Posted by
Always To The Right on Saturday, May 17, 2008 3:00:53 AM
McCain’s Embarrassing Climate Speech -
While no one knows who first uttered the sentiment, “It’s better to say nothing and seem a fool, than to open
your mouth and remove all doubt,” Republican presidential hopeful John McCain’s speech this week on climate
change certainly supports the phrase’s validity. (Steven Milloy, FoxNews.com)
McCain Joins
Global Warming Cult - In an effort to win over those "moderates" who believe that global warming is
about to destroy the planet, Republican presidential candidate John McCain spoke Monday at a Portland, Ore.,
training facility for Vestas Wind Technology. He claimed, "The facts of global warming demand our urgent
attention, especially in Washington."
There certainly is more "hot air" on this and a lot of other subjects in Washington, but that isn't what
he meant. The era of big government is so not over, as Bill Clinton claimed it was in 1996. It is just beginning and
increasingly the political contests seem to be about who will manage its growth, not who will reduce its size, cost
and reach. (Cal Thomas, RealClearPolitics)
Most Republicans Discount Global Warming: McCain,
Bush At Odds With Most Of Party
That puts most Republicans at odds with their standard-bearer, President George W. Bush, and with GOP presidential
contender Sen. John McCain. Both men said this week global warming is real and must be addressed.
Republicans are increasingly skeptical that there is solid evidence that the earth has been warming over the past
few decades, the survey found. In January 2007, 62 percent said they believed the evidence, compared to 49 percent
in the new Pew findings. Pew found that self-described conservative Republicans are more likely than party moderates
or liberals to reject the science.
Overall, 71 percent of Americans say there is solid evidence of higher global temperatures, compared with 77 percent
at the beginning of last year. Fewer than half in the survey -- 47 percent -- attribute the rising temperatures to
human activity.
Age played a role in opinions, Pew said. Fifty-four percent of people under age 30 believe that the earth is warming
mostly because of human activity, compared with 37 percent of those ages 65 and older. - The proportion of Americans who say that the earth is getting warmer has
decreased modestly since January 2007, mostly because of a decline among Republicans, according to a new survey by
the Pew Research Center.
Americans cooling to
global warming: Solomon - All three U.S. presidential hopefuls have made global warming a high-profile issue in
their campaigns. In this they are out of step with the broad electorate, which ranks global warming well down the
scale of important issues. The public's increasing skepticism is particularly surprising given the overwhelming air
time that the press has given to the notion that global warming spells doom. (Lawrence Solomon, Financial Post)
Gore is right. Climate
change catastrophe is imminent! - I've been having an interesting exchange on a CO2 alarmists' blog about the
dangers human emissions of CO2 pose for future climate. While the exchange has generally been cordial and it has
certainly been interesting while providing great insight into the rationale most alarmists agree too, I have yet to
find the proverbial "smoking gun" that actually makes their case.
Nevertheless, I do have to agree with them about one thing. The danger and cost to human society from climate change
will be catastrophic and is, apparently, unavoidable.
But ironically, while the catastrophe to which I refer is unquestionably human-caused, it is completely avoidable.
Therein lies the rub.
The danger is not from a catastrophe arising from soaring temperatures and human misery that alarmists claim will
follow (a highly debatable proposition). The catastrophe that seems unstoppable is the human misery that will
unquestionably arise from the massive costs of soaring imprudent government regulation of CO2 emissions in the form
of Gore-enriching "cap and trade" schemes that will, in the end, provide no discernable impact on global
climate. (Bob Webster, WEBCommentary)
Global Warming: Mostly Hot Air - As
more data come in, the dire predictions of Al Gore and company are being exposed as unfounded alarmism. Is the game
close to being up for eco-mongers and their media enablers? (Pajamas Media)
New
Inhofe White Paper, Web Page, Details Harmful Impacts of Lieberman-Warner Billwww.epw.senate.gov/lieberman-warnerbillexposed.
(EPW Blog) - WASHINGTON, DC – Sen. James
Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today announced the release of a new
white paper by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee minority detailing the severe economic impacts of
the America's Climate Security Act – S.2191 (Lieberman-Warner) bill. In addition, Senator Inhofe also announced a
new web page on the minority portion of the EPW Committee website dedicated to providing an online resource center
that will serve as a central hub for all information exposing the flaws of the Lieberman-Warner bill. The website
can be viewed at
Cap-And-Trade Folly - Climate
Change: Legislation pending in the Senate might warm environmentalists' hearts, but not because of potential cuts in
carbon emissions. Their interest is in the heavy economic costs the plans would inflict. (IBD)
The price isn't right: People like the
idea of a carbon tax, they just don't want to pay it - Here in the department of the painfully obvious we're
pleased to announce that polls suggest people are strongly in favour of paying carbon taxes, until they actually
have to pay them.
Then ... not so much.
To illustrate, a recent Canadian Press Harris/Decima poll found Canadians surveyed supported "a carbon tax
levied on people and businesses based on the carbon emissions they generate" by a margin of 61% to 32%.
Except in B.C., where on July 1 people will be hit with a real carbon tax imposed by their provincial government.
There, support for a carbon tax which hasn't even gone into effect yet, plunges to 49% in favour, 41% opposed.
Meanwhile, in Great Britain, where people already pay carbon taxes, a recent Opinium Research poll found almost
three in four (72%) oppose paying higher taxes to fight climate change and two in three (67%) believe the
government's entire "green" agenda is just a ploy to raise taxes. (Lorrie Goldstein, Edmonton Sun)