Quotable exerpts from two good Sun columns, both with harsh and deserved criticism for a media that seems more brain-dead by the week. Angelo Persichilli;
[Politicians] should tell us not to use our cars (and tell GM workers to prepare for even more pink slips), tell our children to dump their TVs, stereos, and iPods, tell us and store owners to lower the heat in winter, keep the air conditioning off in summer and stop killing trees to make paper we just throw in the garbage.They should tell Canadians until we do all this, and more, we can't stop the oil sands project in Alberta, nor can we stop throwing paper in the garbage, because if we do, we'll kill the oil and paper industry.
They should also tell Canadians the environment is not a "Canadian" issue, it's a global issue and that even if we were to eliminate all greenhouse gas emissions from all our industries, there will be no noticeable impact on global warming, although we will cripple our economy, sending more jobs to China, India, Brazil and the United States, countries responsible for almost 50% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, none of which any of them are reducing under the Kyoto accord.
* In B.C., where charging people more for gas and heat by Premier Gordon Campbell's government, part of a tax shell game we're assured will be "revenue neutral" (no comment), is praised by the politician doing it as courageous and revolutionary, while mesmerized media pundits, having forgotten the story about the emperor having no clothes, mindlessly repeat the mantra.* In Ontario, where Premier Dalton McGuinty is paying outrageously high prices, using tax money, for very little solar power, instead of doing something that would help the environment -- cleaning up the air pollution spewing out of the province's coal-fired energy plants, the same ones he promised five years ago to close by last year, and now won't close, or even clean up, for six more.
* In Quebec, where consumers are being told by their government, with a straight face, that there's nothing it can do to stop a new "green" tax intended to target oil and gas industry profits, from being passed along to them. Gee, how about not imposing the !@$@?! tax in the first place?
* And finally in crazytown ... Ottawa ... where, amongst so many other absurdities on the environmental front, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, a man who can't control his caucus, has a plan to control the climate.
I'm going to assume, for a moment, that the major voices in Canadian news media have spent the time required to read and digest all points of view on the claims and counterclaims, the data and the models, and the critics of those models, the history and qualifications of those behind the IPCC reports, and have decided. after weighing the evidence, that the theory of man-made global warming is legitimate and that the warnings and predictions are sound.
This means, among other things, that these individuals accept the assertion that we are approaching no less than "the end of civilzation as we know it" if something is not done to reverse the process.
Fine.
Very well.
So, then - how does one explain their avoidance of the solution equation, the hard facts of just what would be required for this country to meet the objectives laid out by the environmental gurus and climate modelling experts? Why do they fail, with near uniformity, to inform their viewers and readers that even if we gut every major industry in the nation and go back to horseback - it will make no difference at all?
These same individuals (and David Akin, I include you in this) who present this information on our nightly news with utter conviction, must have also studied with equal determination the question of how to achieve these targets, and what price Canadians must pay to do so.
And yet, it seems they haven't, for it is mentioned only by a few scattered skeptics in media, most of them opinion columnists.
Why is that?
But let's back up a little, for this is the end of civilization as we know it, and they're apparently convinced of that. A planetary emergency, no less.
How does one convinced of impending planetary doom get up in the morning to work in the industry they do - an industry that employs vast numbers of people to travel the country via commercial jet and automobile, that sustains huge media complexes clogged to the ceilings with electricity consuming CO2-belching technology, that hauls tons of satellite equipment to produce on-the-scene reporting?
That indulges in the broadcasting of sporting events? And entertainment "news"?
"We interrupt this report on the last remaining meter of Arctic sea ice to bring you live footage of Britney Spears' entourage leaving the hospital ... John, you're in the helicoptor, what can you tell us?"
When it comes to curtailing wasteful practices and excessive C02 emissions, shouldn't they be among the first to go?
It's beyond absurdity, beyond hypocrisy. It's nothing less than blatant dishonesty, gross laziness, professional malpractice - or most likely, all of the above. Every one of these so called "journalists" would, if they belonged to any other profession, be called before an industry ethics board to explain their conduct - if their industry entertained such notions, or bothered itself with abstract concepts like "ethics".
