Another “What Are Republicans Thinking About Climate Change” Article

By William Teach November 11, 2014 – 12:33 pm

Warmists keep trying and trying and trying to come up with excuses for why Republicans aren’t buying into the left leaning cult of climatism, much like they keep coming up with excuses for The Pause. It would seem much easier, though, more painful, to just admit that Warmists are wrong. But, that won’t keep the gravy train going, nor the rational to implement heavy handed Government controls on Other People. And, most definitely, remember that “Other People”

Here’s What Republicans Are Thinking When They Deny Climate Change

Conservatives are more likely to report belief in climate science if they’re presented with solutions to climate change that emphasize technological innovation and free market principles rather than government regulation, according to a new study from Troy Campbell of Duke University’s Furqa School of Business.

Cambell calls this phenomenon solution aversion, and it affects liberals too.

“It’s about ideology not about party membership,” Campbell told VICE News. “It’s really specifically about your belief. It’s not about being a part of a group; it’s about this personal ideology.”

Here’s the thing: many of the solutions between Warmists and Skeptics, the end points, overlap. We’re for alternative energy. We’re for clean air, water, and land (Warmists roll real environmental issues under the banner of the Cult). But, we are not for draconian governmental controls and taxation based on what is essentially a lie, namely, anthropogenic climate change.

Campbell asked self-identified Republicans and Democrats to read a statement about global warming from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and quotes that said climate change could be solved by either developing profitable green technologies or increasing government regulation, such as imposing a tax on carbon pollution.

Of course, the article doesn’t tell us what the questions are, nor the actual responses, and, unless you happen to have a subscription to the journal with the article, you cannot read it.

“The free market solution we gave them is still addressing an issue Democrats really care about, which is fixing the environment,” Campbell told VICE News. “It’s not an intensive free market solution that Democrats would normally be against. Most Democrats generally agree with some free market ideology.”

“Some”. Meaning, virtually none. Except for themselves.

Then we get some psychobabble about trying to get people to change, use more marketing, the norm, ending with the money quote

“It’s not enough just to be right,” Campbell told VICE News. “You have to find a way to convince other people that you are right and that they need to change their behavior.”

It’s always about Someone Else, Other People, to change their behavior. Never about changing it themselves.

Read: Another “What Are Republicans Thinking About Climate Change” Article »

Posted in Global Warming, New Climate Deniers | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

GOP Has An Immoral Agenda To Destroy The Climate Or Something

By William Teach November 11, 2014 – 9:05 am

Another day, another Warmist losing his mind. In this case, it is the Washington Post’s Tom Toles

Remember how the GOP swept into the Senate by promising to cripple the EPA and its ability to enforce its mandate to protect against pollution that will damage the climate? No, they really didn’t get a mandate for that, but details, details,they are planning to try it anyway.

Yes, they are. They plan on pushing the Keystone XL pipeline through, and limiting the EPA mission creep, which ranges anywhere from their absurd economy killing regulations on “climate change” to wetlands overreach to many other things of which there is massive mission creep/overreach (read here, here, here, and so many more).

Is anyone surprised? No, because this is how they operate. Get people mad about this thing over here, and then get elected and go to work on this other thing over there. The other thing in this instance is the EPA, and the work to be done is to get the EPA out of the way of the fossil fuel industry’s ability to offload carbon waste into the atmosphere. The industry’s profit model is profits for them and somebody else pays to deal with the climate consequences. What a deal!

Carbon waste! That’s a new one. I wonder if Tom has given up his own use of fossil fuels?

But doesn’t the GOP dispute the science on climate change? Well yes they do, of course, because there is no other way to execute this particular policy play if you have to face the data squarely. So they deny the facts, do a mumble-mumble campaign about feckless Obama something-something, get elected, and then go about their dirty business of facilitating climate disaster for the short-term profits of their core corporate constituency.

