What I'm Reading

Lorrie Goldstein: Climate Porn - It's All About the Money

Have you noticed that when politicians, United Nations diplomats, environmental activists, radical scientists, journalists and even, lately, multinational corporations, talk about "going green" to save the planet, the only "green" they're talking about is the colour of our money? And about how to separate us from it?

As things stand, even if the handful of nations required to reduce emissions under Kyoto were doing it -- and many aren't, including us, because it's impossible without devastating our economies and resorting to shell games like "carbon credits" -- Kyoto is only about one-thirteenth of what the high priests of global warming insist must be done. So-called "green" schemes, aren't green. Their real purpose is to make it so expensive to use fossil-fuel energy that we're forced to use less, not because we don't need it but because we can't afford it.

Margaret Wente: No matter what Alberta's Oil Companies do, they're guilty

For environmental groups, the dead ducks [at Syncrude] were a godsend. They cemented in the public mind the idea that oil sands mean dirty oil, which means the rape and pillage of the environment. For the industry, it was a public relations catastrophe - especially since Alberta was waging an all-out campaign to convince the world that oil sands development is environmentally sustainable.


Thomas Sowell: A Rookie President

We now have a rookie President of the United States and, in the dangerous world we live in, with terrorist nations going nuclear, just one rookie mistake can bring disaster down on this generation and generations yet to come.

What is even worse than making mistakes is having sycophants telling you that you are doing fine when you are not. In addition to all the usual hangers-on and supplicants for government favors that every President has, Barack Obama has a media that will see no evil, hear no evil and certainly speak no evil. They will cheer him on, no matter what he does, short of first-degree murder-- and they would make excuses for that.

8 Questions for Obama's New Science Guy

It appears that Canada isn't the only country that has truth-challenged talking heads who contribute a disproportionate amount of hot air to the environment. Barack Obama has nominated John Holdren to be Director of the Office of Science Technology Policy. Jeff Jacoby has 8 important questions for him.

The Coalition's Cap & Trade Plan

There's a critically important fact of the Coalition's plan that has gone under the radar. I first learned of it from Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall in an interview with him here. The interview starts at 8:35, but his pertinent comment starts at 9:50.

Premier Wall points out that the Coalition's Cap & Trade plan is to impose absolute limits on emissions, setting them at 1990 levels. He adds that Saskatchewan is about 60% above that now. One can reasonably assume that Alberta and B.C. are similarly way above those 1990 levels.

Do people fully understand what it will require to quickly remove 40% of our emissions? If anyone believes it can be done with "technology" then please:

1. Tell me precisely what technology.
2. How much this will cost each company and each individual.
   

To double check Premier Wall's statement I went right to the Coalition source: http://xfer.ndp.ca/coalition/2008-12-01-PolicyAccord_en.pdf It states:

We will work with our North American Partners to pursue a North American cap-and-trade market with absolute emission targets, using 1990 as the base year.

Why has this not been a headline news story? Why has there not been an investigative story by our mainstream media, showing what the repercussions of this policy would be?

Sarah Palin Interviewed in June 2008

Here's a short but interesting interview of Sarah Palin by talkshow host, Lars Larson, on June 27, 2008. The subject? America's energy problems and unlocking the ANWR oil reserves. The references she made to John McCain are interesting and perhaps even prescient.

ANWR is another issue like global warming: Most everyone seems to have a strong opinion about whether to drill or not to drill, but very little technical knowledge of the actual subject at hand. Welcome to politics!

As a former mining engineer, there is one thing I'm crystal clear on: The conveniences we enjoy every day in our modern lives - including the ability to read these very words on our computer monitors - are privileges. You're enjoying these privileges because:

• Ore was removed from mines located in far-flung locales.
• Metal was refined by processes that require extreme heat.
• The heat was generated by burning natural gas or oil or through electricity that was generated from nuclear energy or coal or hydroelectric dams.
• The plastic that forms the outer shell of your monitor and most of your keyboard and mouse came into being only because of the miraculous conversion of oil.
• The metal components and the plastic and the glass were brought to factories by boats and trains and trucks, which consume oil as well.
• After these parts were assembled into the modern conveniences you use everyday, they were packed into boxes made of cardboard that came from trees that were cut down.
• To ensure your equipment was intact when you received it, each unit was surrounded with styrofoam. which is an expanded polystyrene foam that itself is made from oil and chemicals.
• These boxes were put into metal crates, which were loaded onto trucks and trains and eventually onto boats, which crossed one or more oceans to get to your continent.
  
