climatedepot--2020-06-26--‘Controlling What People Think’:  The left doesn’t want to argue with conservatives—they want to sil

‘Controlling What People Think’:  The left doesn’t want to argue with conservatives—they want to silence conservatives

Kim Holmes , author of “ The Closing of the Liberal Mind ” and executive vice president at The Heritage Foundation , joins The Daily Signal Podcast to discuss the resignation of New York Times opinion editor James Bennet after he ran an op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton , and the outraged reaction to J.K. Rowling ’ s essay on gender identity .
Holmes also outlines the intellectual roots of the current speech and thought policing and why the left has become so close-minded .
We also cover these stories : • The Supreme Court issues a major decision on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas and Kavanaugh criticize their Supreme Court colleagues for not taking up a Second Amendment case .
• The Food and Drug administration takes action on anti-malaria drug explored as a possible treatment for COVID-19 .
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You can also leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at [ email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kate Trinko : Joining us today is Kim Holmes .
He ’ s the executive vice president of The Heritage Foundation and author of “ The Closing of the Liberal Mind , ” a book that looks more prophetic than ever .
Kim , thanks for joining us .
Kim Holmes : It ’ s great to be with you , Kate .
Thanks for having me .
Trinko : Of course .
So this feels like we are in an era in the United States where speech is being policed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about the most recent prominent example of that .
The New York Times published an op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton , Republican of Arkansas , and in that op-ed , he talked about the need to restore order amid the riots that were occurring after George Floyd ’ s killing .
One of the measures that Cotton suggested the government could do was to use troops to bring about order .
This resulted in such a major crisis at The New York Times [ and ] the opinion editor , James Bennet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So what do you think about this incident ?
Holmes : I ’ m afraid that we ’ ve been talking about the mainstream media being liberal for many , many years .
I would say that it ’ s not just that it ’ s getting worse .
It ’ s getting to the point now where they ’ re not even pretending to be journalists .
By that I mean The New York Times , The Washington Post .
If you read The Washington Post , occasionally I do , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one or two stories with some news tacked at the very end .
And the standards of journalism are just going through into the tank .
But what I think you ’ re seeing with The New York Times is that they are moving well beyond even pretending to be journalists and they are going into full-scale support for a kind of a programmatic activist agenda , and then using the prestige and legitimacy that they have or what remains of it to try to push this agenda .
The purpose of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … as opposed to an agitation propaganda sheet where we only have one point of view .
But apparently that ’ s what The New York Times is willing to accept right now .
It ’ s a very , very sad day , not only for free speech , but frankly , for journalism .
Trinko : As a side note , if I ever leave The Daily Signal , I kind of want to start a broad sheet called “ Agitation Propaganda Sheet.
” That ’ s a great name .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the threads in this whole New York Times situation was staffers who tweeted about the Cotton op-ed tweets along the lines of , or exactly this way , “ Running this puts black people , including black New York Times staff , in danger.
” So it really went beyond them not liking what Cotton had to say and these staffers saying that his speech is actually dangerous .
I ’ m curious as to what your thoughts are on that and of course , this comes amid a broader push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that speech can equal violence .
Holmes : This question of speech and violence has a long history .
It actually goes back to early 20th century when there was some Supreme Court rulings .
[ A ] very famous one is can you walk into a theater in the darkness and cry fire if there ’ s no fire because you are endangering the people by creating a panic situation ?
And the courts actually rule that there are certain kinds of incitement of speech that if it leads directly to violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you actually call for violence , then there can be some curves on free speech .
But I can assure you , that ’ s not what ’ s going on here .
What is going on here is to define the boundaries of free speech to the point where if you have an opinion about , for example , law enforcement or racism in law enforcement or whatever , they want to circumscribe the space in which that opinion exists and then anything outside will be considered the equivalent of inside environments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurisprudence , in our court system , for this kind of politicization , if you will , of speech and narrowing that to the point where just having a difference of opinion is the equivalent of inciting violence .
Of course , this is a tactic that the far left has used now for decades .
I recall back when we had the bomber in Oklahoma City , where Bill Clinton came in and accused the Republicans of inciting that because they had differences of opinion with him over policy .
And so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , particularly the Democratic Party and many liberals , saying that there are certain opinions that you should not have , because if you do have them , we will accuse you of inciting violence , whether you actually are or not .
Trinko : Amazingly , The New York Times wasn ’ t the only media outlet that has struggled .
An editor last week at The Philadelphia Inquirer stepped down because he headlined an article , “ Buildings Matter , Too , ” and there was such an uproar that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You talked a little bit about what ’ s going on in American media , but zooming out a little bit , do these incidents make a difference in American life ?
I mean , the media has been biased for years .
Is this really something that ’ s going to affect the country as a whole to have the media reacting like this ?
Holmes : Well , absolutely .
They are fanning the fires of polarization , they ’ re making it nearly impossible for reasonable people to talk to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The whole purpose is to mobilize hatred , anger , resentment , and an act of vengeance , but how can that possibly be good ?
If we want to live in a civil society where we protect our liberties and you have larger organizations that have access to communications , essentially trying to create the equivalent of certainly a cultural but perhaps even a social revolution of overturning the values and even , [ in ] some cases , the police departments and the legal norms that protect our liberties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were aligned with powers that be and a lot of people who have money , that ’ s very dangerous for America .
I don ’ t know how else to put it because this is not the liberalism I grew up with , I can tell you that .
We had Walter Cronkite , who was sort of a liberal and he leaned to the left on a lot of things , but I mean , at least they had a decent respect for other fellow Americans .
Here , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being drawn , and the media is very much part of that , particularly the mainstream media , is that they are basically saying , “ If you ’ re not with us , you ’ re against us .
If you ’ re not our friend , you ’ re our enemy.
” And if you start talking about fellow Americans as enemies , it will not end well .
It will end in some kind of violence and it will end in a kind of discord that will hurt everyone ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trinko : You mentioned Walter Cronkite and one of the interesting developments of the past 20 years or so has been the internet where conservatives have been communicating on social media platforms from Twitter to Facebook , even a little bit on Instagram .
Now , these companies , I want to be clear , they ’ re free to make their own decisions about content , they ’ re all private companies , but I ’ m curious as to what you think it means for our broader culture , our discourse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now slapping warnings about violence , and also fact-checking President [ Donald ] Trump ’ s tweets .
And I should add , not only is Twitter doing this , some Facebook employees recently had a virtual walkout—which sounds like the most relaxing walkout ever , but it is coronavirus—where they basically said they wish Facebook was more the same , policing speech in this way .
So do you think this has implications for conversations in our culture as well ?
Holmes : Yeah , certainly it does .
I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too much time watching Twitter or being on Twitter .
It ’ s not good for one ’ s mental health .
Having said that , Twitter may be a private company , but it ’ s no different than what ’ s happening in a lot of other American companies .
The whole woke culture , if you will , is taking over corporate boardrooms all across America .
And it ’ s very prevalent in the communications and the technology companies .
We all know about Google and Facebook and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I think , gone the farthest in the sense that by trying to slap warnings and particularly , even in one case , taking a statement by the president of the United States down as if they ’ re policing what a democratically elected leader of the American people should or should not say .
You ’ re right , they are a private company , I ’ m not going to have the government go in and shut them down , but they are seriously part of the problem , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re ever going to get past this terrible time we ’ re in is when people respect each other more and people listen to each other more .
And the more that we see Hollywood actors putting out videos , and I saw this yesterday , where I ’ m not going to tolerate this anymore , I ’ m not going to tolerate that anymore , sort of appointing themselves as the cultural policemen of what people can think and doing it with a very arrogant kind of shaming attitude that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout social media .
I ’ ve said to other people who were involved and YouTube and others involved and Twitter , if these platforms for the communications and sharing of ideas become weapons in the cultural war , then our country is going to be in deep trouble .
Kate Trinko : Speaking of the cultural war , “ Harry Potter ” author J.K. Rowling is under attack from the left because she is speaking out against transwomen being seen as being the exact same as women who were , well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of the LGBT activist group the Human Rights Campaign , said in a statement in response to a long essay that Rowling wrote about her views on gender—very thoughtful essay , I might add—David said , “ As one of the most famous women in the world and one whose work has inspired countless LGBTQ young people to imagine a world of acceptance and inclusivity , she bears an extra responsibility to ensure that her words do not do damage.
” He added , “ Rowling ’ s words are inflicting harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are already among the world ’ s most marginalized and endangered populations.
” How do we see the left policing speech in this arena of the culture wars , particularly on issues of sexuality ?
Holmes : The thing is , … we think we ’ re talking about speech , about what people say , but actually , we ’ re talking about something much deeper than that .
We ’ re actually talking about controlling what people think .
And if you control what people think , you control what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just about what do I think of transgender people or not , and I have an attitude or opinion , you do as well .