Climate disaster! Because that massive, whopping, gigantic 1.4F increase in global temperatures in 160 years is like the apocalypse, y’all! Especially with the 18+ years of no statistically significant warming. Here’s the money quote

But even if they HAD gotten a mandate to destroy the climate, it’s still an immoral agenda, and needs to be stopped

An immoral agenda! Interestingly, Democrats had two full years of controlling the House, Senate, and White House, and did not pass anything. And the GOP will destroy the climate! Someone has lost their mind.

Read: GOP Has An Immoral Agenda To Destroy The Climate Or Something »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming | 9 Comments | Trackback URL

Obama Pushes FCC On Net Neutrality

By William Teach November 11, 2014 – 8:22 am

Mr. Obama has decided to weight in on net neutrality, which has mostly been some sort of minor Progressive issue that they want because….well, no one is really sure. Most of them are probably not sure. They just know that Government Regulation Is Awesome. As long as it only negatively affects Other People, of course. Interestingly, Mr. Obama made the pronouncement while in China, because we all know just how open China is

https://twitter.com/DRUDGE/status/531871003610472449

China has massive regulations on the Internet. If any Chinese people would like to read this post, they can’t, because my little blog is blocked in China. The government of India also asked providers to block my site, along with 17 others. They eventually rescinded that order, but, in some cases, it is still blocked. Would the US government go that far? Probably not, and, that is not the issue at hand. But, as we’ve seen with government intrusion into the free market, there can be mission creep. Here’s Hit And Run’s Nick Gillespie

Obama: Government Should Regulate Internet to Keep it Free

So President Obama has announced that the Internet should be regulated as a public utility. He’s asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reclassify internet service providers (ISPs) from “information services” under Title I as telecommunications providers under Title II regulatory guidelines. (See here for background on the distinction.)

This is all being done in the name of “Net Neutrality,” keeping the Internet free and open, prohibiting “fast lanes” for certain services and sites, making sure no legal content is blocked, and all other horribles that…have failed to materialize in the absence of increased federal regulation.

Nick makes an interesting comparison to the old landline (a word that didn’t exist at the time) phone companies which were massively regulated when Obama was growing up. The explosion of service happened when they were deregulated. In my lifetime I’ve seen the Internet go from something no one knew about, to using dial up to access a tiny amount of information via a Radio Shack program, to true dial up programs, of which AOL was the biggest (remember all the floppy disks and CDs?). Then to true broadband, with continuously faster and faster speeds. There are all sorts of packages available for the speed you want. And, if they do not give you the choice you want? Switch. Verizon has one speed where my parents live, and it is not fast enough for Mom to stream Amazon and Netflix on here new TV (nor on her Kindle Fire), so, she’s switching to Comcast.

The same could be said of the mobile web. When it first went live here in Raleigh, it was called WAP (wireless access protocol), and had a top throughput of 14.4kbs, with a real throughput of no more than 9.6kbs. Then on to Edge, with a top speed of 56kbs (actual speed was less). Then 3G. Now 4G. What’s next?

Breitbart’s Ben Shapiro offers 7 reasons net neutrality is a dumb idea (I’m not going to excerpt them all, that would be Bad Form, so head over to the article)

On Monday, President Obama announced that he would be pushing the Federal Communications Commission to begin enforcing “net neutrality” – a policy by which internet service providers would be forced to load all web sites at the same speed. While the internet works just fine as is, President Obama believes we’re mere moments away from the system breaking down barring massive government intervention:

We cannot allow Internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict the best access or to pick winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas. I believe the FCC should create a new set of rules protecting net neutrality and ensuring that neither the cable company nor the phone company will be able to act as a gatekeeper, restricting what you can do or see online. (WT note: Obama wants The Government to be that gatekeeper)

If this sounds suspiciously like the language President Obama used with regard to health insurance in his pitch for Obamacare – unlimited access and zero scarcity, as dictated by the government – that’s because it is. Free market economics generally create higher supply, lower price, and better service. But President Obama believes that markets inevitably fail.