Posted by Kate at February 24, 2008 1:08 PM
Just an aside to Angelo's last comment re the US. The US IS reducing its emissions; it is doing this at a greater rate than, eg, Canada. Canada signed the Kyoto Accord but its emissions went up over 26%; the US didn't sign it, but its emissions went up by about 13% - because it is deliberately, on its own, developing and using new technology.
Again, destroying our national economy and handing over that economy to China and India, who are exempt from all emissions and pollution standards, will certainly help China and India's industrial development.
It won't, however, do a thing about global emissions and pollution; in fact, it will actually increase both.
And, it will disable the Canadian economy such that we wouldn't even be able to provide a basic standard of living for our own population.
Isn't it fun, when an ordinary man, never mind a geeky nerd like Stephane Dion, thinks that he can control the environment? Now, that's 'hubris' for you.
Posted by: ET at February 24, 2008 3:09 PMLet's ask Johnny Ringo or lberia or any other "End Times" believer to answer that question in full detail without once resorting to personally attacking Kate, Kathy or any other commenter here.
Waiting.....
Posted by: Doug at February 24, 2008 3:25 PMIs Suzuki in jail yet? Or has he just joined Castro in a long slow death march into oblivion?
Socialist criminals please go away.
Good job, Kate! Sounds like you're gearing up for another National Post column.
Posted by: Joanne (TB) at February 24, 2008 3:42 PMProfession.....we don't need no stinkin profession.
Posted by: Stephen at February 24, 2008 4:03 PMMore SeeOHToo from the "experts", "social scientist", "bureaucrats", "psychologist"; blahblahblah ...
It's "the road ahead", aka the shining path of socialism.
The MSM/greens are "selling" socialism. The "historic carbon tax" is their cover story.
The shrinks/boffins are the foot soldiers. The MSM is the vanguard; setting the stage, leading the way with the psyops; the debauchment/corruption of the citizens.
...-
Selling B.C.'s historic carbon tax similar to anti-smoking campaigns, say experts
VICTORIA - Greenhouse gas emissions are the new tobacco and the B.C. government should look to the anti-smoking movement for tips on selling its historic carbon tax to the public, says a social scientist who recently briefed B.C. Environment Ministry bureaucrats about the road ahead for the new tax.
Quitting smoking and quitting carbon are strikingly similar issues, said Robert Gifford, a psychologist at the University of Victoria's school of environmental studies.
http://tinyurl.com/2f7gn8 (canadianpress)
I was interested to find out about the food for fuel program when I read that someone was feeling good when fueling up because they were using fuel with 85% ethanol. Being aflicted with termial curiosity I wondered how many meals to the Gallon/liter they were getting.
It turns out that it takes 56 pounds of corn to produce 2.8 gallons (US) of ethanol. (about 11.2 liters. If you put 50 liters of 85% ethanol in your tank you are using about 5 and 1/4 bushels of corn or about 300 pounds of food in your tank.
At 35 miles (sorry my age is showing)...56 kilometers you are getting about 14 kilometers per liter
5.88 pounds of corn per liter.That is around 2.4 kilometers per pound of corn.
Figures vary but one pound per person per day in third world countrys seems like a good number. So, if you consider 3 meals a day that means less than one meal per kilometer.
Instead of feeling proud for using ethanol, people should be feeling very guilty. They are taking food out of the mouths of the poor.
If you are getting less than 56 kilometers per liter then the numbers get much worse and how many cars/trucks are getting those kinds of numbers?
kate - what a perfect column, I hope it's in the NP soon. Says it all.
Posted by: ET at February 24, 2008 4:04 PMI should have changed it from a food to fuel program to meals on wheels program.
Posted by: truthsayer at February 24, 2008 4:10 PM...see get all worried over Global Warming, and that way your mind will get off your job going off-shore and fanatical Muslim's coming on-shore.
What a wonderful world!
Posted by: tomax7 at February 24, 2008 4:10 PMI think two quotes apply here:
1) George Bernard Shaw said, “Newspapers are unable, seemingly to discriminate between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilization”
Unfortunately, this is even truer today and demonstrated daily in the press and especially on TV and radio.
