The CO2-Climate Controversy

In an editorial in the 13 March 2009 issue of Science, Christopher Reddy (Director of the Coastal Ocean Institute of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) writes that “one often-overlooked responsibility of scientists is explaining their work to people,” in order that they might contribute to “sound policymaking.” Now more than ever, he notes that “issues such as climate change … are migrating from scientific journals to the non-science community,” and he says “it’s critical that scientists venture beyond their laboratories to put these issues into the correct contexts and help the public understand what is known, unknown, and under debate [our italics],” which is precisely what we try to do — and have been doing for well over a decade now — in each weekly issue of our CO2 Science website.

Gore ignores real planetary emergency

“Al Gore…testified before House and Senate panels about a ‘true planetary emergency’ if Congress fails to act. He [added that] addressing the problem is a moral issue and should not be partisan or political.” (Gore Implores Congress to Save Planet; 3/21/07)

I may not be endowed with auditory enablers the size of a certain liberal presidential candidate from Illinois, but I know “hooey” when I hear it.

I remember hearing the over-the-top prognosticators of doom and gloom dating back to my High School days and before. I remember hearing the environmentalists predict a global drop in temperature was going to occur and create a new ice age. We are still waiting for Newsweek’s 1975 article about the impending ice age entitled “The Cooling World” by Peter Gwynne, to become a reality – the article predicted the world could expect same to happen within 10 years of its date of writing.

There was the acid rain scare, predictions of forest death in Central Europe, and other apocalyptic predictions, not the least of which were those outlined in William and Paul Paddock’s book entitled “Famine-1975.” They argued that, “by 1975, a disaster of unprecedented magnitude [would] face the world and famines greater than any in history [would] ravage the undeveloped nations.”

The Arizona Republic, on June 2, 1968, wrote “professor R. Heilbroner of New York predicted that in the early 1970s, ‘the greatest catastrophe the world has ever known’ [would] occur when the population far outstrips the available food supply.”

From the beginning, radical prognosticators of environmental apocalypse have been miserably wrong. Now, armed with new fictional threats and apocalyptic warnings, they seek to legislate the environment and thus further erode the rights of individuals.

I’m not suggesting that certain common sense considerations aren’t necessary. Dumping raw waste and pollutants into our water and attention to certain factory emissions are no-brainers. However, Dave Stirling, vice president of the Pacific Legal Foundation, was correct when he said, “[It is a] myth that heavy regulation promotes environmental health. In their zeal to promote their eco-political agenda, many environmentalists ignore evidence that overbearing regulation is counter-productive. A balanced approach – one that takes into account the human factor, the effect on jobs, the economy, and people’s ability to provide shelter and support their families – is actually the most promising and humane way to protect the environment.” (PLF Announces 2006’s Top Five Earth Day Lies; 4/20/06)

Al Gore basks in his new found celebrity as the environmental equivalent of Oskar Schindler, but “an inconvenient truth” is the murderous policy he defends while preaching save the planet. He claims “the planet has a fever” and that “if your baby [had] a fever you [would] go to the doctor.” An interesting analogy, considering the number of children who will never have the chance to visit a doctor who is concerned about their well-being, before they are murdered by the abortion industry Gore bows before – a holocaustic juggernaut that murders an unborn child approximately every 21.6 seconds in the United States.

“The period from 30 January 1933 to 8 May 1945 consists of 4,481 days. This means that the number of Jews murdered by Nazis during the Holocaust averaged 1,339 victims per day, or 56 victims per hour, or about one victim every 50 seconds or so. In the United States there are 4,000 abortions performed every day.” (Abortion: The American Holocaust; Center for Bio-Ethical Reform; 1/24/07)

Nearly 1,500 of these daily abortions are performed on black women. Planned Parenthood, one of Gore’s chief benefactors, specifically targets low income black neighborhoods, with 76 percent of their abortion clinics being located in same.

“Planetary emergency” in my vernacular is one where unborn black children are being murdered at a rate of 40 percent in the U.S. I call 46 million plus unborn children murdered worldwide yearly and the uncontrolled influx of illegal aliens along with Gore’s support for same, a planetary emergency of epic proportions.