• The crates were placed onto trains and trucks and distributed to communities all over.
• The crates were opened, the boxes removed, and put onto smaller trucks that took them to stores.
• You drove to these stores - probably more than one if you were shopping around - picked up one of the boxes, put it in your vehicle, and drove it back to your home.
• You opened the box, removed the equipment, and plugged it into the wall socket.
• Electricity then flowed across wires an enormous distance, from far-flung locales, and into your home so that you could read these very words!

Our society has evolved a great deal over the past 100 years. But in order for that to occur, natural resources had to be acquired. In order for that to occur, damage to Mother Earth had to happen. Minimizing that damage is the responsibility of every person who works in heavy industry. But eliminating the damage, at least in the short term, is impossible.

So the next time you feel like criticizing the people who earn their wages in the oil industry or the mining industry or the forest industry or the petrochemical industry or the manufacturing industry, take a week off from your regular life and go live out in nature without any modern conveniences. No computer, no Blackberry, no cel phone, no TV, no radio, no car, no canned food, no packaged food, no coffee, no metal or plastic containers, not even a propane stove. Do that for a week and then envision what it would be like living your life 52 weeks of the year in that fashion.

When it comes to the environment, it's easy to criticize, but almost impossible not to be a hypocrite.

Driving an SUV in London

Do you think it's expensive to drive where you live? In London, England the daily fee for SUVs driving in the central part of the city will rise from £8 to £25 in late October. That works out to about US$48.75 per day. And the fee applies even if you live in that part of the city!!!

"Green" Hypocrisy Is Alive & Well in B.C.

Let me join Pete McMartin in raising a white flag of concern (or is that surrender?) to the seemingly never ending bevy of new "green" initiatives coming at us from every corner of the public sector. Let's not kid ourselves, with this bevy comes a whole lot of new levies. And for poorer families struggling to get by, a lot more money going toward taxes means less available for rent. Let's hope that none of them have to start living in a tent!

In principle, I support the idea of us going more green, but let's ensure that the cost is less than obscene. And for goodness sake, can we finally be rid of this silly notion of personal carbon offsets (PCOs). It's nothing but a phoney excuse by the liberal-minded wealthy to do whatever they please and not feel guilty about it. Contrast PCOs with the diet plan of an overweight tycoon. Do you think he will stay "weight neutral" if he keeps on overeating but pays others to eat less?

A poor person can't afford to fly to Mexico every Christmas and then buy PCOs to relieve their guilt. No politician or media personality should try to convince us of their "green-ness" while continuing to live their multi-home lifestyles. To be specific, this means means no more yearly Hawaii vacations for Gordon Campbell, no more weekend cottage visits for Carole James, no more Sunshine Coast breaks for Bill Good, and Christy Clark and her hubby should put their Gulf Island home up for sale immediately. If they're not prepared to do this then they should all stop preaching to us about our lifestyles.

Was I Right or Was I Wrong?

My original posting stated that I was wrong: "The horrendous garbage didn't appear. Read more here."

But I just learned on the CTV Evening News that this newspaper report was pure fiction! English Bay was a DUMP last night, with thousands of people just leaving their garbage on the beach and others overflowing garbage cans, rather than taking it home. This black mark on the true nature of Vancouverites was covered up only thanks to the overnight work of Vancouver City managers, the morning work of Houston Landscapes, and the later work of other volunteers.

Let's face facts: Most Vancouverites are ignorant little slobs and last night's garbage proves it! So incredibly sad.

Prediction, Fear, or Warning?

I don't know which, but I have this troubling idea that Vancouver's beaches are going to be a complete mess tomorrow with countless people leaving their garbage littered all over.

How could this happen you ask, in environmentally conscious Vancouver? Well tomorrow morning will show whether Vancouverites walk their talk or are the rampant hypocrites that I've long suspected. I really am hoping for the former but [sadly] suspect the latter. :-(

Finally, Some Common Sense on the CBC!!!