It ’ s much more than that .
It ’ s actually escalating of the discussion of what is permissible speech , to the point of saying that if you don ’ t say exactly what I say , then we will control your speech and therefore , we will control what you think and do .
It ’ s inherently authoritarian in its mindset .
You find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find it in different kinds of ways on the far right , or at least in history .
But I think that what is happening here is that J.K. Rowling is probably your sort of standard liberal in a kind of old-fashioned way .
And then she ’ s running into this hard-left mindset about sexuality that probably is catching her by surprise .
She ’ s probably thinking , “ Well , I want to be tolerant to gay people or LGBT people .
If they want to live that way , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s not what they ’ re saying .
They ’ re not asking for tolerance .
They ’ re asking that you be forced to accept their language and their view of the world through , supposedly , the lens of accepting them as human beings by essentially acquainting the two .
In other words , “ If you don ’ t accept who I say I am , I may be born a woman , but now I ’ m a man , if you say that I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denying me my humanity.
” Well , I mean , that is so beyond the pale of what it means to have a reason discourse .
I can ’ t imagine anybody who would not be a bit shocked by that .
But what I think what it really comes down to , what I actually think the biggest threat here is about this whole question of speech on sexuality , is it is not so much the narrow issues or the issues of LGBT issues per se , but how it affects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as human beings and as Americans , and also , what kind of legal precedence it sets .
If you could imagine that you can create a legal system , which our legal system is based upon bringing people in and having a back and forth in the courtroom , … as we understand the facts .
If you get into a situation where our law can not distinguish between the fact of a man or a woman , and it ’ s all definitional , it ’ s all subjective , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are into a realm where facts no longer exist in our law .
You ’ re in a whole new dimension of law and a whole new dimension of potential coercion that goes far beyond the issue of sexuality .
Trinko : I want to return to something you said in your answer , where you talked about how this is really about thought control and about authoritarianism .
And I ’ m wondering , where did this come from ?
Are we seeing movements that had their roots in the academy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did this just spring out of nowhere ?
Holmes : No , it did not spring out of nowhere .
It ’ s been in the making for almost a century .
I wrote this book , I think you mentioned it upfront , called “ The Closing of the Liberal Mind : Groupthink and Intolerance Define the Left , ” and that book is a history of ideas of the modern progressive movement .
And if you want to trace the origins of this kind of thinking , you have to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things were happening , more or less in conjunction with one another before , but were happening on sort of different planes .
One was the rise of the New Left and the academic community and the rise of sort of cultural Marxist concepts , groupthink , if you will , that groups like gender , race , these are power groups that compete with one another .
There is no such thing as individuality or free speech .
It ’ s all a big fiction and really , politics and government is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are an aggrieved group , as gender and race and critical theory would tell you they are .
Then they form [ a ] kind of revolution , cultural revolution , where they need to take over the power of the state .
So there ’ s a lot of work on that .
Most of them were cultural Marxists , and that ’ s one of the extremes .
The other one was this idea of relativism .
I won ’ t go into the detail .
There were a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They believe that there was no truth , or at least they pretended there was no truth .
Everything was about language and 20 or 30 years ago , this was all the rage .
“ I got my truth , you got your truth.
” Well , it turns out , really , if you ’ re a leftist , the only ones that don ’ t have absolute truth … I mean , the leftists have absolute truth and everybody else has relative truths .
It was just a technique , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the system of government we had in America .
And then the final was the sexual revolution of the ’ 60s , and it actually started in the ’ 50s .
Very , very important because it ’ s from the sexual revolution .
It also had Marxist people like Herbert Marcuse in the academy who wrote a book called “ Eros and Civilization , ” where he brought Sigmund Freud in and matched him up with Karl Marx and basically said sexual liberation is the new revolution .
He wrote that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that was a powerful idea because what it did was it implanted in our culture the idea of individual liberation , sexual liberation suddenly became a social cause .
So you could go out and live the most liberative life you can possibly imagine , and you ’ re doing it for a good social cause .
And then it ’ s morphed into different kinds of ways of thinking , but clearly the whole idea of gender identity and sexual liberation that is now part and parcel of identity politics came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all I was trying to do with this book by saying , is that what you see on the streets now was invented by a bunch of intellectuals .
Old saying , be very careful about some guy or woman or whatever , locked off in a closet somewhere , cooking up some new revolutionary idea because 50 years from now , people may be actually making a revolution based upon it .
That ’ s , of course , what Karl Marx did .
But these ideas do matter because the whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the things that I just said .
So groupthink is on the absolute values that they have and everybody else ’ s values are wrong .
And No .
3 , that the new radical individualism that you see sometimes mistakenly ascribed to libertarians , it comes from the sexual revolution from the 1960s and the whole idea of individual liberation being based upon a personal expression through sexuality .
Trinko : So perhaps the broader point here is , of course , it takes two to tango .
If people have these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or receptive , they don ’ t go anywhere .
Trinko : And at the same time , I think another thread that I ’ m at least noticing is that people do seem genuinely very easily offended and upset and triggered these days .
So I don ’ t know if you have any speculation on this point , but why do you think the culture is receptive to this kind of revolutionary thinking ?
Why are people genuinely so easily offended right now and is this something that we can or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Well , rather than giving a long historical discourse about who started it , going back 40 or 50 years , all I can say is that once you get into a radical cycle where one group is accusing another group of basically being their enemy and destroying them and acting that way and talking that way and just pushing the envelope as much as you possibly can in that direction , the more the other side is going to be offended and afraid .
And whereas we may have had enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago , where people could have disagreements in members of Congress and they would go back out from Democratic or Republican Party in the evening and have drinks together , you just don ’ t have that anymore .
Now people are treating each other as enemies and that ’ s because the polarization has made it such that the stakes are that it ’ s now a power struggle .
It ’ s a power struggle over symbols , it ’ s a power struggle over values , and it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over whom .
And so one of the great things about America is that we could switch back and forth between administrations and presidents and turn over power without that fear .
A lot of countries don ’ t live that way .
One of the reasons why dictators often hold onto power is because they ’ re afraid they ’ re going to be taken out and shot once they let go of it .
We ’ ve been very blessed in this country , not to have that kind of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , of the Civil War .
But this is where we are right now .
It ’ s a zero-sum game .
People are truly afraid .
Now , I would say that the progressive left started pushing in this radical tradition some 20 or 30 years ago , whether they believed it or not , as I assume most of them did .
But what ’ s happened now is they are getting so successful because they occupy so many different institutions .
They occupy the media , they occupy the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boardroom , they occupy the social media and the technology companies .
And people who are traditional in their views are starting to look around and go , “ Oh , my God , those people are coming after me and they ’ re coming after my values and they ’ re going to force me to raise my children in a way that I don ’ t want to raise them.
” That is threatening to them in a way that they have not experienced before .
Trinko : Definitely .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve mentioned , “ The Closing of the Liberal Mind ” was actually first published in 2016 , before Donald Trump was elected , before coronavirus .
It feels like a million years ago .
So how have you seen the left change in the year since your book was published and has anything in particular surprised you or vice versa , validated your concerns ?
Holmes : Well , a couple of things have happened .
Barack Obama ’ s presidency pretty much sparked this recent round of progressives becoming more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them and he set a lot of precedents that , of course .
In reaction to him , we have gotten Donald Trump elected president .
But the other thing is , is that there ’ s a generational change that ’ s been happening in the last 20 years and for the last four years .
Younger people who are very infatuated with the so-called woke culture are now moving up into positions of influence and even power .
Their master of technology has allowed many of them to gain wealth , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot faster and at a lot younger age than , certainly , my generation ever had .
And so the generational change , the fact that the political elite now is younger than it was 20 or 30 years ago and the fact that the culture is fractured because of the binary politics , the Democrats and the Republicans being so at odds with one another , and because all the traditional mediating institutions that kept America together , the churches , and all of the other kinds of institutions are also fractured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has , as I said a minute ago , we ’ ve gotten a lot more frightened , a lot more concerned that if they don ’ t win in the elections , the stakes are so much high or higher than they were before .
If they don ’ t win , or if they lose , then it ’ s going to be a terrible , devastating impact on them personally .
That ’ s not the way it was 10 or 20 years ago .
We would lose , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just wait eight more years and go at it again .
Right now the stakes seem to be much higher , and this is actually quite a concern to me .
Trinko : So what would you say to listeners who value free speech , who want it to flourish in America and not have this kind of , as you said , authoritarian mindset ?
What can they do to promote that right now ?
Holmes : Well , I would say on both sides , liberal or conservatives , stop posturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to try to make a difference in this world , first of all , look to yourselves and make sure that you in your private life and your family life , you ’ re doing the right thing .
And at that point , go out and show some respect to your fellow Americans instead of immediately assuming that they are , in a worst-case scenario , your enemies .


