Man With World’s Largest Carbon Footprint Releases Climate Change Initiatives

By William Teach July 16, 2014 – 2:42 pm

Obviously, none have to do with him taking a break from all that massive fossil fueled travel to campaign and play golf

(NY Times) President Obama will announce a series of climate change initiatives on Wednesday aimed at guarding the electricity supply; improving local planning for flooding, coastal erosion and storm surges; and better predicting landslide risks as sea levels rise and storms and droughts intensify.

The actions, involving a variety of federal agencies, were among the recommendations of the president’s State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness, a group of 26 officials who have worked since November to develop the proposals.

Good thing there are no other pressing concerns in the country and world, wouldn’t you say?

Anyhow, this is all about spending lots and lots of taxpayer money while giving The Central Government more and more power within states and local communities. For instance

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today launched a Green Infrastructure Collaborative among government agencies, NGOs, and other private sector entities to advance green stormwater infrastructure.  Green infrastructure, such as urban forests and rooftop gardens, can be used as an important tool for building resilience to climate change impacts such as increased precipitation and heat island effects. Federal agencies will provide funding assistance in at least 25 communities across the country for green infrastructure projects, technical assistance to create integrated green stormwater management and hazard mitigation plans, and recognition and awards programs for innovative green infrastructure projects. Agencies will also add guidance on green infrastructure to existing Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) peer-to-peer exchange and training programs. The partnership will also provide a platform for conducting research on increasing affordability and effectiveness, sharing best practices, and developing actionable planning tools that decision-makers have been seeking.

Anyone think that this won’t create massive mission creep, as the EPA demands and requires certain actions? Then there’s this

Accounting for Climate Change in Hazard Mitigation Planning.  To ensure that States are preparing for the impacts of climate change, FEMA will release new guidance for State Hazard Mitigation Plans that calls upon States to consider climate variability as part of their requirement to address the probability of future events in state planning efforts.

Many states, such as North Carolina, refuse to play the Warmists game, and this would further encroach on the 10th Amendment rights, continuing to make states subservient and controlled by Los Federales.

Despite the pushback from coal country, Mr. Obama hopes to build political support for the plan by highlighting the local damage that climate change is expected to cause.

Good luck with that. First, Obama’s method of building support is to insult, denigrate, demean, and just generally be a jerk to those who do not agree with him. Second, few people care.

Read: Man With World’s Largest Carbon Footprint Releases Climate Change Initiatives »

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If All You See…

By William Teach July 16, 2014 – 1:00 pm

…is a horrible windy world made worse because someone refused to turn their A/C up a few degrees, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Cold Fury, with a post on who should actually be impeached.

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Could California Split Into Six States?

By William Teach July 16, 2014 – 12:38 pm

That’s the plan

(Time) Supporters of a long-shot measure that would split California into six states plan to submit 1.3 million signatures to election officials on July 15. The quixotic effort, spearheaded by venture capitalist Tim Draper, needs officials to deem at least 807,615 of those signatures valid in order to qualify for the November 2016 election.

Why valid? John Conyers didn’t need valid signatures?

If every signature were valid, that would mean one in about every 30 Californians is ready to cleft America’s most populous state into sixths—or at least vote on the issue in two years. The borders would be established along county lines outlined in the proposal, creating the states of Jefferson, North California, Silicon Valley, Central California, West California and South California.

Why do this?

Draper, known for successful investments in companies such as Hotmail and Skype, told TIME about the inspiration behind his proposal in February:

The strongest argument for Six Californias is that we are not well-represented. The people down south are very concerned with things like immigration law and the people way up north are frustrated by taxation without representation. And the people in coastal California are frustrated because of water rights. And the people in Silicon Valley are frustrated because the government doesn’t keep up with technology. And in Los Angeles, their issues revolve around copyright law. Each region has its own interest, and I think California is ungovernable because they can’t balance all those interests. I’m looking at Six Californias as a way of giving California a refresh and allowing those states to both cooperate and compete with each other.

Those are some good points. This is actually well thought out (see the “in the proposal” link). Might this lead to similar measures in other states, even smaller ones?

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1%er Warmist Katrina vanden Heuvel Really Psyched Over Shutting Down Debate

By William Teach July 16, 2014 – 11:22 am

Prick a Warmists and a fascist bleeds

The distorting reality of ‘false balance’ in the media

False equivalence in the media — giving equal weight to unsupported or even discredited claims for the sake of appearing impartial — is not unusual. But a major media organization taking meaningful steps to do something about it is.

Earlier this month, the BBC’s governing body issued a report assessing the BBC’s impartiality in covering scientific topics. When it comes to an issue like climate change, the report concluded, not all viewpoints share the same amount of scientific substance. Giving equal time and weight to a wide range of arguments without regard to their credibility risks creating a “false balance” in the public debate.

This is a lesson for all media on both sides of the Atlantic — and not just when it comes to science coverage. There are many sides to almost every story, but that doesn’t mean they are automatically equal.

The lesson is that dictators through the ages would be proud of this conduct. Of course, she yammers on about consensus, and ends with

Ultimately, forcing balance where there is none is not journalistically ethical. It’s not part of the proud and essential tradition of truth telling and evaluation, either. At best, it’s lazy. At worst, it’s an abdication of the media’s responsibility.

Rather than uncritically repeating talking points, isn’t it time for the media to take the BBC’s bold advice and exercise editorial judgment? Because if the scale tips in favor of the truth, that’s not imbalanced reporting. That’s journalism.

In other words, shut down the debate. Self censorship. It’s not enough that Skeptics are rarely allowed their say within the media to start with. Is there a counter opinion piece to Heuvel’s? No. She, like most Warmists, wants to institute their fascistic viewpoints, and stop the spread of anything that doesn’t fit in with their political cult.