I just heard an AMAZING interview on CBC Radio 1. The guest was Queen's Law Professor, Bruce Pardy. The topic was Global Warming. He told it as it is and it was music to my ears. In a nutshell he made clear that any little steps that Canadians make to reduce their carbon footprint matter not a whit if the much more densely populated nations of the world don't take the lead. Taken to the extreme, if tomorrow all Canadians stopped consuming ALL energy, it wouldn't make any real difference to the world as a whole.

The interesting thing is that Pardy is very "pro-environment" but he's just not buying into the hypocrisy surrounding the nonsensical Kyoto Agreement.

You can listen to the segment here, though you need Real Player. A highly recommended listen!

Sheryl Crow: Shut Up & Sing!

From the first time I heard her, I loved Sheryl Crow's music. From the first time I saw her, I thought she was a beautiful woman.

But now she's talking and I'm thinking she's an idiot, a hypocrite, or perhaps both. Ms. Crow is recommending that each of us use only one square sheet of toilet paper each time we visit the bathroom. Think I'm kidding? Read this.

What is it with these celebrities? Do they only have "Yes Men" around them 24/7 who agree to everything they say? Why can't the singers of the lot just shut up & sing? And in her case, she make look like a goddess but I wouldn't want to get too close to her if she's following her own prescription to save the environment!

John Travolta: Environmental Crusader ... or Cruiser?

While promoting his latest film, John Travolta took a little time out to preach about the dangers of global warming and how we each must do more to reduce our carbon footprint. What he wasn't so keen to talk about was that fact that at his Florida mansion he owns several jets AND HIS OWN PRIVATE RUNWAY!!! I think you'll delight in the hypocrisy here.

If you'd like to see a closeup of his house then click here. Let me be clear: I don't begrudge him for his wealth nor the fact that he owns 5 jets. But perhaps he should learn to just keep his mouth closed rather than opening it and preaching to the rest of us about how to run our lives!

Global Warming: Been Feeling Guilty Lately?

Over the past year have you been feeling increasingly guilty about everything you do? Thinking twice about taking a flight somewhere?

There have been great forces at work to make you feel absolutely convinced that you are the source of the problem and that you must change your ways immediately or the world will be destroyed within the next few centuries. Al Gore wants you to feel this way. Stephane Dion wants you to feel this way. The Green Party everywhere wants you to feel this way. Indirectly, these same forces want the poorest people on the planet to remain in poverty for perpetuity.

Finally, in a breakthrough documentary, some sense and facts have been brought to the surface. I implore you to watch this important film and forward the link to everyone you know. Or just tell them to search Google Video for "global warming swindle". It's over an hour in length but well worth your time, I promise you!

Finally the wool is being removed from all of our eyes.

Does Righteousness Make An Environmentalist Right?

A small town in Romania is the latest nexus in the never ending battle between employers & employees on one side and environmental activists on the other.

A segment on Charles Adler's radio program caught my attention. It was about a new documentary called "Mine Your Own Business" that focuses on a pending mining project in the Romanian community of Rosia Montana. Gabriel Resources, a Canadian mining company wants to develop a gold & silver mine there, an operation that would employ many, many people. But heading up the charge against them is a Swiss woman named Stephanie Roth, who doesn't want things to change in this quaint ancient village.

I need to watch the documentary to form a final opinion, but as a former mining engineer I'm very much aware of the pros and cons of mining development. I have little doubt that it'll show quite a different view than the glowing video of Ms. Roth found here.

The Roths of the world are very prevalent in my home province of British Columbia. When their party of choice, the NDP, were in power for 10 years [1991-2001], they effectively shut down all new mining development. It should be noted that during the NDP's reign, B.C. changed from a "have" to a "have not" province. While B.C.'s Canadian and American neighbours were enjoying an economic boom during the late 90's, my province was suffering through blatant mismanagement and economic loss.

No industrial process can be guaranteed to be perfectly safe. And in times past mining has had a very poor environmental record. But that has dramatically changed. I know dozens upon dozens of people in the mining industry and every single one of them cares about the environment as much, if not much more so, than the average citizen. To thus say that all mining is bad is ignorant to the extreme. There will always be an environmental cost with all industrial development but engineers and scientists are working hard to minimize it.