climatedepot--2020-06-26--Noam Chomsky: ‘Trump is the worst criminal in history, undeniably..Trump has committed, the heating

Noam Chomsky: ‘Trump is the worst criminal in history, undeniably..Trump has committed, the heating of the globe’

Author Noam Chomsky , now 91 , is old enough to remember a long list of U.S. presidents , from Harry Truman in the 1940s to Ronald Reagan in the 1980s to Barack Obama in the late 2000s and early 2010s .
And during an interview on “ The Michael Brooks Show , ” Chomsky laid out some reasons why Donald Trump is , hands down , the worst he has seen so far .
“ Trump is the worst criminal in history , undeniably , ” Chomsky told Brooks .
“ There has never been a figure in political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroying the projects for organized human life on Earth in the near future .
That is not an exaggeration.
” Trump , Chomsky stressed , has been disastrous in numerous respects — from his response to the coronavirus pandemic to his climate change denial and abysmal environmental policies .
Noam Chomsky : President Trump and the Republicans are ‘ Criminally Insane ’ Because Climate Change Noam Chomsky : ‘ The Republican Party Has Become the Most Dangerous Organization in World History ’ For Rejecting ‘ Climate Change ’ Noam Chomsky on global warming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to the Medieval period…without rapid change ‘ chances for a decent future are not very high ’ – ‘ Every country in the world is taking at least halting steps toward trying to do something about [ AGW ] .
The US is also taking steps , namely to accelerate the threat ’ Noam Chomsky Proposes Facism As A Solution To Global [ email protected ] – Chomsky warns that if ‘ catastrophic effects ’ of warming were due in 10 years ‘ we ’ d probably have a fascist takeover-with everybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the only method for survival that anyone could think of .
I ’ d even agree to it , because there ’ s just no other alternatives right now ’ Flashback : Noam Chomsky : GOP election victory amounts to ‘ death knell for the human species ’ UPDATE : Chomsky now attempts to retract his ‘ death knell ’ comment !
‘ If I said the [ GOP ] elections are a death knell , I went too far .
But I think it ’ s fair to say that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Depot Response to Chomsky : ‘ If ’ you said it ?
You clearly did say it on video .
You now admit you ‘ went too far ?
’ But we all thought you were a brilliant ‘ linguist ’ !
How could you say what you don ’ t mean ?
Aren ’ t you at least supposed to be the expert at using language ?
Note : Chomsky is reading and responding to emails ( [ email protected ] ) Noam Chomsky on skeptics : ‘ It is important to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the campaigns know as well as the rest of us that the ‘ hoax ’ is real and ominous… ’ ‘ …but they are pursuing their institutional role : maximizing short-term profit and putting aside ‘ externalities , ’ in this case the fate of the species ’ ( Note : Chomsky is reading and responding to emails : [ email protected ] ) Noam Chomsky : GOP election victory amounts to ‘ death knell for the human species ’ – GOP ’ s rejection of man-made climate fears means ‘ we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kiss each other goodbye ’ Leftist Noam Chomsky : If you don ’ t fear carbon dioxide , you ’ re a Nazi ?
‘ I am just old enough to remember those chilling and ominous days of Germany ’ s descent from decency to Nazi barbarism ’

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climatedepot--2020-06-27--A Winning Trifecta for Climate Science & Rationality: Moore’s Planet of the Humans; Lomborg’s False

A Winning Trifecta for Climate Science & Rationality: Moore’s Planet of the Humans; Lomborg’s False Alarm & Schellenberger’s Apocalypse Never

First there was Michael Moore ’ s Planet of the Humans , then came Bjorn Lomborg ’ s False Alarm , and now Michael Schellenberger ’ s Apocalypse Never .
All three authors sound the common theme that the hyper-green environmental activists who have captured , politicized , and monetized the concern for the environment have , as Lomborg explains , created a false climate alarm which has “ costs us trillions , hurts the poor , and fails to fix the planet.
” To varying degrees , all three authors come from a strong environmental activist background , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noteworthy .
Planet of the Humans , the recent film produced by Michael Moore , caused consternation and a considerable backlash from the green activists and their allied backers by pointing out how traditional energy companies had co-opted the environmental movement by donning a green alter-ego and embracing renewable energy .
By doing so , the corporations gained access to government funding/subsidies for wind turbine and commercial solar power installations and created a public relations victory for their vociferous eco-shareholders .
Moore ’ s revelation that the reality of needing to provide 24/7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuel plants will remain the primary energy sources because of the failure of wind or solar to provide power if there is no wind or sufficient sun .
Renewables do not displace reliable fossil-fuel power plants .
Consumers energy bills do not go down , but go up , when renewables are imposed .
Moore also documented that renewables require large amounts of rare earths , cement , and fossil fuel energy in their production .
They are both notoriously inefficient in land use , and impose destruction of large areas of native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the fact that the best wind or solar location is often remote from the most needed consumer base , thereby requiring the construction of massive electric transmission lines .
“ Factories claiming to have gone ‘ beyond coal ’ again and again turn out to be relying on natural gas.
” The film notes that biomass/wood chip power plants in England now rely on American forests .
Rather than just using lumber waste as was first proposed , this has now turned into a major sub-set of the logging industry .
Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turned into wood chips .
The whole process of logging , processing , and trans-Atlantic shipping is all powered by fossil fuels .
The basic premise of using “ renewable ” lumber as a bio-fuel is that the carbon dioxide released upon its burning will become fertilizer for a new generation of trees and thus the cycle is carbon neutral .
The basic fallacy of it is that the time scale of new tree growth greatly exceeds the day-to-day weather cycle .
No matter .
Just imagine , American lumber keeping England eco-green @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down its own forests .
With his recent book , False Alarm , Bjorn Lomborg continues to straddle the fence on global warming , aka climate change .
As the original “ skeptical environmentalist , ” Bjorn has argued that there are more productive ways to aid humanity than spending billions trying to influence climate change .
He has argued for improving sanitation , clean water supplies , basic nutrition , and providing paths out of poverty for the millions living in underdeveloped countries .
In this book , he continues to press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ills , rather than accepting the decades of panic driven calls for “ fixing the climate.
” He provides numerous references to substantiate his claims that climate change is real but is not the apocalyptic threat so widely advertised .
Science , he says , “ shows that landfalling hurricanes in the US are not more frequent than in the past .
Droughts here have actually become shorter , less frequent , and cover a smaller area .
Seventeen times more people currently die from cold than heat , and these people will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , global climate related deaths are an all-time low.
” …the projections of Earth ’ s imminent demise are based on bad science and even worse economics .
In a politicized panic , world leaders have committed to wildly expensive , but largely ineffective policies , that hamper growth and crowd out other pressing investments in a better world , from immunization to education .
And yet , a schizophrenic-like mindset co-inhabits this rational evaluation of climate change and related issues .
Section 1 of the book is titled “ Climate of Fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crichton ’ s 2004 “ State of Fear.
” A few pages into his introduction , Lomborg states , “ Climate change is real , it is caused predominantly by carbon emissions from humans burning fossil fuels….
” No question that climate change is real ; however , he gives no reference for this unsubstantiated claim of human causation , which is the basic UN position , and the foundation for much green eco-activism .
A few lines later , he seems to criticize the same UN : After a 2019 UN climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activists , one of the scientists wrote : “ We risk turning off the public with extremist talk that is not carefully supported by the science.
” Media reports that we have to act by 2030 to solve the problem of climate change is the media defining what the science is .
Lomborg points out that this is indeed not science , but “ what politics tells us.
” He does not clarify what the “ problem ” is with the climate , though his chapter 6 is titled “ You Can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chapter 11 offers “ Carbon Tax : The Market-Based Solution.
” Chapter 14 “ Geoengineering : A Backup Plan ” is recognized as “ entering uncharted territory , ” but “ could play a role if we found that we needed fast action to avoid a looming catastrophe.
” After calling for consideration of this back-up plan , the chapter continues with an extended discussion of the pluses and minuses of actually implementing it .
The reader will have to evaluate this recent book to get the full import of Lomborg ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains that there are better ways to alleviate human misery than spending taxpayer subsidies than on panic-driven , political non-solutions to a changing climate .
Few would argue with that goal .
Michael Shellenberger has green activist credentials going back to his high school years .
Yet over the ensuing years , he has had an environmental reality epiphany which now has manifested itself most clearly in his recent book “ Apocalypse Never , ” and with his starting the ecomodernism movement .
The subtitle of the book , “ Why Environmental Alarmism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar conclusions of Moore and Lomborg .
Schellenberger had a few road bumps on the way to his current reality check .
Notable was his 2002 support of the “ New Apollo Project , ” which called for a major global science and economics research program to make carbon-free baseload electricity less costly than electricity from coal by the year 2025 at an expenditure of $ 150 billion over a decade .
The Obama administration adopted many of the renewable energy proposals , but Schellenberger documents that much of the money went to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama campaign ” but failed to produce the promised renewable energy advances .
Disillusionment gave way to reality , and in 2017 , Shellenberger told The Australian : “ Like most people , I started out pretty anti-nuclear .
I changed my mind as I realized you can ’ t power a modern economy on solar and wind… .
All they do is make the electricity system chaotic and provide greenwash for fossil fuels.
” He has made numerous efforts to support nuclear power .
His current book skewers many of the claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saving of the whales by Greenpeace , waste plastic fouling the ocean for thousands of years , and increases in extreme weather events .
He reflects upon his early devotion to environmentalism as a manifestation of an “ underlying anxiety and unhappiness in my own life that had little to do with climate change or the state of the natural environment.
” It became a quasi-religion offering “ emotional relief ” and “ spiritual satisfaction ” for those , like him , who may have lost the guidance of traditional spiritual faiths .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trouble with the new environmental religion is that it has become increasingly apocalyptic , destructive , and self-defeating.
” So here are three environmentalists with different degrees of eco-activism in their past , but all now willing to speak out against the incessant climate propaganda of human-related guilt , the purveyors of anxiety , and the poisoners of childhood joy and wonder .
Climate change is the norm ; it is not mankind ’ s original sin .
The readers here are encouraged to read the works of these climate realists .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduate engineer , policy advisor to the Heartland Institute , and member of the CO2Coalition .
His website is http : //www.climateis.com


climatedepot--2020-06-27--It’s not about the climate: Jane Fonda discusses ‘racial justice’, ‘climate justice’ & ‘intersection

It’s not about the climate: Jane Fonda discusses ‘racial justice’, ‘climate justice’ & ‘intersectionality & identity within the climate movement’

