Friday, December 14, 2007


Folly in Bali

Dear friend,

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at PhotobucketTomorrow I'm going to Bali, Indonesia to address the UN Climate Change Conference. In front of representatives from the world's countries, I will speak about the need for a visionary treaty to be completed, ratified and brought into effect everywhere in the world by 2010. I need you, your friends and family to sign this petition calling for a new, positive leadership role by our elected leaders. I will bring your signatures on stage with me as a clear demonstration of our resolve.

This petition shows our commitment to solutions to the climate crisis. Please add your voice today and urge your friends to add theirs. The time for action is now. Only together can we make the change.

Sincerely,

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Which public airline did the Gorester fly on to reach the conference?

Never mind. Now he has a Nobel and can be honored, respected and listened to like Carter and Arafat. When he gets back to town he needs to be ridden out on a rail.

I watched a flick the other day from 1992. Hole in the Ozone Layer Warning. When's the last time you were updated on that crock?
December 14, 2007

Bali Finale Papers Pit Vision Against Precision

Marc Sheppard
On the very day Al Gore arrived in Bali with a petition avowing "support for a visionary global treaty to end the climate crisis," another petition (of sorts) was released attesting that any such efforts would prove "ultimately futile."

But in stark contrast to the Green Giant's appeal, which contained the "signatures" of nearly a quarter million internet denizens of indemonstrable education, it was more than 100 field-leading scientists that signed the letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon which began:
"It is not possible to stop climate change, a natural phenomenon that has affected humanity through the ages."
Yesterday, Gore's silly electronically-signed whine was presented to the waning UN Climate conference along with his requisite repent-or-perish speech, this time climaxing with these euphoric-applause and hoorah inspiring words:
"My own country the United States is principally responsible for obstructing progress here in Bali. We all know that."
The freshly minted Laureate was singling out the country he had once aspired to lead for its refusal to commit to unnecessary and unattainable greenhouse gas abatement goals throughout the 2 week climate festival. Of course, Japan and Canada had stood the same ground, as did "developing" nations China and India. But why quibble? There're plenty of accolades to go around.

That's right - three cheers for all nations responsible for gridlocking the progress of the world's worst idea since Hydrogen-filled blimps.

And the letter to be distributed to Bali revelers on this, the final day, signed by such scientific luminaries as World Federation of Scientists president Dr. Antonio Zichichi and the "Father of Climatology" himself, Dr. Reid Bryson, distinguishes itself from yesterday's "I Like Al" petition by explaining why.

Declaring the Summaries for Policy Makers the most widely read and quoted of IPCC reports, the climate authorities reiterate that they are prepared not by scientists but rather government representatives. Furthermore, they remind us, contrary to the impression the summaries leave with the reader:

    "Recent observations of phenomena such as glacial retreats, sea-level rise and the migration of temperature-sensitive species are not evidence for abnormal climate change, for none of these changes has been shown to lie outside the bounds of known natural variability.

    The average rate of warming of 0.1 to 0. 2 degrees Celsius per decade recorded by satellites during the late 20th century falls within known natural rates of warming and cooling over the last 10,000 years.

    Leading scientists, including some senior IPCC representatives, acknowledge that today's computer models cannot predict climate. Consistent with this, and despite computer projections of temperature rises, there has been no net global warming since 1998. That the current temperature plateau follows a late 20th-century period of warming is consistent with the continuation today of natural multi-decadal or millennial climate cycling."
The dispatch, which rebukes the conference's disregard of Kyoto's failures in attempting to craft severe CO2 restrictions and trading markets, then concludes:
"Attempts to prevent global climate change from occurring are ultimately futile, and constitute a tragic misallocation of resources that would be better spent on humanity's real and pressing problems."
Bona fide experts, dispassionately relating facts and proffering cogent analysis will certainly assuage segments of the quivering heat-fearing masses lamenting a no-deal summit, right? After all, they do appear to react quite passionately to letters of Science.

Remember the hysterical mandatory emissions caps rally-cry letter -- signed by 200 likely less objective and categorically less distinguished scientists -- that was all the rage at the opening of the conference? And the wide and excited coverage it received from the greenhouse gasbag media-at-large?

