Posts Tagged ‘climate change’

Shorter Durbin Climate Change Deal

Sunday, December 11th, 2011

“In principle, this agreement in principle will be in principle about an agreement in principle, once a sufficient time period in principle has made this agreement in principle unprincipled.”

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Case Closed

Friday, October 21st, 2011

On climate change and global warming

Yes, it’s real, yes, it’s been going on for 200 years, yes, it’s all about fossil fuels, and yes, we need to tax fossil fuels to the point where they’re no longer competitive with alternative energy sources.

And yes, nothing much at all will be done until we elect leaders who aren’t complete idiots.

Gorilla says: “Alas, we’re stuck with one political party made up of complete idiots, so it will be a while!”

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Poached Crabs

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

Giant king crabs on the cusp of Antarctica!

No, it’s not a 50s drive-in flick, it’s yet another example of the impact brought to the planet by global warming and climate change.

Wildfires and droughts in Texas, big floods in the northeast, the hottest temperatures on record: these things are happening and we’re not doing enough to moderate the human behavior that is causing these disasters.

We need heavy taxation of fossil fuels, to make alternative energy sources more economically viable.

We need far more of the kind of measures President Obama has pushed through, like higher mileage standards for cars.

We need to see ourselves, with 4 percent of the world’s population and 25% of the world’s energy consumption, as something other than amoral, selfish, science-denying morons.

Gorilla says: “It starts with acknowledgment, continues with education, and ends with innovation!”

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More Subsidized Pollution

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

This time, it’s Exxon, spilling oil for the umpteenth time in yet another refuge, the Yellowstone River!

One wonders when the wholly owned Seven Sisters subsidiary known as the US Congress will decide that it’s time to stop subsidizing these wildly profitable polluters.

Meanwhile, climate change legislation and a real energy policy based on raising the cost for using fossil fuels remains moribund.

Gorilla says: “Destroying our country is so much easier for our leaders than pretending to care!”

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Quote Of The Day

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

Christiana Figueres, head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat: “If you find your national position is in opposition to that of others, don’t ask for compromise, think of our common planet and offer the compromise first. The deal here in Cancún will not guarantee all your short-term national interests, but reaching no outcome here in Cancún will endanger everyone’s long-term well-being.”

Gorilla translates: “Abandon hope, all ye who waste your time here!”

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Kyoto: Not In Japan!

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

Another year, another pointless round of climate change talks, but at least the Japanese are attempting to entertain!

Seems they no longer want to abide by the Kyoto Protocol, an official says: “Japan will not inscribe its target under the Kyoto protocol on any conditions or under any circumstances.”

And that’s that.

Gorilla predicted long ago that climate change talks would go nowhere. There are just too many oxen to be gored, and polluting policymakers know there’s zero chance of anything serious getting passed by the US Congress (or for that matter any other developed country legislature).

Why should the Japanese worry too much about what happens in 75 years?

Gorilla says: “Now, if it was budget deficits in 75 years, you’d certainly get an enthusiastic international chorus of OECD-style stupidity!”

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How Not To Climate Change

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Well, the science is fine, global warming and climate change are indeed real, but the UN’s Intergovernment Panel On Climate Change screwed up a little and needs reform!!!

And it’s this sort of very minor, very unimportant set of recommendations by an international body (remember: the Know Nothing Party thinks the UN is part of a vast conspiracy to promote socialism and one world government) that will keep the US (and by implication China and India) from ever getting serious about changing our environmental policy.

When you have to mortgage the political farm to get anything through the Congress, what are the chances now?

Gorilla answers: “Less than zero!”

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Shut Off, Baby, Shut Off!

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

The Louisiana oil spill is now looking like an environmental catastrophe, the robots are the last resort!

Curiously, we’re hearing nothing much at all from those, including the President, who thought that offshore drilling is a great solution to America’s energy needs.

It’s another reason why no one in Washington is really serious about climate change or alternative energy.

The costs aren’t massive, but the political willingness to impose those costs, through higher taxes or cap-and-trade on fossil fuels, is nonexistent.

We’d rather mourn miners than shut the mines and move on to a place where 4% of the world’s population no longer consumes 25% of the world’s energy.

Gorilla thinks: “Hopefully the oil will spread all over the people of Arizona, making standing while non-white a reality at last!”

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Naive, Disorganized And Correct

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

Well, the report’s in about those climate scientists, the ones the Know Nothings accused of cooking their e-mails and their climate change data…

And guess what?

“Whatever was said in the e-mails, the basic science seems to have been done honestly and fairly”.

Oh yes, and the basic science said?

Global warming is real, climate change is real, and we need to start addressing the problem before it gets out of control.

Gorilla sums up: “Not that we will address the problem anytime soon, but at least there’s recognition we have a problem!”

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Sticking A Danish Fork In

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Copenhagen? It’s done for this year, says the Danish environment minister!

There was never any chance of a global agreement on climate change, and even less so in a US election year.

US politicians simply aren’t serious about sacrifice of any kind, so there’s little prospect of progress except at the margins.

Gorilla says: “A hamfisted waste of time!”

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