NASA scientist Dr. Kate Marvel links ‘ climate change ’ to ‘ white supremacy ’ – ‘ We ’ ll never head off climate catastrophe without dismantling white supremacy ’ – Calls for climate & racial ‘ justice ’ Teen Vogue Op-Ed : ‘ Coronavirus Response Should Be a Model for How We Address Climate Change ’ Teen activist JAMIE MARGOLIN : “ If we can shut the world down to stop a virus , that also means it is possible to do the same for climate change .
Treat all emergencies like emergencies !
” ( from her Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UN Env .
Director approvingly cites activist ’ s message : ‘ If we can shut the world down to stop a virus , that also means it is possible to do the same for climate change ’ ) Jane Fonda Demands Coronavirus Recovery Money Be Used to Fight Climate Change Jane Fonda Recycles Old Gown for Oscars to Fight ‘ Climate Change ’ Jane Fonda Calls for Prosecution of Climate Deniers – Urges skeptics ‘ should be put on trial ’ to fight ‘ climate emergency ’ – Jane Fonda : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry , it ’ s too late for moderation , ” she bellowed .
“ And given the emergency , it ’ s those who believe in moderation , in pre-Trump business as usual , who are truly delusional .
And those who lie and continue to lie about what they ’ re doing to the environment should be put on trial , not awarded tax cuts and made secretaries of state.
” Jane Fonda Arrested Fifth Time While Protesting in Washington , D.C. ‘ I get so worked up I can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP , Praises Green New Deal in Press Club Speech – Laments what ‘ the fossil fuel industry has done to us ’ Jane Fonda Goes After Climate Criminal Trump In CNN Rant Jane Fonda supports ‘ Nuremberg trials ’ for ‘ climate criminal ’ energy executives & politicians – Now , she wants energy executives and their political allies to be treated like Nazis and face a “ Nuremberg ” style trial similar to German dictator Adolf Hitler ’ s henchmen , who were often given the death penalty at the post-World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , “ So , you want to see sort of a Nuremberg trial for climate criminals ?
” to which Fonda responded , “ Yeah , I would.
” She appeared on the debut of The Impeachment Show on the Viceland , where she said that there ’ s “ literally a ticking time bomb over everything ” because of climate change .
She claimed “ our government is being ruled by fossil fuel ” and so “ democracy is teetering on the edge of collapse.
” Back to Hanoi for Jane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build coal plants fast enough as economy booms – Fonda urged to take her DC climate protest to Hanoi instead – Climate Depot ’ s Marc Morano : “ Jane Fonda moved to DC so she could get arrested every Friday at the U.S. Capitol to protest U.S. energy policy and lobby for the Green New Deal .
The question looms : Will Jane Fonda return to Hanoi to protest Vietnam ’ s rapid acceleration of coal and oil to cloth and feed its population ?
!
If coal and oil use allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why isn ’ t Fonda heading back to Hanoi to protest the Vietnamese government ’ s fossil fuel use ?
”


climatedepot--2020-06-27--No Joke: A new spider species named after Greta: Meet the Thunberga Greta

A new type of spider has been found in Africa – and it ’ s been named after Greta Thunberg @ @ @ @ @ a new type of huntsman spider found in Madagascar , and arachnologist Peter Jaeger decided @ @ @ @ @ Swedish climate activist .
Jaeger said his team made the decision “ in honour of @ @ @ @ @ tackling climate change “ .
The new spiders are different from other huntsman spider because @ @ @ @ @ and unique dotted patterns on their backs .
Jaeger said he hoped that by naming @ @ @ @ @ he could draw attention to the issue of biodiversity loss in Madagascar .
He said @ @ @ @ @ affect all areas of nature – including the endemic diversity and spider fauna of Madagascar @ @


climatedepot--2020-06-27--Study: ‘Imprisonment’ for Climate Deniers is Too ‘Blunt and Risky’ – Jailing skeptics ‘has overtones

Study: ‘Imprisonment’ for Climate Deniers is Too ‘Blunt and Risky’ – Jailing skeptics ‘has overtones of Big Brother’

The University of Exeter professors ponder punishments for climate skeptics : `` Then there are responses and regulation – bringing in a correction or a collaborative approach after the misinformation has been received , or even putting in place punishments , such as fines or imprisonment . ''
... `` Regulation has been described as a 'blunt and risky instrument ' by a European Commission expert group .
It is also potentially a threat to the democratic right to freedom of speech and has overtones of 'Big Brother . '
'' Flashback : Bonus Chapter to Bestseller Book : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chapter : Intimidating the ‘ Deniers ’ to Enforce the ‘ Consensus ’ – Climate ‘ deniers ’ threatened with being ‘ thrown in jail ’ Scientists discussing the pros and cons of different means of coercing society into the correct climate beliefs , including imprisonment of climate deniers .
The abstract of the study ; Funding information : Economic and Social Research Council , Grant/Award Number : ES/P011489/1 ; University of Exeter : Kathie Treen is funded through a University of Exeter PhD scholarship Policymakers , scholars , and practitioners have all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the climate change debate .
But what is climate change misinformation , who is involved , how does it spread , why does it matter , and what can be done about it ?
Climate change misinformation is closely linked to climate change skepticism , denial , and contrarianism .
A network of actors are involved in financing , producing , and amplifying misinformation .
Once in the public domain , characteristics of online social networks , such as homophily , polarization , and echo chambers—characteristics also found in climate change debate—provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Underlying belief systems and social norms , as well as psychological heuristics such as confirmation bias , are further factors which contribute to the spread of misinformation .
A variety of ways to understand and address misinformation , from a diversity of disciplines , are discussed .
These include educational , technological , regulatory , and psychological‐based approaches .
No single approach addresses all concerns about misinformation , and all have limitations , necessitating an interdisciplinary approach to tackle this multifaceted issue .
Key research gaps include understanding the diffusion of climate change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether misinformation extends to climate alarmism , as well as climate denial .
This article explores the concepts of misinformation and disinformation and defines disinformation to be a subset of misinformation .
A diversity of disciplinary and interdisciplinary literature is reviewed to fully interrogate the concept of misinformation—and within this , disinformation—particularly as it pertains to climate change .
The main study mentions the need to distinguish between permissible skepticism and disinformation , but like other similar efforts does not provide a clear methodology of how to distinguish between the two .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and denial are concepts often associated with climate change misinformation .
It should be noted that this is not skepticism in its original meaning as an integral part of the scientific method , but in its frequently applied usage to mean those who doubt climate change or reject mainstream climate science .
In my opinion , it is impossible to create a definition of scientific “ denial ” which would exclude climate skeptics , but which would permit radical revisionists whose theories were later accepted , like Albert Einstein ’ s theory of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marshall , the courageous medical researcher who overturned decades of medical consensus on stomach ulcers by deliberately giving himself a stomach ulcer .
The difference between many skeptical positions and IPCC climate science is too narrow to differentiate by any reasonable methodology , and in some cases is non-existent .
The IPCC fifth assessment report estimated climate sensitivity as likely being between 1.5-4.5C , but also stated it is extremely unlikely to be less than 1C .
Lord Monckton estimates climate sensitivity at 1.17C , close to the bottom boundary of the IPCC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inside that range .
Lord Monckton is frequently described by the press as a climate denier , but how can Monckton ’ s estimate of climate sensitivity reasonably be described as climate “ denial ” , if even the IPCC acknowledges climate sensitivity estimates above 1C are remotely plausible ?
The inability to clearly define the difference between skepticism and denial is a major stumbling block for attempts to punish the spread of climate “ disinformation ” .
But I doubt this will stop activist politicians from trying .
Calling imprisonment for climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the same as describing this horrible policy option as “ ineffective ” .
Severe sanctions for climate wrongthink are no longer a hypothetical risk – the “ anti-Greta ” Naomi Seibt was recently fined and sanctioned by the German government , for the crime of mentioning the Heartland Institute in one of her climate videos .
Even the USA is not safe from this kind of tyranny .
The USA has a constitutional right to free speech , but there are limits on that right ; the right to free speech does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false information which leads to harm .
Someone who falsely shouts “ fire ” in a crowded theatre to cause a stampede is not protected by the right to free speech .
Some green academics argue the principle of prohibiting speech which causes harm should be applied to climate deniers .
Al Gore called for climate deniers to be punished in in 2015 .


climatedepot--2020-07-01--Antarctic Penguins Could Experience ‘Population Boom’ Due To Global Warming

Antarctic penguins could experience a ‘ population boom ’ due to global warming as melting sea ice means they have to spend less time foraging for food .
In low-ice conditions , penguins are able travel more by swimming than by walking , which increases their access to foods such as fish and krill .
Japanese scientists describe the Adélie species of penguin , which is native to Antarctica , as a ‘ rare global warming winner ’ thanks to melting ice .
Another false alarm goes up in smoke Large group of Adelie penguins on an ice floe in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covered more ground in less time by swimming instead of walking as they searched for prey , which meant healthier and more robust populations Antarctic penguins could experience a ‘ population boom ’ due to global warming as melting sea ice means they have to spend less time foraging for food .
For Adélies , swimming is four times faster than walking , meaning faster access to food and , in turn , healthier offspring and longer lifespans .
The research team electronically tagged nearly 200 penguins in the Antarctica with GPS devices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitor the effects of less ice .
The penguins were shown to be able to conduct shorter dives while catching more krill , due to not having to locate cracks in the ice for breathing while submerged .
This higher foraging success led chicks to grow faster and higher body mass in adult males and females .
It turns out that these penguins are happier with less sea-ice , ’ said lead researcher Yuuki Watanabe at the National Institute of Polar Research in Tachikawa , Japan .
This may seem counter-intuitive , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They may be sleek in the water but are pretty slow waddlers overland.
’ Antarctica , the Earth ’ s southernmost continent , has actually experienced a steady increase over the course of decades in the extent of its sea ice – frozen seawater .
This contrasts with its polar twin , the Arctic , which has suffered through a marked decrease .
Hot news from the Antarctic : the penguins are prospering .
And why is that interesting ?
Because this is the creature which was supposed to be the principal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss of sea ice .
Yet last week , researchers from Japan ’ s National Institute of Polar Research produced a report showing that the Adélie penguin ( whose only home is the Antarctic ) has been thriving like never before — and it ’ s because of the changing habitat .
Having tagged 175 of these endearing birds , the scientists discovered that the penguins caught more krill because of the loss of ice .
‘ Counterintuitively for this ice-dependent species , body conditions and breeding success improved in the ice-free environment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the researchers added : ‘ For penguins , swimming is a whopping four times faster than walking ’ , so they were able to forage in larger areas for shorter periods of time .
And what of that creature even more loved by humans : the polar bear ?
Three years ago a National Geographic video of a solitary starving polar bear , its rib cage distressingly visible , became an internet sensation , watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people .
‘ This is what climate change looks like , ’ said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polar bear was clearly in a bad way .
But over the past 15 years , the polar bear population has risen from around 22,500 to as much as 31,000 , according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature .
Meanwhile , the Adélie penguins are loving the climate .
Can we be forgiven for driving cars now ?


