"When I think of all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all." - Paul Simon
This post is dedicated to my nieces and nephews of whom I hope I am worthy.
So Al Gore wins the Nobel Peace for his work on global warming. Now what global warming has to do with peace, I’m not exactly sure. And I’m not entirely sure that Al Gore is correct in his assessment that we are to blame for global warming (well, you are – not me. I’ve kinda absolved myself of any responsibility - and let me tell ya, it feels good). So, why aren't you? Well, I guess I could reference all sorts of books, studies, articles and essays that would debunk Algore's contention but I'm sure the You-are-to-blame-for-global-warming crowd could come up with their own data to counter the skeptics... and all that would be boring - besides who has time to read anymore?
The biggest reason I think Algore is probably full of it is because of Paul Ehrlich. Paul Ehrlich and the fact that I've been down this road before and you know what?... it was all B.S.
Who's Paul Ehrlich? I was introduced to Paul Ehrlich back in the 70s when I was in public elementary school. More accurately, I had Paul Ehrlich shoved down my throat. Every month, the class would get those paper-back pamphlets, the Weekly Reader, that was supposed to be filled with all sorts of word and number games, stories and fun facts for kids. And it seemed that in every issue, this guy Paul Ehrlich was espousing imminent environmental and global doom. Great Britain will be under water by the year 2003.. There will be rampant world-wide famine by 1997... fun facts, alright.
This post is dedicated to my nieces and nephews of whom I hope I am worthy.
So Al Gore wins the Nobel Peace for his work on global warming. Now what global warming has to do with peace, I’m not exactly sure. And I’m not entirely sure that Al Gore is correct in his assessment that we are to blame for global warming (well, you are – not me. I’ve kinda absolved myself of any responsibility - and let me tell ya, it feels good). So, why aren't you? Well, I guess I could reference all sorts of books, studies, articles and essays that would debunk Algore's contention but I'm sure the You-are-to-blame-for-global-warming crowd could come up with their own data to counter the skeptics... and all that would be boring - besides who has time to read anymore?
The biggest reason I think Algore is probably full of it is because of Paul Ehrlich. Paul Ehrlich and the fact that I've been down this road before and you know what?... it was all B.S.
Who's Paul Ehrlich? I was introduced to Paul Ehrlich back in the 70s when I was in public elementary school. More accurately, I had Paul Ehrlich shoved down my throat. Every month, the class would get those paper-back pamphlets, the Weekly Reader, that was supposed to be filled with all sorts of word and number games, stories and fun facts for kids. And it seemed that in every issue, this guy Paul Ehrlich was espousing imminent environmental and global doom. Great Britain will be under water by the year 2003.. There will be rampant world-wide famine by 1997... fun facts, alright.
Turns out ol' Paul wrote some books that were chock full of this doom-saying of famines, overpopulation and running out of natural resources. Also turns out he was wrong. In fact, because he was so wrong on about every one of his predictions, like Gore, he was bestowed with all types and manner of awards and honors. (That's just the way things work in some circles - I don't make the rules). It was all B.S. All of it.
Another concept that was accepted as an article of faith and which was repeated mantra-like to me at school was: "Yours will be the first generation in the history of this country to not achieve a higher standard of living than your parents." I remember sitting there listening to that and feeling cheated and a little betrayed... feeling like, "hey, I didn't sign up for this trip, man - what gives?" Wasn't this America? Wasn't this, as our parents told us, the greatest country in the world? What's this business of being in decline... of being in a malaise?
And guess what... it was all B.S., too? Every single shred of doom and gloom that was predicted to plague us Gen-Xers was wrong.... flat-out wrong! And you know why? Because "they" were wrong and people like my parents, older brothers and Ronald Reagan were right. America is the greatest country in the world and Americans are fundamentally hard-working, decent and innovative can-do people. (You have no idea what a transition from a Carter Presidency to a Reagan Presidency did to shape the outlook on life and the general world-view of a 12-13 yr. old kid. Perhaps you do).
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”
Folks, its all right there. This is our own Ground Zero mantra. Can it fight global warming? Maybe, but to be honest, I don’t care. I care more that we forget about our mantra and are forced to listen to and are dealt the consequences of “their” mantra.