We Already Have Net Neutrality. As a result of competition between internet service providers in the marketplace, ISPs generally do not discriminate against highly-trafficked websites. If they did – holding a figurative gun to the head of those websites by throttling back speed to those websites – consumers would dump those ISPs in favor of others. Competition ensures that companies do not have the leverage to discriminate against particular websites.

Interesting, that’s what my mom did. I know several people in my community who had AT&T Internet, and AT&T intentionally did away with their 3.6mbs plan, leaving just the two slower plans. We thought this was because their Uverse was coming. Nope. So, they switched to Time Warner.

Some Companies Take Up More Bandwidth Than Others. Netflix consumes a huge amount of peak traffic bandwidth. That costs ISPs money. Pornography sites consume a huge amount of bandwidth. That costs ISPs money. Were an ISP to push YouPorn to pay fees for its higher bandwidth, consumers of the ISP who did not use YouPorn would be the beneficiaries – they wouldn’t be subsidizing YouPorn. As Alexandra Petri of Washington Post writes, “To use one of those dreaded analogies, if you are constantly driving huge trucks, full of big deliveries of pornography, along a road, why shouldn’t you have to pay more for the road’s upkeep?”

Interestingly, Liberals are pushing for something similar, whereby ever car is tracked (surprise!) and charged a tax for miles driven.

Content Restrictions From The Government. The government promises that it will use the power of net neutrality for good, not evil. But just like the government’s once-infamous Fairness Doctrine, the notion of the government determining what equal access to the internet looks like is deeply problematic. Kessler writes:

You can already smell the mandates and the loopholes once Congress gets involved. Think special, high-speed priority for campaign commercials or educational videos about global warming. Or roadblocks–like requiring emergency 911 service–to try to kill off free Internet telephone services such as Skype.

Could it happen? Fairness Doctrine. Which liberals are pushing to reinstate, because they are getting their butts kicked by conservative talk radio.

You can read Obama’s full statement here. Why is he pushing this now? We can only guess. It could be a Typical Obama Distraction issue. He loves those, and, being that he and the Democrats lost big during the midterms, he needs a distraction. He may be looking for a fight with Republicans. He loves fighting. It’s part of his community organizer background, creating strife and conflict. At the end of the day, though, he’s asking the FCC to solve a problem that only exists in the minds of liberals.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Obama Pushes FCC On Net Neutrality »

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Good News: Global Warming To Make Increased Cold Outbreaks

By William Teach November 10, 2014 – 4:02 pm

Because there is nothing that you driving a fossil fueled vehicle, using a hair dryer, and owning a pet doesn’t cause

As the climate warms, it could actually be generating more cold outbreaks in the USA. Here’s how

GLOBAL warming could be making parts of the world colder. Yes, you read that right. Here’s why this is not a crazy thing to say. (no, it’s still pretty much bat guano insane)

There’s a strong outbreak of cold weather across parts of the United States this week. It’s similar in some ways to last year’s so-called polar vortex — that conveyor belt of frigid Arctic air which parked itself on top of large parts of the United States, bringing bitter cold for days.

This week’s cold outbreak is much weaker, but it’s again making people question the widely accepted narrative of global warming.

The sceptic’s logic train is understandable: if it’s so damn cold, how can the world be warming?

No, that’s not the question we ask. The question is “if CO2 is the main driver of warming, far and above anything else, as Climatists state uncategorically, then how is it that we’ve had no statistically significant warming for 18+ years, and keep having these massive cold snaps?” We also also ask of Warmists “what they hell have you been mainlining to come up with this mularky that cold is caused by warming?” Oh, they have an answer

Time magazine did a fair job of explaining all that earlier this year. We paraphrase a little here, but here’s how their theory works in regards to the polar vortex:

1. Sea ice is vanishing from the Arctic, which leaves behind dark open ocean water.

2. That water absorbs more of the heat from the sun than reflective ice.

3. Relatively warmer water is the main reason the Arctic is warming much faster than the rest of the planet.

4. As the temperature difference between the polar north and more temperate latitudes diminishes, a band of high-level strong winds called the “jet stream” weakens.

