Carla Marinucci about the facts behind the figures.

 

Guests:

Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California

ON TAPE

 

Carla Marinucci, political writer for the San Francisco Chronicle

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2:21 – 2:30

How (not) to run for governor of California, by Gavin Newsom

The future seemed so bright for Gavin Newsom:  the insanely popular mayor of San Francisco endeared himself to gay couples everywhere when he declared San Francisco a legal sanctuary for gay marriage, and he impressed with policies tackling the city’s perpetual homeless problems.  So it was a natural progression of his political career when Newsom announced he was running for governor of California.  The dream came crashing down when, short on cash and facing better known opponents, Newsom pulled out of the race last month.  Now he reflects on the difficulties of running for governor, and returning to the less-than-friendly political and media throngs in San Francisco.

 

Guest:

Gavin Newsom, Mayor of San Francisco

HE CALLS US:

 

 

2:30 – 2:58:30

What corporate fiefs will the “pay czar” rule now?

Few wield as much power over Wall Street right now than White House "pay czar" Kenneth Feinberg.  He has single-handedly capped the salaries of executives at some of the biggest financial institutions in the nation including, AIG, Citigroup, and Bank of America. He is even credited with prompting Goldman Sachs to starve its top performers (including their CEO) of cash bonuses.  The perceived intrusion over compensation has lit a fire under many financial institutions to pay back TARP money tout suite—last week Citigroup and Bank of America made arrangements to return taxpayer money just to get him off…….well, their backs. Has all his good work made him irrelevant?

 

Kenneth Feinberg, Special Master for TARP Executive Compensation, or the Obama administration’s “Pay Czar”; adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center

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Jonathan Serviss

Producer, Patt Morrison Program

Southern California Public Radio

NPR Affiliate for Los Angeles

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