Their mantra that justifies sticking a boot into the backs of our children, shoving them onto a cross-town school bus to appease their own god, Diversity. Their mantra which rationalizes shutting down political speech 30 days before an election because our benevolent electees don’t want us to hear anything “negative” and don’t think we have the God-given ability to process information right up until election day. Their mantra that justifies tossing us out onto the street because tax revenue from the retail complex to be built on the dirt where our home once stood trumps our property rights.
Sorry. I can’t get too impassioned about global warming when the above is the current state of affairs in this country.
So I wish Al the best of luck with this whole global warming thing. I think he’s full of it but I’ve been wrong many times before. I will say, though, that if any of his “initiatives” or “protocols” run afoul of the above phrase from the Declaration of Independence, I’m going to slug him.
Apologies for the self-indulgent nature of this post. You are now returned to the regularly-scheduled, collegial, fraternal and, of course, royal “We” programming.
Another concept that was accepted as an article of faith and which was repeated mantra-like to me at school was: "Yours will be the first generation in the history of this country to not achieve a higher standard of living than your parents." I remember sitting there listening to that and feeling cheated and a little betrayed... feeling like, "hey, I didn't sign up for this trip, man - what gives?" Wasn't this America? Wasn't this, as our parents told us, the greatest country in the world? What's this business of being in decline... of being in a malaise?
And guess what... it was all B.S., too? Every single shred of doom and gloom that was predicted to plague us Gen-Xers was wrong.... flat-out wrong! And you know why? Because "they" were wrong and people like my parents, older brothers and Ronald Reagan were right. America is the greatest country in the world and Americans are fundamentally hard-working, decent and innovative can-do people. (You have no idea what a transition from a Carter Presidency to a Reagan Presidency did to shape the outlook on life and the general world-view of a 12-13 yr. old kid. Perhaps you do).
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”
Folks, its all right there. This is our own Ground Zero mantra. Can it fight global warming? Maybe, but to be honest, I don’t care. I care more that we forget about our mantra and are forced to listen to and are dealt the consequences of “their” mantra.
Their mantra that justifies sticking a boot into the backs of our children, shoving them onto a cross-town school bus to appease their own god, Diversity. Their mantra which rationalizes shutting down political speech 30 days before an election because our benevolent electees don’t want us to hear anything “negative” and don’t think we have the God-given ability to process information right up until election day. Their mantra that justifies tossing us out onto the street because tax revenue from the retail complex to be built on the dirt where our home once stood trumps our property rights.
Sorry. I can’t get too impassioned about global warming when the above is the current state of affairs in this country.
So I wish Al the best of luck with this whole global warming thing. I think he’s full of it but I’ve been wrong many times before. I will say, though, that if any of his “initiatives” or “protocols” run afoul of the above phrase from the Declaration of Independence, I’m going to slug him.
Apologies for the self-indulgent nature of this post. You are now returned to the regularly-scheduled, collegial, fraternal and, of course, royal “We” programming.
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17 comments:
Don't let the MSM's insanity numb you to environmental concerns. While I agree that Global Warming isn't that big of a deal (though I believe that it is occurring, for whatever reason), there is indeed a hugh environmental threat in front of us.
More here.
That's huge, not hugh.
Sigh.
... and here I thought we might have to have a chat with this "hugh" fellow...
No doubt - didn't want to paint an "ostrich-head-in-sand" picture, however, I resent the high-handed nature of how global-warming is presented and of what we NEED to do to combat it (I'm sorry, what you need to do). The hypocricy surrounding the entire affair is galling.
Further, as there are many environmental concerns, it becomes difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff in the current climate of demagogueing everyone's pet cause.
To wit, years ago, I remember the Surf Rider Foundation here in San Diego admit completely unapologetically in an interview with the U-T that they exaggerated their claims of water pollution because it was such a crowded field out there on the enviro-alamrmist front. That stuck with me.
We can do this. We can solve these problems in a sane, rational and logical manner. I will not, however, listen to anyone who will not submit to the same.
i am totally with you on this Dean. But I am also a realist. There is going to be political pressure to "do something." Conservatives and libertarians need a win-win solution. So I am proposing that in exchange for a carbon tax, we get a phase out of the income tax. The income tax is such a drag on the economy that this would unleash the economy. I would also propose that we propose a world wide treaty to the same effect. This would have a couple of purposes:
1. Countries without free economies would be pushed towards a freer economy by a carbon tax. (This is a little tricky to explain, please trust me on this one.)