A final note: If you do watch the pro-Roth video you'll hear mention that cyanide is used in the gold extraction process. True. But it is safely used in countless mines around the world. Using "cyanide" to scare people about mining is akin to using the word "denier" in regard to global warming because it immediately makes people think of "Holocaust Deniers". Such rhetoric only dminishes the validity of what the person is saying ... at least in my mind!

Al Gore: Eco-Messiah or Eco-Hypocrite?

In his typical brilliant fashion, Mark Steyn illuminates the truth behind Mr. Eco-Friendly himself, Al Gore in this article. While reading it, think back to Leonardo's di Caprio's proclamation that "this year's Oscars have gone Green". Everyone in the audience did . . . exactly nothing and yet they've apparently gone green. Talk about trying to pull the [environmentally friendly organic] wool over our eyes!

If you're Canadian and reading this, remember Steyn's article when Stephane Dion is giving us his next lecture about what we need to do to be more green. I'd love to see his energy consumption bill!

The [Not So] Great Canadian Environmental Debate!

I'm generally not much of a CBC fan because of the extreme left-wing bias in most of their programming by I frequently listen to one radio show called The House. In the most recent program, there was a ridiculous display of one upmanship displayed by all the guests. It prompted me to send the host, Kathleen Petty, this letter:

I love your show and listened with great interest to your February 3rd discussion about the environment with members of the Conservative, Liberal, and NDP parties. If that's the best that our three major parties have to offer then God ... errr may Mother Nature help us!

I couldn't stop thinking throughout that the interview was not a whole lot different than the venerable TV show, The Dating Game. (Feel free to listen to the theme music while reading the rest of my e-mail!) The 3 bachelors were desperately trying to win the heart & mind of Miss Canada (us voters).

Mr. Conservative is her latest beau. She's been dating him for the past year, is generally content but ... her old boyfriend, Mr. Liberal, who she's been involved with many years in the past, is now actively pursuing her again, after having to sort out some financial issues with the police. He's definitely the flashiest of all, but she hasn't decided whether she can trust him again. The third bachelor, Mr. NDP, seems like a nice guy but she thinks he's too much of an idealistic geek to ever get seriously involved with. This doesn't stop him from endlessly trying to win her heart though.

Miss Canada has an American uncle named Al Gore. Last year she saw a movie he made about a pending worldwide environmental crisis. Since then she keeps hearing the word "Kyoto" every time she turns on the TV, listens to the radio, or reads the newspaper. She doesn't really know what it means but figures it must be important if so many people are always talking about it. When she was dating Mr. Liberal she remembers him signing some document on her behalf with that "K" word on it, but it certainly didn't make her change her lifestyle! He was having too much fun with her to ever mention

All of this recent environmental talk has perked her interest so much that she confided to her girlfriends (the political pollsters) that the man in her life better be darned concerned about it too ... even if she isn't too clear on the details of what "it" is. As might be expected, the girlfriends let this slip to the 3 bachelors. They're now all pumping their chests, trying to outdo the others, to prove to Miss Canada that they are the greenest of all and thus deserve her affection!

Sadly, none of these fellows realize that the object of their affection was terribly spoiled as a child and grew up in a very privileged environment. Her family stems from proud and noble roots, but it is unclear to all her cousins, watching her from afar, whether she can give up her two cars, her fabulous condo, and her regular winter jaunts down to warmer climes. At this point she doesn't even know that she has to change anything in her own life, but rather is just relying on her boyfriend to ensure that businesses do everything. To varying degrees, the 3 bachelors have convinced themselves that she is prepared to make some radical changes. Time will tell, but relationship counseling seems like a foregone conclusion! If so, her boyfriend can pick up the tab for that too.

This Environmental Hypocrisy Has To Stop!!

I received the following e-mail from an acquaintance of mine:

Hi. I hope this subject justifies a mass emailing. This is a time when the power of the Internet could be effective.

Cheers, Graham

Begin forwarded message:

A GLOBAL WARMING RALLYING CRY --- PLEASE SEND THIS TO YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS. LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE --- YOU'LL FIND OUT THEY ARE TOO ---

The 1st of February 2007:

Participate in the biggest mobilization of Citizens Against Global Warming!

The Alliance for the Planet [a group of environmental associations] is calling on all citizens to create 5 minutes of electrical rest for the planet.