2) And H.L. Mencken gave the most accurate description of politicians ever, “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed and hence, clamorous to be led to safety - by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblin, all of them imaginary”. Again, this is true and demonstrated daily in the press and especially on TV and radio.
Things have gotten worse since politicians and journalist now collude with each other (probably more than in the past), as they do on AGW, and other Lieberal causes
Bravo!
I can't even have a conversation about the difference between CO2 emissions and pollution with the Toronto Rosedale crowd (I visit there occasionally using my Riff Raff pass). They have amassed enough wealth to live in $3 to 10 million homes but have no info on this, just emotional Kyotoism. This is the same crowd where Bob Rae, the x-Dipper, will easily win the by-election from retiring Bill Graham on March 17th.
Then Bob will give Dion more help on his obfuscation of the issues and ratchet up the bamboozling with the help of the MSM. Because as the Hill-Bama race shows, this stuff is not about climate change, it is about the religion of wealth re-distribution. Even the elite in Rosedale are either unaware of the redistribution impact or feel so guilty about their lifestyles they are happy to hand over a larger tithe to the Church of Kyoto
But...but...but, why should we have to do anything? Mr. Obama promised to end global warming all by himself!
Posted by: felis corpulentis at February 24, 2008 4:39 PMKate
Your comments articulate the reason that I have visited this site for years. Thank you. Also, the tone and rationization seem to have the additional bonus effect of keeping the usual common sense deniers at bay.
Posted by: mike at February 24, 2008 5:19 PMAll environmental activism is based on the exploitation of guilt.
You go girl! Me and my buddy Bob couldn't agree with you more. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN22372976
Posted by: 2xlbob at February 24, 2008 5:34 PMHuman civilization and the planet earth are evolving as they should but the climate change fools are messing with it.
Humans will do what they have to do when they have to do it. Forcing us to pay for and do things that are only a one-sided theory will only make for unhappiness, and hardship unnecessarily.
As pointed out by another, the more we harm our economy the more other less environmentally concerned countries will take up the slack and make more pollution than we do doing the same economic things. At least we have some regulation and more coming all the time.
We in the West are working to find better ways to enjoy a high standard of living without making a mess, but that takes time and we are only starting to look at it seriously now. What's the rush?
There is no impending doom and the sea won't rise. If the temp goes up a couple of degrees it will be a net benefit. That has already been explained.
We need to forget wind farms, solar panel and other stupid low level solutions. We need nuclear power and more drilling for oil and gas here at home. We need more refineries as well. If we can keep ourselves economically viable and the cost of living low there will more money available for R&D to help clean up our environment.
The climate change is not our issue to deal with. That is up to the sun and other climatic phenomena that we don't understand well.
We must fight back, we must indulge in tax avoidance to deny our oppressors what they are truly after ... our money and more control over our daily lives.
Shop underground and stop buying lottery tickets would one way to get started. Anyone have any other ideas.
We must not sit around and watch ourselves be raped by our politicians with the help of MSM and the loony left.
Time for some action on our side of this debate because talk is doing nothing. We being robbed for no good reason.
Ideas? Anyone? Anyone?
Posted by: John West at February 24, 2008 5:44 PMI'm going to assume, for a moment, that the major voices in Canadian news media have spent the time required to read and digest all points of view on the claims and counterclaims, the data and the models, and the critics of those models, the history and qualifications of those behind the IPCC reports, and have decided. after weighing the evidence, that the theory of man-made global warming is legitimate and that the warnings and predictions are sound.
Heh ..... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA....BWAHAHAHAHAHA .
Posted by: Bill D. Cat at February 24, 2008 6:02 PMThe Sun Media chain has long since joinged the looney left. It ran its alarmist propaganda piece this Sunday entitled: Polar Bears On Thin Ice.
The usual BS from the World Wackjob Fund was cited as "fact".
I used to believe the Sun was level headed but it has fallen too. It should have been suspected when it gave Suzuki space to write his drivel.