5. For want of a more technical description, the jet stream kind of holds all the weather systems in place. Most of the time it keeps the cold stuff north and the warm stuff south.

6. But a weakened jet stream can develop what Time calls “kinks”. Time reportedthat an unusually large kink in the jet stream was what allowed all that Arctic air to flow much further south than normal during the polar vortex.

We used to just call it “winter”. We used to think that things like this could be caused by cooling as part of a natural cycle, which could be short term, or a longer term development. Now these nutjobs think that warming is causing cold.

Seriously, this schtick has already been debunked (for instance, this paper). NASA data shows that polar vortexes are linked to previous frigid winters. Some Warmists have taken to calling it bombogenesis. And only 8 states will avoid the massive frigid air. Warmists are nuts.

BTW, this may be the coldest November in 50 years. Back when the “climate scientists” and leftist media were predicting doom from a coming ice age. Which will, as seen above, be blamed on “climate change”.

Read: Good News: Global Warming To Make Increased Cold Outbreaks »

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If All You See…

By William Teach November 10, 2014 – 1:00 pm

…is a lake that has surely dropped a hundred feet, based on the rock wall marks, because of climate change, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Doug Ross, with a post on midterm losses by President.

Read: If All You See… »

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Ten Things Americans Can Problably Agree On Getting Done

By William Teach November 10, 2014 – 10:43 am

You’re probably thinking “Republicans won, Democrats lost, and Obama lost worst of all, considering his “policies were on the ballot”. Right? And that, since that occurred, Republicans should push Republican policies. Not necessarily full Conservative policy, but at least Republican policies. Oh, you, you’re so silly. Here’s the Baltimore Sun’s Dan Rodricks to set you straight

Well, we might be unhappy with Congress and disappointed in Obama. But we know what we want. I made a list of 10 things, for starters. It wasn’t that hard.

And all you silly people who are seriously concerned with the size and scope and tyranical nature of the federal government, as well as taxation, need to STFU, because you’re not reasonable

I don’t waste time with people who think the government is a monster that must be subdued, or that taxation equals confiscation. This isn’t for you.

This is for reasonable Americans who take the broad view of things and who want to see the country they love moving forward.

See? Told ya. BTW, when did Democrats start loving America? They seem to hate everything about it. Here’s Dan’s ideas

  1. Congress should do some serious self-regulation and change campaign finance laws. (strange, cause in many cases Democrats outspent Republicans, including through outside group money)
  2. Keep the Affordable Care Act. Stop trying to kill it. Call off the dogs who keep biting at it in Congress and in the courts. (because the election wasn’t a repudiation of Obama’s policies, including Ocare, which still polls badly. I wonder if Dan can tells us just why Obama held off in releasing the deductibles and premiums for the upcoming registration period)
  3. Let’s deal with wasteful spending once and for all (Actually, I think Conservatives could get behind that. Dems, not so much)
  4. Make sure the Social Security system is sound for decades to come (again, a good idea. But, how? That’s the conundrum. Dems and Republicans have different ideas. Oh, and Dems say everything is fine)
  5. Pave the highways, of course, but let’s get moving on better public transportation, once and for all. More trains and buses, please, and buses powered by compressed natural gas and electricity. Expand mass transit to serve the growing numbers of people moving to cities and metropolitan areas. Create jobs, reduce carbon emissions. (OK, you didn’t think I’d really be posting this without a mention of Hotcoldwetdry, did you? Searching for climate change articles is how I ran across it. Love how Warmists have to link a legit issue to climatism)
  6. Let’s stop arguing about whether climate change is caused by human activity and get busy on reducing greenhouse gases. (because that’s what the elections were about, ya know )
  7. Stop arguing about immigration and do something about it. We’re not going to deport 12 million people, many of whom are contributing to the economy and even paying taxes. So grant those who are here some sort of legal status and be done with it. Guarding the U.S.-Mexico border is also important, but … (in other words, blanket amnesty. Which is something we have to be concerned that the Establishment GOP might do. Of course, in many, many polls, people are dead set against this)
  8. … if we don’t deal with the problems that create refugees, from Central America particularly, they’ll keep coming. Let’s stop the war on drugs; it contributes to the violence that sends people to our borders, and it keeps our prisons full. (cocaine for all!!!!!)
  9. Find a better way for young people to afford their college education without going deeply into debt. (see, there are these things called “jobs”. Maybe they could get one? Strange that the education system, which is overwhelmingly liberal, monetarily rapes kids, eh?)
  10. Push innovation, seed more research and development into the technologies that are going to make life better here — electric vehicles (including buses), cleaner farming methods and pollution controls, treatments for cancer and other diseases. (Ok, another good idea. The problem is in the money aspect. Dems like to simply throw money to their campaign contributors. And will be upset over any Republican plans)