Gore is right on one point: “There is a sense of hope in this country that [one day the] United States Congress will rise to the occasion and present meaningful solutions to this crisis.” And the best way to begin is by ending abortion, and introducing an immigration reform bill that calls for the immediate arrest and deportation of all illegals – one that sanctions any business or individual that employs, aids, or assists illegals, and one that calls for signs to be posted along the border facing Mexico with pictures of handcuffs and prison bars. It might also include language whereby we could charge Mexico with the cost of deportation.

Of course, we probably shouldn’t hold our breath because “morality and non-partisan politicisms,” in Gore’s vernacular, is that which enslaves and inconveniences all but himself and his kind.

House Says Bloggers Don’t Count As Journalists

Forgets the First Amendment

Two versions of a bill in Congress would enshrine a journalist’s right to keep his or her sources confidential, effectively banning the government from forcing journalists to reveal whistleblowers. One version though—the House version—gives an incredibly stupid definition of journalist that excludes not only bloggers, but freelancers, independents, and nonprofit journalists as well.

For the most part, the Senate and House agree on what a journalist’s duties are and what journalism entails:

the regular gathering, preparing, collecting, photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting, or publishing of news or information that concerns local, national, or international events or other matters of public interest for dissemination to the public.

But only the House version, which has more cosponsors than brains apparently, adds to that definition:

The term “covered person” means a person who regularly gathers, prepares, collects, photographs, records, writes, edits, reports, or publishes news or information that concerns local, national, or international events or other matters of public interest for dissemination to the public for a substantial portion of the person’s livelihood or for substantial financial gain and includes a supervisor, employer, parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of such covered person.

So, in effect, if journalism is a hobby or passion you do as a public service, or if you are a freelancer without a boss—both of which easily describe a blogger—then the government reserves the right to force you to tell them who told you something, much like the government tried to do with New York Times journalist Judy Miller under the Bush Administration.

Apparently our “representatives” have a real problem with citizen journalism done for the sake of journalism and for the good of democracy, and believe protecting the “free flow of information” is only reserved for officially approved press. No bloggers, no patriotic radicals, no underground agitator pamphleteers like the ones who actually founded and fought for this country to begin with.

Hate to (once again) school our freaking government about the freaking Constitution they freaking pledge to uphold, but this is Congress making a law abridging the freedom of the press, a violation of the First Amendment. I might be more sympathetic if they missed one further down the list, BUT IT’S THE FIRST FREAKING ONE.

By defining who is and who is not considered press, and therefore deciding who is entitled to special protection—in this case, especially, where they base it on who does it for money and who does it for passion (hint: the latter one is more likely to dig up something that matters)—the House of Representatives are doing us all a huge disservice if they don’t change that language.

Tesla Hires Former Harley Davidson Exec

Tesla has faced quite a bit of feedback, both positive and negative, around its electric powered sports car.  During their existence, they have dealt with some internal turmoil, losing Darryl Siry, but with his departure comes the addition of an experienced leader in the marketing and sales department.  Tesla has hired former Harley Davidson executive Michael van der Sande.  Mr. van der Sande began his time with HD in 1996 and in 2007 he was named the managing director of European operations, which included overseeing 370 dealerships throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. 

In moving forward from the loss of Siry, Tesla considered how they wanted to market their car around the world, and how they wanted their vehicles to gather an enthusiastic following, and there are few vehicles more well known of respected around the world than Harley Davidson.  Considering van der Sande’s experience in the European market and the expected push by Tesla to get their roadster moving into those markets, he seemed like the perfect choice.

Tesla hopes that as they begin moving more units, that they will begin to acquire a reputation among their faithful buyers similar to those who own and ride Harleys.  The attitude of “I wont ride anything buy a Harley” is an idea that most manufacturers could only dream of, but it is a reality to HD owners, and Tesla hopes that having a piece of Harley Davidson management could help provide a similar attitude for the future of Tesla.  Even though van der Sande did a great job in growing the Harley presence in Europe, realistically, can Tesla expect that hiring an overseas division manager will help mimic the appeal of over 100 years of motorcycle excellence?

 Can one man help someone reach the HD level of owner passion?