Posted by: Mike T at February 24, 2008 6:09 PMHeckuva post Kate. Timely, too: Google is de-indexing blogs by the boatload that don't provide original commentary. Not that I'm suggesting anything ;-)
www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=google+index+blog+duplicate+content&btnG=Google+Search&meta=
Posted by: dafdsafa at February 24, 2008 6:10 PMWhat about all those vehicles that couldn't start because their fuel lines plugged up. Trying to meet or surpase another country's or states standards does not work. Driving year round in California is a lot different than driving year round in AB or Ont. I do agree that guilt is a big reason for the rich to get on board of the global scam, just like white guilt is getting Obama the most votes.
Hey, I must be ok, I am not racist, I voted for Obama.
The only thing missing at his rallies are the collection buckets, aka Billy Graham or Oral Roberts, of years ago.
Excellent post. Did you send this to each and every news service that spouts the popular opinion of the socially deranged, who believe in the Globull Warming/Climate Change religion? This should be front page news in the major press and media, but they will never stick their PC necks out so far. I'll hold my breath for a couple of days just to see, though.
jt - the "liberal".
Posted by: jt at February 24, 2008 6:16 PMBravo Kate. Bravo.
Posted by: TJ at February 24, 2008 6:41 PMamen
Posted by: loon at February 24, 2008 6:54 PM"Google is de-indexing blogs by the boatload that don't provide original commentary. Not that I'm suggesting anything"
Well, there goes Instapundit, I guess....
Posted by: Kate at February 24, 2008 7:00 PMBut, Kate . . .
"Th newspaper does ivrything f'r us. It runs th' polis foorce an' th' banks, commands th' milishy, controls th' ligislachure, baptizes th' young, marries th' foolish, comforts th' afflicted, afflicts th' comfortable, buries th' dead an' roasts thim aftherward".
"Observations by Mr. Dooley" Finley Peter Dunne
PS - Great post.
Posted by: Jan at February 24, 2008 7:04 PMGreat points Kate.And since you are trying to analyse what makes the media tick, we probably won't see this in MSM.
The masses that soak up the Spears stories from the media, are the ones that don't want to figure this enviro stuff out for themselves(think), and so they go with the 'familiar and famous'.
Gore, Suzuki and Winfrey become the 'experts' and are trusted to do the thinking.
Media then are the tools, and they take their role quite seriously.
Didn't we hear more about Gore on CTV last fall, than our PM?
The media will justify their jet set lifestyle because the masses need the message....according to them, in their world.
Kate, your post is brilliant. It should be required reading in all elementary schools, every morning, every school day, every grade, starting Monday.
Posted by: bruce riley at February 24, 2008 7:18 PMI just figured it out . Obama is the rap version of Al Gore. Its not Climate Change anymore is just
"Change"
Posted by: cal2 at February 24, 2008 7:35 PMFinally, someone asks the hard question. Why will the MSM not ask the same question to Dion, Suzuki, Gore, or even for that matter Baird? We the Canadian public need to know the true costs of the social engineering being done. Are they willing to admit they are complicit wit Mo Strong?
Posted by: Cru.Bourgeois,Cru at February 24, 2008 7:36 PMWe are being bamboozled
"How does one convinced of impending planetary doom get up in the morning to work in the industry they do (???)"
Isn't always the simplest questions that are so hard to get answers to ???
The answer is of course obvious, they don't truly believe the planet is in danger.
Posted by: erl at February 24, 2008 7:37 PMKate your post is like a fountain of common sense.No on second thought make that a veritable erupting volcano of common sense.Thank you very much.
Posted by: madasl at February 24, 2008 7:41 PMAnd while we are asking hard questions, why is it that Mo Strong, (the father of Kyoto), is pimping the Chinese auto industry - Cherry?
Posted by: Cru.Bourgeois.Cru at February 24, 2008 7:47 PMKate your post is like a fountain of common sense.No on second thought make that a veritable erupting volcano of common sense.Thank you very much.
Posted by: madasl at February 24, 2008 7:49 PMthey're listening now and they wonder where you come from - go straight at them (lord nelson's advice) - and then rake them with broadsides - rake them 'til they run up the white flag...
and if they won't surrender - then they can go down with the ship.
maybe we can encourage them to give you a medal. i'd nominate you for the order of canada on any day of the week. and since this is sunday - i'd nominate you twice.