climatedepot--2020-07-01--New Study: Green Energy Programs Mainly Benefit Wealthy

California policies designed to incentivize renewable energy and energy efficiency mostly benefit wealthy ratepayers , according to a new study .
California is often called a leader on renewable energy and energy efficiency , but the benefits of the state ’ s clean energy programs might not be equitably distributed , according to a new study .
In the Los Angeles area , California ’ s renewable energy , energy efficiency and electric vehicle programs are disproportionately rewarding wealthy ratepayers , whose high energy use is being “ subsidized ” by other ratepayers in the area , researchers at UCLA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found .
Analyzing electricity and gas billing data in Los Angeles County from 2006 to 2017 , the study published in the journal Elementa reported that residents living in “ disadvantaged communities ” — or predominantly low-income areas that bear the brunt of environmental pollution — in Los Angeles consume an average of 55 % as much electricity and 60 % as much natural gas as those living in higher-income communities .
Residents of those higher-income communities also purchase electric vehicles and solar panels in greater numbers , reaping the state government subsidies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those technologies , the study said .
Other studies have shown that wealthier residents are also more likely than middle- and low-income residents to take advantage of California ’ s energy efficiency programs , such as rebates for people who upgrade household appliances or purchase electric or hybrid vehicles .
For example , Californians can receive a rebate of up to $ 7,000 when they buy or lease a new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle , a fully electric vehicle or a fuel-cell EV , according to the state ’ s Climate Investments program @


climatedepot--2020-07-01--Climate Skeptic Morano: ‘We accept former activists apologies for the climate scare — but it’s time

Climate Skeptic Morano: ‘We accept former activists apologies for the climate scare — but it’s time for reparations from Al Gore & others!’

Morano : `` Now that prominent climate activists are apologizing and reversing their views , it is time we frankly discuss reparations for the decades of fear , deceit , predictions of doom , poor public policy choices , endless tipping points and tolerating Greta Thunberg forced into our children 's lives by the media .
How about a paycheck to all the falsely slandered climate skeptics from the well-funded climate establishment as a first step toward healing the climate divisions caused by the lies of Al Gore , the UN , academia and the media ? ''
As climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change scare that has been ginned up for decades , it ’ s time to demand reparations .
Climate Depot ’ s Marc Morano : Yes , we accept your apology .
Thank you , Michael !
But now that prominent climate activists are apologizing and reversing their views , it is time we frankly discuss reparations for the decades of fear , deceit , predictions of doom , poor public policy choices , endless tipping points and tolerating Greta Thunberg forced into our children ’ s lives by the media .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slandered climate skeptics from the well-funded climate establishment as a first step toward healing the climate divisions caused by the lies of Al Gore , the UN , academia and the media ?
• Abolish the UN IPCC climate panel .
This is long overdue .
• Stop endless taxpayer funding to climate modeling studies that can gin up scare with scant data many years into the future • End all climate conferences , especially those in exotic locales that require mega ‘ carbon footprints ’ to attend • Have the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American ’ s who are struggling to pay their energy bills due to horrid climate regulations that were based on bad scientific claims • Cancel all talk of the Green New Deal & various ‘ conservative ’ GOP proposals that commit to ‘ zero emissions ’ someday in the future • It ’ s time for Al Gore to begin to dismantle his vast real estate empire and cut checks to lower-income American ’ s struggling to pay their energy bills due to his policy advocacy based on the climate con .
Prominent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Behalf Of Environmentalists , I Apologize For The Climate Scare ’ Green Guru Michael Shellenberger , formerly Time Magazine ’ s “ Hero of the Environment ’ : “ On behalf of environmentalists everywhere , I would like to formally apologize for the climate scare we created over the last 30 years .
Climate change is happening .
It ’ s just not the end of the world .
It ’ s not even our most serious environmental problem .
I may seem like a strange person to be saying all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activist for 20 years and an environmentalist for 30 .
But as an energy expert asked by Congress to provide objective expert testimony , and invited by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ) to serve as Expert Reviewer of its next Assessment Report , I feel an obligation to apologize for how badly we environmentalists have misled the public.
” I further hope that you ’ ll accept my apology .
Some people will , when they read this imagine that I ’ m some right-wing anti-environmentalist .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lived in Nicaragua to show solidarity with the Sandinista socialist revolution…I became an environmentalist at 16 when I threw a fundraiser for Rainforest Action Network…In my 30s I advocated renewables and successfully helped persuade the Obama administration to invest $ 90 billion into them… Scientific institutions including WHO and IPCC have undermined their credibility through the repeated politicization of science .
Until last year , I mostly avoided speaking out against the climate scare .
Partly that ’ s because I was embarrassed .
After all , I am as guilty of alarmism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the climate disinformation campaign because I was afraid of losing friends and funding .
But then , last year , things spiraled out of control .
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said “ The world is going to end in twelve years if we don ’ t address climate change.
” Britain ’ s most high-profile environmental group claimed “ Climate Change Kills Children .
”


climatedepot--2020-07-01--Top House Republicans rally behind ‘conservative youth climate plan’ – ‘Moves toward a goal of globa

Top House Republicans rally behind ‘conservative youth climate plan’ – ‘Moves toward a goal of global net-zero carbon emissions by 2050’

Top House Republicans , including Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy , are backing a climate policy framework outlined by the American Conservation Coalition , a conservative youth climate group .
It ’ s the first time in recent years that Republican lawmakers have lent their support for a comprehensive climate strategy .
The ACC is hoping its will allow GOP lawmakers , who before the pandemic had just a series of low-carbon policies , to contextualize those efforts and root them in climate-focused messaging .
“ Prior to this , the conversation continued to be so defined by the Green New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think this is the next step , ” said Quill Robinson , the ACC ’ s government affairs director .
The framework takes the discussions beyond whether , or not climate change exists or if people support the liberal Green New Deal , Robinson told the Washington Examiner .
“ This is a climate plan that you have the most powerful Republicans in the House supporting , ” he added .
In total , 10 top GOP lawmakers are backing the group ’ s American Climate Contract , the coalition announced Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ include Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon , the top Republican on the House Energy Committee , and Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana , the top Republican on the House select climate panel .
The ACC will also announce support from Republican senators in the next few weeks , Robinson said .
“ As we look to rebuild our nation , I believe that we have an opportunity to do so while creating a cleaner future for all Americans , ” McCarthy said in a statement .
“ Conservative plans for the environment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lasting and effective environmental progress depends on American innovation and exporting that technology around the world — not on enforcing debilitating taxes or punitive mandates , ” the California congressman added .
The ACC ’ s policy plan , , calls for the United States to advance policies that “ move toward a goal of global net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
” It lays out support for four policies : investing in energy innovation , modernizing infrastructure , supporting conservation measures that store carbon , and engaging globally to reduce emissions .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fit within those areas , including legislation to incentivize energy storage , boost advanced nuclear energy , and promote carbon capture technologies .
“ We have to act now if we want to unlock the solutions that will aggressively combat climate change , ” said Rep. Tom Reed , a New York Republican who is supporting the framework , in a statement .
“ Through smart , technology-neutral tax incentives , we can unleash American ingenuity and encourage the kind of innovation at scale that will significantly reduce carbon emissions .
”


climatedepot--2020-07-01--Forbes Cancels Environmentalist Who Wrote ‘I Apologize for the Climate Scare’

“ On Behalf of Environmentalists , I Apologise for the Climate Scare , ” said an article published in Forbes magazine by Mike Shellenberger .
At least it did , till Forbes caved to furious green activists and pulled it within hours of publication .
By arguing that climate change is real – but “ not the end of the world ” and “ not even our most serious environmental problem , ” Shellenberger had been found guilty of wrongthink .
As he recounts in his cancelled article – which can be read here – Shellenberger could scarcely have more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I lived in Nicaragua to show solidarity with the Sandinista socialist revolution .
At 23 I raised money for Guatemalan women ’ s cooperatives .
In my early 20s I lived in the semi-Amazon doing research with small farmers fighting land invasions .
At 26 I helped expose poor conditions at Nike factories in Asia .
I became an environmentalist at 16 when I threw a fundraiser for Rainforest Action Network .
At 27 I helped save the last unprotected ancient redwoods in California .
In my 30s I advocated renewables and successfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 90 billion into them .
Over the last few years I helped save enough nuclear plants from being replaced by fossil fuels to prevent a sharp increase in emissions .
But none of this was enough to save him the green mob which apparently bullied Forbes into withdrawing the piece .


climatedepot--2020-06-30--Green New Deal lite: House Democrats unveil alternative to AOC’s climate plan

Climate Depot ’ s Marc Morano described the Democratic plan as “ essentially a slightly less ambitious plan than the @ @ @ @ @ The plan so far has not made the hardcore climate activists too happy , but @ @ @ @ @ anything the Democratic Leadership has come up with before , ” Mr. Morano said .
@ @ @ @ @ plan actually seeks to do , if Biden wins , it will be AOC and @ @ @ @ @ activists running the show in Washington .
”


climatedepot--2020-06-29--Report details how solar, wind industry accused of violating the rights of indigenous peoples 197 ti