Estonia Taxes Farmers for Cow Farts

Please Don’t Tell Al Gore
Farmers in Estonia received their first “Cow Fart” tax demand on Monday. Following the issues of global warming, Estonia cited that a single cow produces 350 L of methane gas and 1500 L of carbon dioxide a day from flatulence and burping.
Can’t you see it now! The economy in the United States is approaching the tank, the liberals are examining every source of potential revenue they can find to pay for their failing “feel good” programs. How long do you think this will take? It will reach us faster than the killer bees did I’m afraid. Imagine, Al Gore getting in his “Eco Friendly Private Jet” and holding a news conference about cow farts and global warming !
Lets see, were paying the farmers to produce grain for ethanol, supporting the research into the mating habits of exotic flies, taxes up for the smokers to pay for a mandatory health care program that was never funded, schooling and health care for illegal aliens. There is no need to continue. It all has to be paid for, its just a matter of when the fart tax hits.

Noah’s Ark in Today’s Society…

The Lord speaks to Noah and says: “In one year, I am going to make it rain
and cover the whole Earth with water until all is destroyed. But I want you to
save the righteous people and two of every kind of living thing on the Earth.
Therefore, I am commanding you to build an Ark.”
In a flash of lightning, God delivered the specifications for an Ark.
Fearful and trembling, Noah took the plans and agreed to build the Ark.
“Remember,” said the Lord, “You must complete the Ark and bring
everything aboard in one year.”

Did Climate Change Kill the Roman Empire?

I love the global warmers, any minute variation in the days weather that favors their viewpoint is reported as irrefutable proof of their thesis. But, when the opposite happens, we hear “another uneducated poster has confused the global climate with the weather in one place on earth for a short period of time “What them would explain climate change starting 2000 years ago? Were the Anastazi and the Romans not to blame? Were they in denial? READ STORY FROM ABC NEWS BELOW
Scientists have discovered extraordinarily precise data on rainfall in the Mediterranean region from 200 B.C. to 1100 A.D. which suggests that the decline of the Roman and Byzantine empires may have been partly caused by climate change. It is not likely to end the debate among historians, some of whom believe the fall was more of a transformation than a collapse, but it is a tantalizing bit of evidence. And the way it was collected is as intriguing as the fact that researchers can now analyze rainfall on a year-to-year basis, season to season, even many thousands of years ago.
For more than 15 years scientists at the Geological Survey of Israel and Hebrew University have been studying stalactites from a cave near Jerusalem. Recently,Ian Orland and geology professor John Valley of the University of Wisconsin-Madison began the study of oxygen isotopes in these samples.

Rainbows & Butterflies

Now that Obama is our new fearless leader, everything is going to be just fine. There will be no more war, we’ll have Government Health Care, all our mortgages will be forgiven. It will all be just Rainbows and Butterflies. And now we can finally address Global Warming, we aren’t going to need anymore coal fired power plants and we will totally be off gasoline by 2015. How are we going to do this you ask? Well we’re all going to run our cars on happy butterfly pee, that’s how.

smaller carbon footprint can kick you in the shin

Even if you believe CO2 emissions cause global warming, there are unintended consequences when the government tries to solve this hyped problem.
The Wall Street Journal reports that a proposal circulating in Britain would establish personal CO2 rationing. Each person would be allotted some CO2 emissions. Every gasoline purchase, air conditioner turned on and jet flight would be charged against your account. Run out of credits, and you must buy more from anyone with a surplus. So much for the idea that only polluting factories pay a price to fight global warming. Of course, administering the plan would cost billions of dollars in taxes.

Russia pushes an ‘OPEC’ for natural-gas nations

Moscow – The nations with the world’s three biggest reserves of natural gas – Russia, Iran, and Qatar – are quietly moving ahead to form a “gas OPEC,” an organization modeled after the oil cartel.

In Tehran last week, representatives of the Russian natural-gas monopoly Gazprom met with counterparts from Iran and Qatar and agreed to create “a big gas troika.” The group will meet quarterly to discuss pricing and supplies. Between them, these three countries hold an estimated 55 percent of known global gas reserves. The possibility of a cartel has long been opposed in Washington and European capitals.