Sorry for double post
Posted by: madasl at February 24, 2008 7:56 PMgreat post kate
luv for it
now could ya shove up every believer & pundit's left nostril so it will reach their brain?????
Gawllee, I thought the future of civilization depended on success in Iraq.
That's gone south, and everybody still gets up in the mornin' and goes to work reporting on sports, entertainment, etc, etc.
Posted by: volik at February 24, 2008 8:41 PMthe political left, and that includes the MSM, are anarchists and their agenda is to destroy western culture and western economies - they will not be satisfied until we're all living in mud huts without a pot to piss in....
Posted by: Brad at February 24, 2008 9:23 PM"It's beyond absurdity, beyond hypocrisy", so right on, your last paragraph says it all.
Ship it off to the National Post pronto.
Edith Sitwell said “The people will believe anything providing there is no truth to it.”
The premise that increasing concentration of CO2 – the gaseous oxide of carbon – in the Earth’s atmosphere causes measurable increase in temperature is one such fiction that is parroted by the perpetually alarmed – or perpetual alarmists.
The suggestion that application of ‘Carbon Taxes’ will ‘stop global warming’ is false: The physics of energy absorption by CO2 is well known – to those who do not find the truth of this matter inconvenient. Carbon dioxide’s contribution to energy retention in the atmosphere peaks somewhere about 20ppmv. Any additional CO2 in the atmosphere has very slight influence.
Therefore, the mantra that ‘we must control greenhouse gasses’ - i.e. CO2 – ‘to stop global warming’ has no foundation. Yet, even in these comments there seems to be an underlying acceptance that this is so. Some conflate CO2 and pollution. Some offer the weak excuse that ‘controlling CO2 will reduce other pollution’.
But, the two ‘issues’ for all practical purposes are unrelated.
I am all for controlling that which can be controlled. But the orbit of the Solar System around the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy and the energy out-put of our Day-star are not.
Taxation of the foundation of terrestrial life may be a clever political ruse but not a cure for anything except personal and societal solvency.
Substituting bio-fuels for fossil fuels to ‘save the planet’ which is not in need of saving –except perhaps, from human stupidity – will create innumerable problems: For example; it is never a good idea to burn the groceries to keep warm (see Truthsayer @4:04).
Slow clapping.....fast clapping.....ON MY FEET!
Great rant Ms. Kate.
At one level, BC's consumer tax may be a very good thing.
Many politicians have been telling people that simple (and supposedly low cost) things like reducing their house temperature and replacing lightbulbs will do the trick.
Also, opinion surveys I've seen on people's environmental attitudes is that people believe it is someone else's problem to fix this.
Quebec's originally proposed tax on oil companies (who contrary to all laws of economics were supposed to absorb the tax and not pass it to consumers) played into the "don't tax you, don't tax me, tax the guy behind the tree" mentality.
We'll see how much enthusiasm there is to tell people that they need to pay significant amounts of THEIR OWN money in new taxes, restrictions on their lifestyles (you don't really NEED that second car, the overseas trips, that big house, all those kids), or their job.
...and by the way, those new taxes? Don't be shocked if they end up in general revenue (as the UK has proposed). But try to feel good about it.
...and by the way, all that sacrifice will make no difference in CO2 levels as China's GROWTH in emissions over the next 4 years (starting up 2 new coal burning power plants a week) is several times Canada's TOTAL emissions.
...and by the way, that link between CO2 as the primary driver of global climate, that's not really there either.
Yup, it all sounds like a great vote getter :)
Still not one person has come out to "set the record straight"
No one has called all the posters here "small dead brains"
No one has called anyone here a racist Con yet.
No one has accused the posters of just believing whatever Kate spoon feeds us as the gospel.
I hope, oh I hope that maybe, just maybe they are reading and re-reading the post. And maybe just maybe, they are asking a few questions themselves.
Instead on believing what gore suzuki et all spoon feed them.
I feel better. Awesome post Kate, as mentioned previously, should be both required reading in school, and the NP soon.
Posted by: Jeff k at February 24, 2008 10:13 PMOutstanding Kate! I have been lurking for a while, but am now officially a fan.