So, there you go. Only reasonable people need apply, you guys.

Read: Ten Things Americans Can Problably Agree On Getting Done »

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Team O Has Elaborate Backup Plan For When Healthcare.gov Crashes

By William Teach November 10, 2014 – 7:17 am

A year after the disastrous roll-out of healthcare.gov, there’s quite a bit of confidence in all the work they’ve done to fix it, so much that they have a major backup plan

(Washington Post) With the next time to buy health plans under the Affordable Care Act starting in less than a week, the Obama administration is expressing confidence that HealthCare.gov is no longer the rickety online insurance marketplace that exasperated consumers a year ago.

Behind the scenes, however, federal health officials and government contractors are scrambling, according to confidential documents and federal and outside experts familiar with this work. They have been making contingency plans in case the information technology or other aspects prove less sturdy than the administration predicts. And some preparations are coming down to the wire.

As the Nov. 15 beginning of open enrollment nears, administration officials have been eager to draw public attention to the fact that parts of the computer system have been rebuilt, online insurance applications will be easier to use and new federal managers are in charge.

“We’re really making sure that that Web site works super well,” President Obama said at a news conference a few days ago. “We’re double- and triple-checking it.”

Despite such efforts, the confidential documents written in recent weeks hint at elaborate backup planning that undercuts the administration’s predictions that an improved HealthCare.gov will be able to handle everyone who wants to sign up. More broadly, they reflect the high stakes confronting the administration as it tries to avoid last year’s mistakes and deal with new threats to the Affordable Care Act: the Republican gains in the midterm elections and the Supreme Court’s decision to review the government insurance subsidies that are a linchpin of the law.

One of the things that will occur, the article notes, is that the website will implement throttling if it gets too busy, like when more than 20 people use it, and will send users to other pages, rather than getting all the error pages from last year.

The part of the website for small businesses, never ready last year, is apparently still not quite ready. The hacker protections are also still too weak. Oh, and here’s your “most transparent administration ever!!!!!” moment

Some details about the readiness of the Web site are unavailable partly because CMS officials this year have insisted that every insurer involved in testing the site sign a confidentiality agreement requiring them to refrain from discussing the results.

Fortunately, consumer notices to the 7.6 million who supposedly still have Ocare and were supposed to be delivered by November 1 are way behind, with only 1 million ready to go by the third week of October. How would the IRS treat you if you were over two weeks late in filing?

Read: Team O Has Elaborate Backup Plan For When Healthcare.gov Crashes »

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Obama Still In Delusional Land, Sends Email To Democrats About How Great They Did

By William Teach November 10, 2014 – 6:58 am

On Friday, the Democratic National Committee sent out a letter signed by Mr. Obama, one which surely outraged the Democrats that are left in Congress, most of whom who’ve had Obama’s back, at least publicly, when he’s never really had theirs. Here’s the full text (via Breitbart)

The hardest thing in politics is changing the status quo. The easiest thing is to get cynical.

The Republicans had a good night on Tuesday — but believe me when I tell you that our results were better because you stepped up, talked to your family and friends, and cast your ballot.