People all over the world should turn off their lights and electrical appliances on the first of February 2007, between 1.55 pm and 2.00 pm in New York, 18.55 for London, and 19.55 for Paris, Bruxelles, and Italy. 1.55 pm in Ottawa, 10.55 am on the Pacific Coast of North America.

This is not just about saving 5 minutes worth of electricity; this is about getting the attention of the media, politicians, and ourselves.

Five minutes of electrical down time for the planet: this does not take long, and costs nothing, and will show all political leaders that global warming is an issue that needs to come first and foremost in political debate.

Why February 1? This is the day when the new UN report on global climate change will come out in Paris.

This event affects us all, involves us all, and provides an occasion to show how important an issue global warming is to us. If we all participate, this action can have real media and political weight.

Please circulate this call to your utmost ability to your network.


Graham's a nice guy and I'm absolutely certain his intentions are genuine and sincere. But such faux efforts of yuppies everywhere REALLY annoys me. Why? Let my response to him explain:

Hi Graham,

Thanks for this. But I must tell you with great candor that I think the problem is with "us", the citizens of the world, not the politicians [of any stripe]. Rather than turning off one's electricity for just 5 minutes, what about:

* Turning it off for 8 hours a day, every day.
* Stop driving for all but 2 days per week.
* Having only one car per household.
* Telling the government to instantly triple the price of gas via taxes.

For if people are really serious about meeting the goals of the Kyoto Protocol then this is what's really required. Making a symbolic change like this 5 minute thing is akin to putting a "Free Tibet" bumper sticker on one's car. Do the people who do this really want to free Tibet? You & I both know that if the actual steps were taken to do that then these same people would be screaming about that.

Sorry, but you've touched a raw nerve on the hypocrisy front. Maybe you live your life in an environmentally friendly way. And I commend you for that. I certainly do. I gave my car 4 years ago and now walk, bicycle, and take transit everywhere. I live a very simple lifestyle when it comes to consumerism. But I don't wave a green flag around.

Do you realistically think most Canadians would vote for a party that advocated the 4 bullet points I've listed above? I don't. So this symbolic stuff really annoys me because it further perpetrates a lot of hot air but no real action.

Robert

Environmental Talk: Reality vs. Rhetoric

I constantly hear many left-of-centre Canadian politicians ranting on & on about how the federal government and assorted provincial governments aren't doing enough to help the environment.

Three of them immediately come to mind:

• Federal Liberal leader, Stephane Dion
• Federal NDP leader, Jack Layton
• B.C. NDP leader, Carole James
  

If I had the opportunity, I'd love to pose the following question to each of them:

Is it not long overdue for you to declare that if your party is elected that you will put an immediate moratorium on all coal and natural gas extraction and exploration, not just for consumption in our country, but everywhere? Please put your money where your rhetoric is and make this declaration today and then fight the next election on it.

I'm simply tired of all the B.S. and hypocrisy and would like some clarity about what tangible environmental plans each party really has. Present them clearly and succinctly and then let the voters make their decision.

True Colours Shining Through

I abhor hypocrisy. I find it most amusing that polls are reporting that the environment is top-of-mind of a large number of Canadians. Maybe they're thinking about it, but when it really comes down to it, most aren't willing to change their own lifestyle one iota.

In Ottawa, NDP leader Jack Layton is once again in an interesting position in that his party now holds the balance of power. They will decide whether the Conservative government falls or sticks around a while longer. In exchange for this, Layton is pushing for some significant environmental policy changes. As soon as he started talking about this, the Auto Workers union leader, Buzz Hargrove, started attacking Layton. Funny, because in times past Hargrove appeared to be very environmentally friendly. But when the rubber hits the road, we start to see where his real convictions lie.

Back in 1993 no one ever predicted that the Conservatives would be decimated to just two seats. It's thus not beyond the realm of the impossibility that something similar could happen to another political party. This is perhaps ten times so for the NDP with the Greens and the Liberals squeezing them from both ends at once. If the environment continues to be one of the top issues in the minds of voters then the NDP will have a severe "brand" problem come the next election. For it has become clearly apparent that the environmental cloak of labour leaders like Buzz Hargrove is wearing ever so thin, exposing the true NIMBY soul inside.