Might the fortnight visitors to the Bali of the Folly Green Giant respond similarly to this letter, further authorized by physics legend Dr. Freeman Dyson and Dr. Edward J. Wegman, of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences? As the media is delirious with the same green fever, the degree of the letter's dissemination will provide a strong indicator.

Try this little experiment over the next few days: Google the words 200 Scientists Bali. Page through the results until you've properly appreciated the lay of the land. Now, replace 200 with 100 and repeat.

Any questions?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

It appears you and other internet bloggers are "swift boating" some hugely lucrative Madison Avenue tactics. My awareness began in the eighties when some Rockefellor investment group went after buying Quaker Oats. They paid for a "study" that showed some positive numbers indicating oatmeal consumers had a less incident occurence of cancer, had their news outlets run up the hooplah giving it miracle cure status, and sales went through the roof. I still eat the stuff. With the ozone layer, I would look at ammonia manufacturers. This global warming stint is the culmination of corporations that are heavily diversified, maybe too lazy to scam us on an individual product level anymore. Or the Madison Avenue ad men want too much money to do it. We can expect legislators to force government operations to comply with regulations they will pass, and have stocks in. This little practice can be locally enjoyed simply by following the money you pay to have your garbage removed. In our area, there is only one "franchise", it has to be barged far far away, and you can not cancel the service.
JD Johnson

turn said...

jd-

Sorry, man. Can't agree.

While some industry is choosing to exploit the green movement (notably GE) this has always been about ceding power to a political movement that is inimical to capitalism.

Both Gore and Gorbachov glommed onto this early and with the willing cooperation of academics and bureaucrats this is all about giving power to a world body that seeks to redistribute wealth and power.

Anonymous said...

Nice boot! Whilst the Goracle is waxing eloquent, I froze my butt off to catch some Kokanee - through the ice...I have it on good authority that Gore is full of shit - and he has no chance of his carbon footprint doing much more than leaving a nasty smudge on terra firma. My expert has been getting sat data for over twenty years, and he scoffs at this pile of bile that Gore is touting.

turn said...

Cap'n Doc-

Glad you checked in. Read thru the entire 60 odd comments at RR on the blinded Israel thread and you definitely kicked ass.

I'm salivating for action like that here.

Confession time. I've fished saltwater from the Virgins to Alaska and I don't have a clue what a Kokanee is. Sounds like an Amerindian name and if you're ice fishing in December it's somewhere in the Northern Plains or Montana/Idaho.

Wish I could share your optimism that GW is dead but there are powerful alignments that will continue its promotion to the soft-headed among us (millions weak) until they come up with a new scheme--hence the allusion to the disappeared 'ozone hole'.

Anonymous said...

I once enjoyed evenings in an Airstream trailer with an old retired ironworker, a bag man for the union, drinking his home made beer backed by Wild Turkey. First time I tasted Heffeweisen, I thought, that is Bob Shultz beer. Anyway, he handed me a book with a preface that went something like: 'Governments come and governments go; give us control of the money and we will tell you when they come and when they go.' He was adamant that held a core belief for a young guy heading out into the big bad world. It holds up well. Everything follows the money,aka corporations,even power mad egomaniacs.
JD Johnson

turn said...

jD-

As noted above the comment window, crapforbrains is OK here.

I get it. You think that evil corporations are responsible for the woes of the world.

I'm not going to deliver an essay on how incredibly naive you are, and how capitalism is the economic savior of civilization.

So sorry you're a victim.

Now go eat your oatmeal.

Anonymous said...

Kind of feels like you peed in my oatmeal. Debate is an art form, and I would caution against nasty interjections. I am a Von Hayek capitalist that believes young people need to wise up to the manipulations of the science of advertising. Far from evil, the pursuit of wealth is passion based. Unsubdued, it can do some evil things. I am building a house completely by myself for the sake of knowing I did it. Afterward, I will sell it for every red cent it will bring. By four, I will be having beers with the boys. The laughter will start with:
Guess what I was called today?
BTW, I think the doc may be fishing southern B.C.
JD Johnson

Anonymous said...

No, I'm fishing a reservoir within 10 minutes of my house that is stocked annually with land-locked salmon - or Kokanee. And I live in Helena, MT.