Posted by: Freedom Fan at February 24, 2008 10:31 PM"... we will cripple our economy, sending more jobs to China, India, Brazil and the United States, countries responsible for almost 50% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, none of which any of them are reducing under the Kyoto accord."
But there's more to it. Under the current Kyoto-driven assumptions about Canada's targets for carbon reduction, we'll be forced to cut production of certain products whose manufacture consumes high levels of energy, and therefore puts high levels of carbon into the atmosphere. We'll instead be forced to cede the work to China, India etc. These countries will produce the same goods and sell them to us, but they'll also consume vastly larger amounts of energy than we did in order to do it -- I've heard that it will be as much as 8x more. This scenario is fact, not hypothesis, whether we quibble over just how much more carbon the Chinese, Indians etc. will use. So one of the measures we'll be forced to take to reduce carbon emissions will result in an enormous *increase* of carbon in the atmosphere.
The stupidity of this religion boggles the mind.
Posted by: MJ at February 24, 2008 10:48 PMYes, Kate....you've out-done yourself on this one. Excellent observation!
Posted by: Ingrid at February 24, 2008 10:50 PM"In Ontario, where Premier Dalton McGuinty is paying outrageously high prices, using tax money, for very little solar power, instead of doing something that would help the environment -- cleaning up the air pollution spewing out of the province's coal-fired energy plants, the same ones he promised five years ago to close by last year, and now won't close, or even clean up, for six more.
The arrogance with that is that the next election (fixed election dates here in Ontario) is 2011. McGuinty has "promised" to close them by 2014 (he not only broke his promise once but twice, promising 2009, before breaking that prmose too). What that means is that we will have to elect him again, to a third consecutive majority. And it would only be at the end of THAT mandate that we could see if he actually kept his promise - one that he has previously broken twice.
Reminds me of Joe Clark's promise in the '97 election - to eliminate the debt in 25 years. We'd only would have had to elect his party to 6 consecutive majority governments to see if he had kept that promise ;)
Posted by: Larry at February 24, 2008 10:54 PMYes, Kate, awesome. However, the last bit -- about the hypocrisy of the Media, which is real -- is nicely summed up by Glen Reynolds:
I'll start believing it's a crisis when the people who tell me it's a crisis start acting like it's a crisis.
Says it all, really.
Regards,
Ric
Well said in your commentary on the utter silliness of AWG.
The climate change is one of the constants, of our corner of the universe.
Climate has been changing since there was climate; it is changing today and will always change in the future. Once it will stop changing the planet will be in decline, it will run out of energy to change.
To say that humanity can alter, slow down or stop the changing climate is the top of sophistry.
It is employed by unscrupulous fast buck artists (it would be interesting to see how much Gore and Suzuki are taking in for this nonsense).
By politicians that extract taxes (like the BC liberals) to give some of it back to the strategic demographics so they can get elected again.
By socialists/fascists to screw tight the limits of freedom under the guise of meaning well so they can dictate to the plebeians what’s good for them and what’s not.
It is shocking to realize that those that read only what is in the newspaper and what is on CBC will never know any other science on this subject. Most likely as is apparent they think that the sky is falling and we better call Atlas to hold it up.
In california north (BC) the province of weenies, whiners and wingnuts, we now pay a tax on nothing....for nothing.The inmates have finally taken over the asylum.
Posted by: peterj at February 24, 2008 11:06 PMKate, you have again encapsulated the reasons why I don't take the newspapers anymore and don't watch the TV news.
The MSM are the last of the Robber Barons, no different in morality than the big meat packers back in the day when floor scrapings were added to the sausages. May God speed the day when they are all stony broke.
Posted by: The Phantom at February 24, 2008 11:19 PMHere are some interesting facts about global warming: Global warming peaked in 1999! That's right, there has been no net global warming in nine years. Here is another fact: There was no net global warming during the nearly forty year period between 1940 and 1979, a time during which anthropogenic carbon dioxide generation skyrocketed. Regardless of the explanation for this, it should be obvious that the relationship between industrial production and global warming is not linear.
But fighting human-caused Global Warming is an ideal crusade for liberals ... if it didn't exist, then they would hafta invent it. (They wouldn't do that would they?)