2. It would totally screw those middle-easterners who hate us and take our dollars for oil. Simple supply and demand will cause their revenue to start falling.
3. America will have a competitive advantage in developing alternative energy technologies which could be a new growth industry.
But if we don't hold out for killing the income tax, all bets are off. This will just be another tax that will bloat the size of our government and continue the trend of killing freedom in the USA.
B-Daddio, I'm down. It appears we have done the same here to a degree.
Anecdotally speaking: In the wake of Bush's tax cuts, there has been a noticeable increase in entrance and camping fees out at Joshua Tree and other national parks I have visited.
Yeah, I bitch about it at the time but ultimately I have no problem with this "user fee" or "value-added tax". I use - I pay - no problem. (Bitching is fun - O.K.?)
But as you aware, the trick is to get everyone else to buy in. And your sane, rational use of the market is completely insane and irrational to the third-world mentality that afflicts the majority of decision makers both here and abroad.
Quick update: NASSCO has been losing engineers to yards on the Gulf Coast to build rigs to tap the hell out of that reserve dicovered a couple years ago there in the Gulf. I know, I know... not a long term global/environmental solution but definetely a positive move away from dependance on Mid-East oil.
OK, neo-cons. I understand that I'm never going to get you to eat your broccoli OR face facts on global warming. So why don't we start with the peas instead?
We MUST ban smoking! Smoking is not good for you, and it's not good for me to breathe it in every time I leave the damn building -- courtesy of people wearing catchers mitts for faces sticking lung darts into their lips.
Further, those same people then toss their butts into the gutter. What do I find whenever I go to a San Diego beach for a Cleanup Day? By a VAST majority, those same damn cigarette butts and thousands more just like them.
That's a start at cleaning up air and land pollution. Surely we can all agree that my right to breathe clean air trumps yours to pollute it, and that my right to not wade through 10 pounds of cigarettes at the beach trumps yours to litter carefree? Now, go run to the GOP-Funding Tobacco Lobby to get the rationale on why smoking is so good for you, me, and 10 year olds (Right, Joe Camel?). I'll give you a hint of what they'll say: It's so that Billy Ray in N. Carolina can have a job at the factory (Surrrre). Oh, and the "smooth taste". - Mongo
Dear Mongo,
Neo-cons? Isn't that pejorative for New conservatives? I think most of the people with whom you disagree are either old school conservatives or conservative Libertarians. My dear Mr. LLoyd, do we need to reduce the dialogue to name calling?
Littering is already on the books, let's enforce the law, not make new ones.
The smell of smoke is offensive and harmful in enclosed areas. But at the beach?
Do we ban chewing gum next, or fast food because you have the right to not wade through that litter? Let's get back on the topic, the global warming farce.
By the way, I love my broccoli!
Dean, I would say, don’t get me started, this is my favorite rant.
Global warming is a tax grab. The last bastion of those who are unable to defend their position is, “the debate is over and those who disagree have been purchased.” Algore
Yet it is the opposite that is true; the very livelihood of those scientists who disagree has been threatened. These researchers have had their opposing opinions intimidated by the threat of disallowing government grants. Reportedly by John Stossel, winner of 19 Emmys, one researcher had his life threatened.
While the earth has certainly warmed over the last century, plenty of independent scientists say scientists cannot be sure that man caused the warming or that warming will be a crisis.
Computer models used to predict disasters don’t include important variables. Sun spots, cloud formations reflecting sun cooling the earth, natural air mass flow, shifts in earths magnetization. It is easy to point only to the “convenient truths” to make your case.
Does anyone know why Greenland was called Greenland? Has anyone looked at a map since they were in grade school? Maybe we should be thankful we are getting the planet to pre-loss conditions. (Adjuster speak)
One degree Fahrenheit increase in the 20th century means we are all doomed? This one degree rise coincided with the greatest advancement in living standards, life expectancy, food production, and human health in the history of our planet. Where is the catastrophic end? A few more degrees I say!
Temperatures began warming at the end of the “Little Ice Age” in about 1850, long before man made CO2 emissions could have impacted the climate. In the 1940’s just as man made CO2 levels rose sharply temperatures began to decline until the 1970’s prompting the apocalyptic coming of the ice age referenced in Deans original post.
Global climate changes occur all the time due to natural causes and the human impact still remains impossible to distinguish from this natural noise.