Report details how solar, wind industry accused of violating the rights of indigenous peoples 197 times — including allegations of murder

Renewable energy industry violated rights of indigenous people & others at least 197 times over last decade , finds new repot Excerpt : “ Since 2010 , Business & Human Rights Resource Centre has identified 197 allegations of human rights abuses related to renewable energy projects , and asked 127 companies to respond to these allegations .
Abuse allegations include : killings , threats , and intimidation ; land grabs ; dangerous working conditions and poverty wages ; and harm to indigenous peoples ’ lives and livelihoods .
Allegations have been made in every region and across each of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wind , solar , bioenergy , geothermal , and hydropower .
The region with the highest number of allegations is Latin America ( 121 allegations since 2010 , 61 % of allegations globally ) .
Eight of the 16 companies ranked in this benchmark have allegations of human rights abuse linked to their renewable energy operations reported on our website.
” “ The results of the benchmark suggest that none of the companies analysed are currently fully meeting their responsibility to respect human rights , as defined by the UN Guiding Principles .
@


climatedepot--2020-06-29--Climate alarmism versus integrity at National Academies of Science

National Academies of Science should speak out against climate alarmism , not support it .
This is the major message in a recent from Professor Guus Berkhout , president of CLINTEL , to the new head of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences .
The integrity of science is at stake .
This letter is a model for how all alarmist National Academies should be addressed .
For example , the US National Academy of Sciences ( NAS ) is painfully alarmist .
Even worse , NAS has been joined in by its two siblings , the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that these Academies have become a servant of supranational political organizations such as IPCC shows how serious the crisis in climate science really is .
The Netherlands Academy is called , from its Dutch name .
KNAW was established in 1808 as an advisory body to the government , a task it still performs today .
NAS was established by Congress in 1868 .
Both NAS and KNAW derive their authority from their high profile members , rigorously selected top scientists from a large range of scientific fields .
Professor Berkhout is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is addressed to Prof. Dr. Ineke Sluiter , President of KNAW .
It begins with a clear statement of the issue : “ I am addressing you in your capacity as the new President of the KNAW because the climate issue is escalating .
The IPCC and the associated activist climate movement have become highly politicized .
Skeptical scientists are being silenced .
As an IPCC expert reviewer , I critically looked at the latest draft climate report .
My conclusion is that there is little evidence of any intent to discover the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s doomsday scenarios are far from representative of reality , they play an important role in government climate policy .
Only courageous individuals dare to point out that the predictions of the IPCC ’ s computer models of climate have not come to pass , in that contemporary measurements contradict them .
IPCC ’ s confidence in its own models does not match the real-world outturn .
In the past , scientific societies such as ours would have sounded the alarm .
( Emphasis added . )
In your interview with Elsevier Weekblad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ Dutch science should be proud of itself ” and , a little later , “ A hallmark of high-quality research must be a wide variety of viewpoints – fewer dogmas , more viewpoints.
” I agree .
Unfortunately , your observations do not seem to apply to climate science .
There , diversity is suppressed and the Anthropogenic Global Warming ( AGW ) dogma is promoted .
That is why I am writing to you.
” After discussing the well known problems with the IPCC science , Professor Berkhout states his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not warn society that all these climate-change doom and gloom scenarios have little or no scientific justification ?
I know that there are many scientists around the world who doubt or disagree with the IPCC ’ s claims .
I also know from my own experience and from correspondence with colleagues that there is much pressure on researchers to conform to what we are told is the climate “ consensus ” .
But the history of science shows time and again that new insights do not come from followers but from critical thinkers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trump models .
The KNAW , as the guardian of science , must surely take action now .
The more governments invest in expensive climate policies in the name of climate science , the more difficult it becomes to point out that climate science in its present state falls a long way short of providing any justification for such policies .
There are more and more indications that things are not right .
If the scientific community waits for the dam to burst , the damage to science will be enormous .
Society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : why were the Academies of Sciences silent ?
Surely there has been enough warning from scientific critics of the official position ?
The KNAW must , of course , stay clear of politics and focus on excellence in finding the truth .
But I repeat that the KNAW is also the guardian of science .
In climate policy in particular , science is abused on a global scale .
How can one plausibly state , on such a highly complex subject as the Earth ’ s climate , that “ the science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excellence : it is stupidity.
” There is a lot more and the letter ends with a specific proposal from CLINTEL : “ I propose to organise an international open blue-team/red-team meeting together with the KNAW , in which both teams can present their scientific views† .
These discussions could be the start of a new era in climate science .
Audiatur et altera pars.
” The US National Academy of Sciences is a lot worse than KNAW in this regard .
Not only does NAS not speak out against the anti-scientific climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know there are skeptical members of NAS , probably many .
They need to speak out , just as Professor Berkhout has done .
Nothing less than the integrity of science is at stake .
Failure to acknowledge the scientific climate change debate is making science look like a political tool .
This can only turn out badly for science .


climatedepot--2020-06-29--‘Ridiculous Climate Prophecy’: How the UN & National Climate Assessment used ‘fairy tail’ extreme cl

‘Ridiculous Climate Prophecy’: How the UN & National Climate Assessment used ‘fairy tail’ extreme climate models to scare the public

This means the report is junk .
No matter how many federal agencies were involved in its creation .
But the New York Times didn ’ t tell readers that .
`` RCP8.5 is generally associated with higher population growth , less technological innovation , and higher carbon intensity of the global energy mix . ''
Incredibly , that ‘ major scientific report ’ ( National Climate Assessment ) takes RCP8.5 seriously .
Calling it a “ core scenario , ” page 6 of the report presents it as a realistic possibility rather than a farfetched hallucination : It can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out , unless humanity burns five times more coal than we currently do , “ an amount larger than some estimates of recoverable coal reserves.
” Whenever RCP8.5 gets mentioned , they say , it should be clearly labelled as an “ unlikely worst case.
” Donna Laframboise : `` RCP8.5 , I think of it as Ridiculous Climate Prophecy '' - `` Fairy tales to describe how humans might impact the climate by the year 2100 . ''
Science is not supposed to mislead .
It ’ s supposed to be precise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years , something sneaky and unethical has occurred .
Officials have begun talking about the worst-case climate scenario is if it were our likely future .
More than a decade ago , the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change developed four fairy tales to describe how humans might impact the climate by the year 2100 .
There was an optimistic scenario , two mid-range scenarios , and a pessimistic scenario .
The latter is known as RCP8.5 ( I think of it as Ridiculous Climate Prophecy 8 dot 5 ) .
In January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a comment in Nature reminding everyone that RCP8.5 isn ’ t a realistic vision of the future .
It represents an unlikely , high-risk , dystopian world ( their words ) in which “ the dice are loaded with the worst outcomes.
” It can ’ t become reality , they point out , unless humanity burns five times more coal than we currently do , “ an amount larger than some estimates of recoverable coal reserves.
” Whenever RCP8.5 gets mentioned , they say , it should be clearly labelled as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analyst Roger Pielke Jr. has similarly written a trio of articles that document how RCP8.5 “ moved from an extreme outlier to the center of climate policy discussions , ” corrupting great swaths of the scientific literature along the way ( see here , here , and here ) .
He , too , calls the RCP8.5 vision of the future imaginary and impossible .
Canadian economist Ross McKitrick is also ringing the alarm bell .
RCP8.5 , he says , is “ a scorcher that predicts historically unprecedented increases in global CO2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , improbable , exaggerated , and distortion , he makes it clear the only place this vision of the future exists is in fevered imaginations .
“ No one seriously believes , ” he says , that the increase of coal consumption described by RCP8.5 “ is even possible.
” Even journalists who ’ ve hyped the climate threat are wising up .
In an article titled We ’ re Getting a Clearer Picture of the Climate Future – and It ’ s Not as Bad as It Once Looked , David Wallace-Wells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviewed “ told me that they did not see RCP8.5 as a plausible scenario.
” By the year 2100 , remember , teenager Greta Thunberg will be 97 years old .
Wallace-Wells observes that any attempt to predict what the world will be like that far into the future is really just “ a foolish game.
” In his words : Yet that is what much of climate ‘ science ’ – and climate ‘ journalism ’ – now amounts to .
In 2018 , the front page of the New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy .
It began this way : A major scientific report issued by 13 federal agencies on Friday presents the starkest warnings to date of the consequences of climate change for the United States , predicting that if significant steps are not taken to rein in global warming , the damage will knock as much as 10 percent off the size of the American economy by century ’ s end .
[ bold added ] Incredibly , that ‘ major scientific report ’ takes RCP8.5 seriously .
Calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ page 6 of the report presents it as a realistic possibility rather than a farfetched hallucination : This means the report is junk .
No matter how many federal agencies were involved in its creation .
But the Times didn ’ t tell readers that .


climatedepot--2020-06-29--Prominent climate activist Shellenberger officially recants: ‘On Behalf Of Environmentalists, I Apol

Prominent climate activist Shellenberger officially recants: ‘On Behalf Of Environmentalists, I Apologize For The Climate Scare’