Actually, this is all about a massive wealth and power transfer from the private sector to big government. This is the same objective government bureaucrats have always had, especially the socialist ones.
For example, one of the first acts of the Clinton administration was an attempt to pass a massive energy tax. This would have been an insidious tax which would start small and then be cranked up as politicians insatiable thirst for revenue raged. We little people would never be aware of this stealth tax because it would be concealed in the cost of everything we bought.
The new incarnation of this idea is the carbon tax. Today there's a huge social buy-in to "do something" about this looming global warming 'catastrophe'. So a modest tax on the essence of life will be a small price to pay. However, this will be the camel's nose under the tent for socialist big government.
As with any tax, it will never go away, even after the fallacy of man's contribution to global warming has been thoroughly discredited.
To see how this 'scientific fact' is defended with religious fervor, just visit Wikipedia's "Global Warming Controversy" topic and try to contribute any controversial fact. It will immediately be snuffed out by the true believers ... no controversy is allowed regarding global warming.
'The debate about global warming is over'; now is the time to raise taxes. Any one who dares to question GW is a heretic whose reputation must be destroyed by the libs. Follow the money.
Posted by: Freedom Fan at February 24, 2008 11:22 PMIt would be pretty stupid of the media to either tell us of the cost of meeting Kyoto requirements, or to act as if the planet really was in crisis. Nothing can be allowed to cause complications for the real plan, the nice quiet transfer of wealth to the 3rd world. Carbon credit trading 101
Posted by: neverwasarocketsurgeon at February 24, 2008 11:29 PMtransfer of wealth to the carbon credit trading traders of carbon credits. I think they plant trees...I love trees
Posted by: kelly at February 24, 2008 11:49 PM"Hey, if global warming's such a big problem how come you drove a car to work today, how come you use computers to type up your statements, computers use energy, and there can't be no global warming 'cause Al Gore left a light on in his office - howcome he don't use candles? - and that proves he's a hypocrite and that means there ain't no global warm---"
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Posted by: volik at February 25, 2008 12:21 AM/don't know much about the light bulb tho, my little lib buddy
Posted by: Freedom Fan at February 25, 2008 12:36 AMI'm just a minor bit-player in BC's relatively small oil and gas industry (compared to AB), here in the Peace River district. It gets a lot colder up here, for a lot longer, than it does where they come up with these splendid schemes, in Victoria and Vancouver.
Like thousands of others working at trades in the business here, my cost of living just went up. My employer's costs just went up. Our customers -- the energy companies -- costs just went up. But that's not where the line of dominoes stop falling. Oh, no.
Now, does anyone believe that people like me, my employers, or the energy companies are just going to shrug our shoulders and take this "carbon tax" in the pants? Are we Morlocks, who's only purpose it to serve the Eloi? I doubt it. Nope, I'm certain that we're going to pass on these new costs to the end consumer. I can just imagine some effete urban liberal opening his latest gas bill and spewing his fair-trade latte across the chemical free tatami mat, almost hitting his "life partner" with the spray.
How will they respond then? Will they further ramp up the "carbon tax"? Will they introduce stronger price controls on energy? Demand a cap on my wages? Whatever the response, I suspect it will be irrational. BC's oil and gas sector (worth some 20% of the provinces tax revenue, I'm told) will eventually shrivel and die, if they keep this up.
Why would energy companies invest in an area when it becomes uncompetitive? Why would I live and work in a province that rapes me and my industry, when I can go where they don't have a "carbon tax" (or even provincial sales tax, for that matter). Why would all my colleagues not go where they are already desperately short of skilled trades, not to mention unskilled labour?
I really have a strong feeling that BC's government has just set their hair on fire, and pretty soon they'll be groping for a hammer to beat out the flames.
Posted by: rg at February 25, 2008 2:06 AMKate asked:
"How does one convinced of impending planetary doom get up in the morning to work in the industry they do -..."