How’d it work with you stepping up and yapping?

https://twitter.com/rsmccain/status/530120908481236992

That’s a pretty Red looking map.

I want you to remember that we’re making progress. There are workers who have jobs today who didn’t have them before. There are millions of families who have health insurance today who didn’t have it before. There are kids going to college today who didn’t have the opportunity to go to college before.

And there are lots and lots of workers who have college degrees and are working spiffy new minimum wage jobs, are underemployed, or have simply given up in despair at finding a job in Obama’s economy. There are kids going to college and putting themselves in massive debt. There are people with insurance they can’t afford to use, but will get fined if they do not obtain it.

So don’t get cynical. Cynicism didn’t put a man on the moon. Cynicism has never won a war, or cured a disease, or built a business, or fed a young mind. Cynicism is a choice. And hope will always be a better choice.

Did he just try the “hope” schtick? Good grief. It’s interesting that he mentioned the moon landing, since NASA under Obama is abandoning the “space” part of it’s name, and is focused more on “climate change” and Muslim self-esteem outreach. Besides, how would he know about any of those mentioned? He hasn’t won a war, cured a disease, or built a business. Feeding young minds? With cow patties.

I have hope for the next few years, and I have hope for what we’re going to accomplish together. If you do, too, join the Democratic Party, and let’s keep building this movement:

Thank you so much.

Barack Obama

Did he just ask people who are Democrats to join the Democrat Party? That’s a head scratcher.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

Read: Obama Still In Delusional Land, Sends Email To Democrats About How Great They Did »

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Slate: The Fact That Climate Change Got Thumped In Midterms Is Totally Winning!

By William Teach November 9, 2014 – 3:47 pm

How’s that saying go,  about denial not just being a river in Egypt?

The Fact That Climate Change Lost Big in This Election Could Be a Huge Win

There’s been a lot of anxiety in climate change circles after Tuesday’s election ushered in a Republican takeover of the U.S. Senate. The Wednesday morning headlines were dire, including this one from Vox: “The biggest loser in this election is the climate.”

On its face, I agree. The chances of bold climate action within the next two years took a big hit Tuesday. Coupled with the latest scientific consensus that we’re quickly reaching the end of our carbon budget, the world can’t afford another delay. As my colleague Phil Plait said on Election Day, Tuesday’s vote “quite literally affects the future of humanity.”

Quite literally, you guys! Like it always has. Because it always changes.

But this election cycle, campaigners concerned with the future of the planet also won a subtle but extremely important victory: Climate change is something people are finally talking about.

According to exit poll data, global warming is now the most polarizing issue to Republicans—beating even Obama’s signature health care laws. But at least it’s an issue. This is in sharp contrast to 2012, when the two presidential candidates barely mentioned the issue at all. Even if the 2014 election wasn’t primarily about climate, it was one of the social issues that resonated most strongly with voters.

Talking about it. Hooray! Like they’ve been doing for 20+ years.  Unfortunately for Warmists, what most are talking about is not wanting to pay the price themselves.

If anything, 2014 was another sign of the gradual shift toward broader Republican support for action on climate change.

Nope. Not really. Delusional City.

In the meantime, Obama’s team of climate negotiators has spent years ensuring the next international climate agreement, unlike the failed Kyoto Protocol, won’t require Senate approval.

In other words,  circumventing our whole governmental structure,  because he know it won’t pass. He couldn’t get it through even when Dems controlled the House and Senate.

What Obama does want is a fight. That would ensure one. And just shows the anti-democratic and dictatorial leanings of Obama and Warmists.

Read: Slate: The Fact That Climate Change Got Thumped In Midterms Is Totally Winning! »

Posted in Global Warming, New Climate Deniers | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach November 9, 2014 – 1:00 pm

…are super awesome trees being cut down for carbon heavy power and heating for Other People, and you don’t like it, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Joshuapundit, with a post on what we know about Obama’s AG pick, Loretta Lynch.

Read: If All You See… »

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