On behalf of environmentalists everywhere , I would like to formally apologize for the climate scare we created over the last 30 years .
Climate change is happening .
It ’ s just not the end of the world .
It ’ s not even our most serious environmental problem .
I may seem like a strange person to be saying all of this .
I have been a climate activist for 20 years and an environmentalist for 30 .
But as an energy expert asked by Congress to provide objective expert testimony , and invited by the Intergovernmental Panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve as Expert Reviewer of its next Assessment Report , I feel an obligation to apologize for how badly we environmentalists have misled the public .
Here are some facts few people know : • The Amazon is not “ the lungs of the world ” • Fires have declined 25 % around the world since 2003 • The amount of land we use for meat — humankind ’ s biggest use of land — has declined by an area nearly as large as Alaska • The build-up of wood fuel and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , explain why there are more , and more dangerous , fires in Australia and California • Carbon emissions have been declining in rich nations for decades and peaked in Britain , Germany and France in the mid-seventies • Adapting to life below sea level made the Netherlands rich not poor • We produce 25 % more food than we need and food surpluses will continue to rise as the world gets hotter • Habitat loss and the direct killing of wild animals are bigger threats to species than climate change • Wood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildlife than fossil fuels • Preventing future pandemics requires more not less “ industrial ” agriculture I know that the above facts will sound like “ climate denialism ” to many people .
But that just shows the power of climate alarmism .
In reality , the above facts come from the best-available scientific studies , including those conducted by or accepted by the IPCC , the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( FAO ) , the International Union for the Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) and other leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they read this imagine that I ’ m some right-wing anti-environmentalist .
I ’ m not .
At 17 , I lived in Nicaragua to show solidarity with the Sandinista socialist revolution .
At 23 I raised money for Guatemalan women ’ s cooperatives .
In my early 20s I lived in the semi-Amazon doing research with small farmers fighting land invasions .
At 26 I helped expose poor conditions at Nike factories in Asia .
I became an environmentalist at 16 when I threw a fundraiser for Rainforest Action Network .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprotected ancient redwoods in California .
In my 30s I advocated renewables and successfully helped persuade the Obama administration to invest $ 90 billion into them .
Over the last few years I helped save enough nuclear plants from being replaced by fossil fuels to prevent a sharp increase in emissions Until last year , I mostly avoided speaking out against the climate scare .
Partly that ’ s because I was embarrassed .
After all , I am as guilty of alarmism as any other environmentalist .
For years , I referred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” threat to human civilization , and called it a “ crisis.
” But mostly I was scared .
I remained quiet about the climate disinformation campaign because I was afraid of losing friends and funding .
The few times I summoned the courage to defend climate science from those who misrepresent it I suffered harsh consequences .
And so I mostly stood by and did next to nothing as my fellow environmentalists terrified the public .
I even stood by as people in the White House and many in the news media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an outstanding scientist , good man , and friend of mine , Roger Pielke , Jr. , a lifelong progressive Democrat and environmentalist who testified in favor of carbon regulations .
Why did they do that ?
Because his research proves natural disasters aren ’ t getting worse .
But then , last year , things spiraled out of control .
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said “ The world is going to end in twelve years if we don ’ t address climate change.
” Britain ’ s most high-profile environmental group claimed “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s most influential green journalist , Bill McKibben , called climate change the “ greatest challenge humans have ever faced ” and said it would “ wipe out civilizations.
” Mainstream journalists reported , repeatedly , that the Amazon was “ the lungs of the world , ” and that deforestation was like a nuclear bomb going off .
As a result , half of the people surveyed around the world last year said they thought climate change would make humanity extinct .
And in January , one out of five British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about climate change .
Whether or not you have children you must see how wrong this is .
I admit I may be sensitive because I have a teenage daughter .
After we talked about the science she was reassured .
But her friends are deeply misinformed and thus , understandably , frightened .
I thus decided I had to speak out .
I knew that writing a few articles wouldn ’ t be enough .
I needed a book to properly lay out all of the evidence .
And so my formal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form of my new book , Apocalypse Never : Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All .
It is based on two decades of research and three decades of environmental activism .
At 400 pages , with 100 of them endnotes , Apocalypse Never covers climate change , deforestation , plastic waste , species extinction , industrialization , meat , nuclear energy , and renewables .
Some highlights from the book : • Factories and modern farming are the keys to human liberation and environmental progress • The most important thing for saving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meat , on less land • The most important thing for reducing air pollution and carbon emissions is moving from wood to coal to petroleum to natural gas to uranium • 100 % renewables would require increasing the land used for energy from today ’ s 0.5 % to 50 % • We should want cities , farms , and power plants to have higher , not lower , power densities • Vegetarianism reduces one ’ s emissions by less than 4 % • Greenpeace didn ’ t save the whales , switching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil did • “ Free-range ” beef would require 20 times more land and produce 300 % more emissions • The colonialist approach to gorilla conservation in the Congo produced a backlash that may have resulted in the killing of 250 elephants Why were we all so misled ?
In the final three chapters of Apocalypse Never I expose the financial , political , and ideological motivations .
Environmental groups have accepted hundreds of millions of dollars from fossil fuel interests .
Groups motivated by anti-humanist beliefs forced the World Bank to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poverty “ sustainable.
” And status anxiety , depression , and hostility to modern civilization are behind much of the alarmism Once you realize just how badly misinformed we have been , often by people with plainly unsavory or unhealthy motivations , it is hard not to feel duped .
Will Apocalypse Never make any difference ?
There are certainly reasons to doubt it .
The news media have been making apocalyptic pronouncements about climate change since the late 1980s , and do not seem disposed to stop .
The ideology behind environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debunked for 200 years and yet is more powerful than ever .
But there are also reasons to believe that environmental alarmism will , if not come to an end , have diminishing cultural power .
The coronavirus pandemic is an actual crisis that puts the climate “ crisis ” into perspective .
Even if you think we have overreacted , Covid-19 has killed nearly 500,000 people and shattered economies around the globe .
Scientific institutions including WHO and IPCC have undermined their credibility through the repeated politicization of science .
Their future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and serious reform .
Facts still matter , and social media is allowing for a wider range of new and independent voices to outcompete alarmist environmental journalists at legacy publications .
Nations are reorienting toward the national interest and away from Malthusianism and neoliberalism , which is good for nuclear and bad for renewables .
The evidence is overwhelming that our high-energy civilization is better for people and nature than the low-energy civilization that climate alarmists would return us to .
And the invitations I received from IPCC and Congress late last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticisms of climate alarmism , are signs of a growing openness to new thinking about climate change and the environment .
Another sign is the response to my book from climate scientists , conservationists , and environmental scholars .
“ Apocalypse Never is an extremely important book , ” writes Richard Rhodes , the Pulitzer-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb .
“ This may be the most important book on the environment ever written , ” says one of the fathers of modern climate science Tom Wigley .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being ignorant of science and susceptible to confirmation bias , ” wrote the former head of The Nature Conservancy , Steve McCormick .
“ But too often we are guilty of the same .
Shellenberger offers ‘ tough love : ’ a challenge to entrenched orthodoxies and rigid , self-defeating mindsets .
Apocalypse Never serves up occasionally stinging , but always well-crafted , evidence-based points of view that will help develop the ‘ mental muscle ’ we need to envision and design not only a hopeful , but an attainable , future.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoped for in writing it .
If you ’ ve made it this far , I hope you ’ ll agree that it ’ s perhaps not as strange as it seems that a lifelong environmentalist , progressive , and climate activist felt the need to speak out against the alarmism .
I further hope that you ’ ll accept my apology .


climatedepot--2020-07-02--Democrats’ New Climate Plan Will Kill Endangered Species, Environmentalists Fear – ‘Wind turbines ki

Democrats’ New Climate Plan Will Kill Endangered Species, Environmentalists Fear – ‘Wind turbines kill big, threatened, slow-to-reproduce species like hawks, eagles, owls, & condors’