The answer to that, in my view, is simple. Those who work within the realm of the MSM view themselves as 'the ruling class'. They believe that only they are able to discern the actual meaning and impact of events. They believe that it is only they who are able to effectively dispense that knowledge, in the most accurate perspective, to the lesser masses. They believe that they, better than the voting masses, are able to determine which politicians will better serve the best interest of nations. Through their benevolence the masses are kept informed and politicians are controlled.
With that full knowledge of their infalibility they go off each day to toil to keep us safe from ourselves. That alone allows them to be exempt from the rules that govern those beneath them.
BTW Kate... WELL DONE!!!
Posted by: Yoop at February 25, 2008 11:46 AMWell Done Kate!
Yoop, you nailed the msm 'job description', not to inform but to preach Unka Mo Strong cultism to the peons.
The lefto mindset has undermined the good, decent values of our ancestors leaving a void - earth worship (of the kind that my ancestors the Pict's practised - worshiping trees, birds, cats etc. - most people do not even know about these strange, body decorated people so we can see where that belief system got them!)is designed to fill that spiritual void.
Schools, parents, and churches have failed to teach students about the reality and value of abstract nouns - if we fail to acknowledge the existence of ideas we will not use them. If a person has no faith in anything that he/she cannot perceive through the five senses then the earth worship thingie is the first base camp for the long, intellectual climb back to the cultivation of civilized minds. Civilization is civil, not fanatical - we can see the flames of the fanatical frying the sane, civil behavior, that built our Western Civilization every day.
SDA is scouring points for sanity and dignity every day - this is one of many for you Kate. Thanks again for giving this crippled nation a voice of reason.
Posted by: Jema54 at February 25, 2008 12:52 PMOne step forward, FOUR steps back. = TG
Posted by: TG at February 25, 2008 1:31 PMPractical persuits for the MSM gang..
Stop the Bayer Aspirin people from making and selling that new nerve killer insecticide that is killing off our bee colonies.
Encourage sea harvest rules to allow fish and lobster populations to bounce back.
Etc. = TG
Posted by: TG at February 25, 2008 1:58 PMPerhaps there is something a little more insidious in all of this... Could the socialist movement, which kidnapped the 'environment issues' after the fall of the Soviet Empire, be doing some subliminal messaging here?
Being a bit of an ignostic myself, I can't believe I'm pointing this out, but....
This 'socialist movement' is ardently atheistic (no, not all atheists are socialists, not all socialists are atheists, but this socialist movement is largely atheistic/anti-theistic). And the never outwardly stated, but logically 'unmissable' keystone of Anthropogenic Climate Change is the idea that it is 'man', not 'God', who controls events on Earth....
Even if the ACC is debunked today, the lingering effects of the anti-theistic propaganda that accompanied it will not dissapear.
Posted by: Xanthippa at February 25, 2008 2:27 PMUh, 'Freedom" Fan --
Your link exposes the dreadful secret that Al Gore owns more than one house.
What a hypocrite!
That does it! It proves that global warming doesn't exist!
Posted by: volik at February 25, 2008 4:52 PMI am truly puzzled by the pervasiveness of the "party line" re global warming. I am shocked that Wikipedia is deleting any controversial info. How has this been accomplished? How can so many journalists remain silent when there clearly are important observations regarding the truth re AGW -- such as the recent discovery of reduced solar input, potentially leading to a mini-ice age. This has been verified by someone at the National Research Council, yet I have seen no information on this in the MSM. What is going on? Are the media stupid, incompetent, have they allowed themselves to be brainwashed or have they been bought? Some reasonable questioning of AGW should be happening.
Posted by: LindaL at February 25, 2008 5:14 PM"That does it! It proves that global warming doesn't exist!"
No, but it does prove Kate's point. To which none of volik's yapping speaks. yapping dog's are not going to save us.
Move to f*cking China and talk them into putting up windmills instead of coal fired generating plants.
Save your planet! Today!!
Posted by: mike at February 25, 2008 6:14 PMBecause Al Gore has 2 houses and China doesn't have windmills...
THAT proves there's no global warming.
Gotcha.
Posted by: volik at February 26, 2008 11:39 AMHow dose ookie pukie DAVID SUZUKI keep warm at night is it his own HOT AIR that he uses?
Posted by: Spurwing Plover at February 26, 2008 3:34 PM