To believe that polar bears are disappearing because sea levels are rising is a fact that has been debunked. I love polar bears, and research proves populations to be steady or increasing. To say that a 20 foot rise in sea levels might cause their extintion, is hysteria at best.
The IPCC, the group that shared last week’s Nobel Prize with Algore, says in 100 years the oceans might rise 7-24 inches, not 20 feet. British schools must disclose to students nine inaccuracies in “An Inconvenient Truth” if they play the movie in class.
“George Mason University Economics Department Chairman Don Boudreax's suggestion that such schemes really mean ‘government seizing enormous amounts of additional power in order to embark upon schemes of social engineering - schemes whose pursuit gratifies the abstract fantasies of the theory class and, simultaneously, lines the very real pockets of politically powerful corporations, organizations, and “experts."’ “He is so right. The abstract fantasies of the theory class will soon send huge chunks of your money to politicians, friends, activist scientists, and politically savvy corporations”. John Stossel
This does not mean that we are to be poor stewards of our resources. I would even say that being a good steward of the planet is our most effective war on terror. But isn’t it the left that is screaming about false pretenses re; the war in Iraq. Let’s tell the truth, AND do the right thing.
Why stop at cigarettes? Why don't we just start banning shit you don't like or think is harmful to us.
Red meat isn't good for us, besides it contributes to de-forestation. Ban that? Oh, you like read meat? Well, screw you - we're going to ban it, anyway.
And booze ain't any good for us either. Ban booze and you also take care of drunk driving, right?
Oh wait... we already tried banning booze. THAT worked out real well, didn't it?
Cigarette-lobby? Don't kid yourself. Democrats and Republicans alike are absolutely in bed with Big Cig. The goverment is a crack-addled junkie when it comes to its dependence on the revenue generated by cigarette taxes.
You want government to ride in to rescue you from those filthy, dirty cigarette smokers? Don't hold your breath. They're vested in your lung cancer.
Oh, one more thing...
'Dawg, "Neo-con" is just lazy Media shorthand for Jews who've had the nerve to stray off the reservation of their Marxist parents.
Wow, has this strayed far from the topic or what?
Back to the point of the environment, I would suggest that carbon offsets are totally beside the point. The problem is countries like China simply dumping raw chemical pollutants as part of their industrial processes.
At the rate the Chinese are going, we won't live long enough to see global warming have an effect on us.
K T, Hey, we did, didn't we? But 'Dawg has claimed love for the non-sequitir so this was all for him.
Back to China: OK. What do we do, then? What do we do with a country that possesses an attitude of doing whatever the hell they want?
... and please don't say "boycott the Olympics." I'm really, really looking forward to them.
The first step towards solving a problem is recognizing that you have one.
Stop focusing on global warming and start focusing on pollution. Who knows where you'd end up after that. At least you'd be dealing with the right issue.
Despite my love for the non-sequitir, it was Mr. Lloyd straying off the point with the cigarettes and Kat with the Chinese dumping.
The global warming farce was out of control last year, and I was the only voice declaring emperor Algor's nuditity.
It seems that now that some time has gone by, others are begining to speak up. I have even heard liberal pundnants posing the question, "what has global warming got to do with peace?"
Kat is correct, the problem is pollution, not global warming.
Has a week gone by whereby we haven't had a recall of chinese products. Where is the outrage and lawsuits?
I have no doubt that we are in a warming trend and will bring huge ecological changes. Twenty thousand years or so ago, we came out of an ice age and began warming. We went into a mini ice age for a while and have been warming every since. Nothing that our feeble efforts can do will stop these forces of nature anymore than we can stop plate tectonics and magnetic reversal. This includes dropping the tax deduction on the interest on McMansions, an extra fifty cents gas tax, buying pollution credits from third world countries or a single panel wipe. I don’t relish the upcoming ecological changes but find the ecological demagoguery more frightening to my well-being. There are lots of well meaning folks taking up the cause and there are lots of people who, for reasons I can’t comprehend, resent what we have accomplished in our great nation and would love to bring it down. Rangel, for instances, resents the fact that we can afford homes over 2,000 sq ft. In the last century, the demigods used wonderful slogans to scourge the earth. The Fascists and “A Master Race”; the communists and “The Equality of Man.” Will the Gorists and “Save the Planet” be next? Dad
As always, Chief Elder, Daddy-O lending his hard-earned perspective and wisdom to the debate.
"ecological demagoguery", well put. Very well put.
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