The rapidly spinning blades of wind turbines act like an apex predator that big birds never evolved to deal with .
And because big birds have much lower reproductive rates than small birds , their deaths have a far greater impact on the overall population of the species .
For example , golden eagles will have just one or two chicks in a brood , and usually less than once a year , whereas a songbird like a robin could have up to two broods of three to seven chicks each year .
The wind industry claims house cats kill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cats mainly kill small , common birds like sparrows , robins , and jays , whereas wind turbines kill big , threatened , slow-to-reproduce species like hawks , eagles , owls , and condors .
“ Many Democrats somehow imagine that industrial wind farms , which take hundreds of times more land than a natural gas plant , are better for the environment , ” he added .
“ Birds have evolved over hundreds of years to fly certain paths to migrate , ” said New Hampshire-based environmentalist Lisa Linowes .
“ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the way and expect them to adapt .
It ’ s not happening.
” “ Democrats have been sold a false narrative by the industrial wind industry , ” said Kevon Martis , a Michigan-based environmentalist and co-founder of the Energy and Wildlife Coalition with Linowes .
Congressional Democrats today unveil a “ Climate Crisis Action Plan ” similar to the Green New Deal proposed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez last year , which sounded like a dream to many progressives and climate activists .
At the heart of the proposal are billions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to achieve 100 % renewables .
The top item on the Democrats ’ plan is , “ Support rapid deployment of wind , solar , energy efficiency , and other zero-carbon energy sources and construction of new transmission infrastructure to deliver clean energy to homes.
” There has already been widespread attention to the high economic cost of renewable energy mandates .
University of Chicago economists found that “ consumers in the twenty-nine states paid $ 125.2 billion more for electricity ” because of them .
But now , in response to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a new Michael Moore documentary about the environmental impacts of renewables , the wind industry increasingly finds itself on the defensive .
“ Birds have evolved over hundreds of years to fly certain paths to migrate , ” said New Hampshire-based environmentalist Lisa Linowes .
“ You can ’ t throw a turbine up in the way and expect them to adapt .
It ’ s not happening.
” “ Democrats have been sold a false narrative by the industrial wind industry , ” said Kevon Martis , a Michigan-based environmentalist and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Linowes .
“ Many Democrats somehow imagine that industrial wind farms , which take hundreds of times more land than a natural gas plant , are better for the environment , ” he added .
Martis and other environmentalists are successfully stopping industrial wind farms across the US .
• Last December , environmentalists on California ’ s northern coast successfully blocked industrial wind turbines that they said would have killed an endangered sea bird , the marbled murrelet , which nests in nearby ancient redwood trees ; • Earlier this month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endangered migratory bird species , including the Kirtland ’ s warbler , for an industrial wind project proposed for Lake Erie .
The lake is a critical habitat for birds migrating between their nesting grounds in Canada to South America for the winter ; • A federal judge two weeks ago blocked a transmission line , called the R-Line , proposed to be built straight through a whooping crane habitat in Nebraska .
Transmission lines are the number one cause of mortality among whooping cranes .
Industrial wind developers needed the transmission line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sand Hills ecosystem ; • Two weeks ago , environmentalists in Hawaii urged the state ’ s Supreme Court to overturn a decision by the state to approve an industrial wind project that threatened seven endangered native bird species : the nene , pueo , a ‘ o , koloa maoli , ae ‘ o , ‘ alae ke ‘ oke ‘ o , and ‘ alae ‘ ula .
In their plan , Democrats identify as a high priority the creation of a “ supergrid ” consisting of transmission lines like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hills of Nebraska , which would have a 3.5 mile buffer and cross 600 individual wetlands .
The wind industry claims house cats kill more birds than wind turbines .
But cats mainly kill small , common birds like sparrows , robins , and jays , whereas wind turbines kill big , threatened , slow-to-reproduce species like hawks , eagles , owls , and condors .
The rapidly spinning blades of wind turbines act like an apex predator that big birds never evolved to deal with .
And because big birds have much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their deaths have a far greater impact on the overall population of the species .
For example , golden eagles will have just one or two chicks in a brood , and usually less than once a year , whereas a songbird like a robin could have up to two broods of three to seven chicks each year .
The renewable industry claims technical innovations will improve solar and wind — but in reality nothing can change the lower power density of sunlight and wind .
Even a 10 % improvement in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce the staggering amount of land required to produce the same amount of energy : from 400 times more land than nuclear to 360 times more .
And over the last decade , the vast majority of installed solar panels have only become 2-3 % more efficient .
Solar and wind farms around the world require at least 300-400 times more land on average than a natural gas or nuclear plant to produce the same quantity of energy , a calculation easy to make using Google maps .
Vaclav Smil , a widely-respected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among others ) , concluded that it would take 25-50 % of all land in the US to go 100 % renewable .
Today , the US uses just 0.5 % of its land for energy .
In 2009 , Cambridge physicist David MacKay showed that providing all the UK ’ s energy with 100 % renewables would require a greater area than the landmass of the entire country .
By occupying large areas of migratory habitat , wind turbines have also emerged as one of the greatest threats to large , threatened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May , two wind industry workers in Ohio watched in horror as a wind turbine sliced off the wing of a bald eagle , instantly killing it .
“ I was opposed to those windmills from the start because of the impact they could have on wildlife , ” said a local activist .
“ I had been out to California about twenty years ago and saw the carcasses on the ground under the wind turbines.
” Now , wind energy threatens one of America ’ s most iconic birds .
“ Look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Linowes .
“ With just 235 whooping cranes in the wild , their gene pool is very limited .
A rule of thumb is that you need at least a thousand individuals to make sure the gene pool will grow and so you don ’ t get inbreeding and lose diversity.
” “ The Nebraska Sandhills are the most beautiful and environmentally fragile area of the state , ” said Tony Baker , a legislative aide to State Sen. Tom Brewer , an opponent of the R-Line project .
” It would leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space .
You can not fix things that you do to the Sandhills.
” Save the Sandhills is fighting the R-Line while another group , Preserve the Sandhills , is fighting the expansion of hundreds of industrial wind turbines .
“ A take is one thing but this is not just a take , ” said the attorney for the conservationists , Bill Eubanks , who temporarily halted the R-Line .
“ We ’ re talking about the project impacting the species ’ entire existence , impeding their recovery .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and even grief at the prospects of industrial wind being imposed on local ecosystems .
“ The whole ecosystem is declining , ” said a Lake Erie ornithologist about the scuttled project .
“ Let ’ s not add another threat on top of that.
” “ Killing these manu [ birds ] would deprive current and future generations of a necessary part of their natural environment and , for native Hawaiians , a vital resource for traditional and customary practices .
That is deeply troubling , ” said Dr. Tēvita O. Ka @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultural anthropology .
“ The environmental impacts are largely irrelevant to wind developers , ” said Kevon Martis .
“ How else can one explain Pattern Energy ’ s attempt to build twenty-four turbines on the banks of the Yellowstone River ?
Or RES Americas ’ plan to construct turbines overlooking Lake Superior ’ s Keweenaw Bay ?
” As the ecological impacts of industrial wind energy become more visible , renewable energy promoters are pushing industrial solar farms .
But the achievable power density of a solar farm is up to 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with solar farms in northern nations like Germany achieving about a tenth of that .
By contrast , the power density of natural gas and nuclear plants ranges from 2,000 to 6,000 watts per square meter And building a solar farm is a lot like building any other kind of industrial facility .
You have to clear the whole area of wildlife .
In some places such as Texas , where white-nose syndrome , a deadly fungus , has only recently arrived , wind turbines are the single greatest threat to bats .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to populations of migratory tree bats that cause mortality of similar magnitude to that observed at wind turbines , ” one scientist wrote .
“ The wind industry is well aware of the problem yet vigorously resists even modest mitigations known to reduce bat mortality at operating wind facilities , ” said Linowes .
“ The result is that many of our bat species are on a path to extinction.
” In many cases , environmentalists find themselves fighting groups like the Sierra Club , which accept funding from natural gas and renewable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the one proposed for Lake Erie .
But some local activists are hopeful , in part based on past successes .
“ In the cases of the Yellowstone River and Keweenaw Bay , ” Martis said , “ locals had to intervene to protect those wild places from industrial wind encroachment .
Absent those efforts , those wild places would be despoiled.
” “ If we stop the R-Project , ” said Nebraska conservationist Tyler Rath , “ we will stop a lot of wind development , especially in sensitive areas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endangered species.
” It is notable that many of the conservationists defending wildlife from industrial wind turbines and transmission lines view the Democrats ’ refurbished Green New Deal and its call for the “ rapid deployment ” of wind and transmission lines not as a climate dream but rather as an ecological nightmare .
This isn ’ t the first time Democrats have shown a willingness to sacrifice wildlife for the wind industry .
In 2013 , the Obama administration gave the wind industry permission to kill condors , an endangered species .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ condors .
Will such concerns move Congressional Democrats ?
It ’ s hard to say .
Climate change has completely overshadowed the conservation concerns that used to be so important to the Democratic Party .


climatedepot--2020-07-01--Democrats’ New ‘Environmental Justice’ Plan Mixes Climate With BLM – ‘Mentions George Floyd by name

Democrats’ New ‘Environmental Justice’ Plan Mixes Climate With BLM – ‘Mentions George Floyd by name on its first page’

House Democrats released a plan for combating “ climate change ” this week , calling for the doctrine of “ environmental justice ” to figure prominently in American environmental policy .
The massive 547-page document was presented by Democrats on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis .
“ Environmental justice must be at the center of federal climate and environmental policy , ” it reads in the opening description of the pillars of the Climate Crisis Action Plan .
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race , color , culture , national origin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development , implementation and enforcement of environmental laws , regulations and policies to ensure that each person enjoys ( 1 ) the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards ; and ( 2 ) equal access to any federal agency action on environmental justice issues in order to have a healthy environment in which to live , learn , work , and recreate .
The document seeks to present a blueprint for the Democrat Party ’ s official climate-change policy , distinguishing it somewhat from the Green New Deal ( GND @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) .
The new plan is very similar to the Green New Deal , although it often takes a slower approach to the same goals .
For example , while the GND calls for net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2030 , Democrats plan moves the date back 20 years to 2050 .
Like the GND , however , the new document advocates vast federal regulations on everything from infrastructure to building codes .
The Democrat program would also mandate that no automobile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a mandate on heavy trucks following in 2040 .
Democrats claim this would save 60,000 lives and $ 8 trillion due to health and climate benefits .
“ Democrats know the climate crisis is the essential crisis of our time , threatening public health , jobs and the economy , national security and values , ” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) said at a press conference .
The previous Democrat agenda included several radical calls for climate action , though these were sidelined amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd by name on its first page : As some states began to slowly reopen at the end of May , the nation erupted in protest in response to yet another police killing of a defenseless African-American man , George Floyd .
Throughout it all , President Trump failed to lead the country in a unified and compassionate response .
It goes on to discuss the intersection of race and climate , speaking on many occasions about “ environmental justice communities , ” defined as a community “ with significant representation of communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribal and Indigenous communities , that experiences or is at risk of experiencing higher or more adverse human health or environmental effects.
” While many aspects of this agenda would be unlikely to become reality so long as Republicans control the Senate , they could very well become law should Democrats win the Senate and White House in November .
Republicans pushed back at the document for its similarities to the Green New Deal , arguing it would destroy the U.S. economy and usher in an unparalleled amount of government control over Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took issue with Democrats for the release of a partisan report that excluded input from them .
“ If I had known then what I know now , why did we go through this whole waste of money by putting a committee together , wasting money on staff , and do a dog and pony show with hearings ?
” Representative Garrett Graves ( R-La . )
told the Washington Examiner .
“ You don ’ t need us to do this .
You certainly didn ’ t need to spend taxpayer funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposed by conservative groups such as the Center for Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute .
The organization ’ s director , Myron Ebell , called it a “ ridiculously wasteful plan .
”