From the comments

Is there anything more Orwellian than this. “False balance”, how about giving all the information and letting the reader make up his mind.

Say, when is Katrina going to give up her own Big Carbon Footprint lifestyle?

Read: 1%er Warmist Katrina vanden Heuvel Really Psyched Over Shutting Down Debate »

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Glenn Beck Is Sounding Quite A Bit Like Democrats

By William Teach July 16, 2014 – 10:23 am

Don’t misunderstand: I like Glenn Beck, and will continue to listen in the a.m. Which I’ll do in about an hour when I head to the gym. His preaching does get a bit tiresome to me. This, though, is off the hook

I don’t think we’re going to be able to solve anything if we don’t stop yelling at each other and if we don’t stop accusing each other of hatred and racism. I really fear that we are on the edge of losing our country through this division if we don’t find ways to say, look, we all love the children, we all feel the same way…

There are a lot of people that are very upset because they think I’m going to be encouraging people to come here and that’s not true. It’s evil what’s happening to the children all the way around and then to have them being used for political purposes. I don’t care if it’s the left or the right that’s doing it. It is wrong, it is shameful, it’s un-American and it’s not the Christian thing to do.

Video of this is available at both the above link at Hot Air, where Allahpundit notes

One point I haven’t seen addressed in the hubbub over his charity effort is whether he’s planning the upcoming shipment of supplies as a one-time show of goodwill or as an ongoing mission of mercy to the border, with shipments at regular intervals. If it’s the latter, I hope he knows what he’s getting into. Anecdotal reports suggest there are a lot of kids who’ll soon be needing teddy bears and soccer balls.

Allahpundit notes what Ruben Navarrette has to say about the kids coming

My sources tell me that it is well-known that in the Rio Grande Valley, there are tens or even hundreds of thousands of people from Central America — mostly women and children — in northern Mexico right now, waiting for their chance to cross into the United States.

We should stop looking for an endpoint. This story has no end in sight.

Beck is entitled to his opinion, but to plat the un-American and un-Christian card is below pathetic. He has a good heart, and I applaud him for providing relief for the kids. It should also be noted that Beck has specifically stated multiple times (I’ve heard him say it live multiple times) that the kids should be repatriated, and we need to deal with the conditions that cause the children to come. The very fact is that this is a political issue, whether he wants it to be or not. It is not un-American nor un-Christian. But, it does sound much like something Democrats would say. A smattering of headlines

Beck is creating the same kind of guilt. Again, I applaud him for putting his conscience on the line, but he might be better served by no insulting people. Oh, and taking care of the illegals across the border as the tens of thousands line up in Mexico for a shot at being undocumented in America on their way to being entitled. Beck should consider that his smears are, in fact, political themselves. And people who throw stones…

Read: Glenn Beck Is Sounding Quite A Bit Like Democrats »

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Democrats: We Aren’t Interested In Changing 2008 Immigration Law

By William Teach July 16, 2014 – 9:47 am

Remember this, less than half a month ago?

As part of an effort to stem the flood of children caught trying to cross the nation’s southwest border, President Obama is trying to change a 2008 law that dictates how the federal government handles those immigrant children in order to speed up their deportations.

Obama made a vague request for changes to federal law in a letter he wrote to congressional leaders on Monday. But a White House official confirmed on Wednesday that the administration is considering changes to the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, known as the TVPRA, to fast-track deportation decisions.

We already know that Senator Harry Reid (Democrat) opposes any changes. And lives in a fantasy world where he thinks the border is secure. What about the rest? Are they on a different page from Obama?

(The Hill) Democrats in the House and Senate said Tuesday they would oppose any changes to a 2008 human trafficking law Republicans have blamed for the wave of child immigrants crossing the border.

The opposition sets up a standoff and raises serious doubts about whether Congress will be able to act before its summer recess in response to what both parties argue is a humanitarian crisis.

Not all Democrats oppose changes. The legislation was written by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas). Some Democrats are willing to listen to what the legislation states. Many aren’t willing.

Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), the highest-ranking Hispanic member of Congress, stopped short of saying he would oppose an entire funding bill if it amended the 2008 law. But he said Democrats aren’t interested in changing the law to expedite processing at the border.

“If it’s just change for the sake of returning kids, then what they’re essentially saying is, we’re trying to diminish the rights and protections we afford to children,” he said.

Perhaps he should tell that to Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Democrat, who said he doesn’t want them in his state. Perhaps he should tell that to the American People, but, then, so many care more about the Rule Of Man rather than the Rule Of Law.

The bill itself would simply speed up the hearing process, to see which kids are covered by the law. Democrats aren’t interested in that. They would prefer that the illegals, many of them gang members and/or imbued with disease(s), disappear into America so Democrats can push for amnesty.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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Leaked Report Shows Border Surge Not Really Due To Violence

By William Teach July 15, 2014 – 3:30 pm

Another media narrative dies a slow death

(Breitbart) An elite, law-enforcement sensitive El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) intel report from July 7, 2014 was leaked to Breitbart Texas and reveals that homicide rates in Central America suggest violence is likely not the primary cause of the surge of thousands of unaccompanied minors and incomplete family units illegally entering the United States.

The EPIC report indicates that the belief among the illegal immigrants that they would receive permisos and be allowed to stay was the driving factor in their choices to come to the United States and that the crisis will continue until ‘misperceptions’ about U.S. immigration benefits were no longer prevalent . The report also states that the migrants cited Univision and other other outlets as having shaped their views on U.S. immigration policy. Another implication of the report is that family members already in the U.S. are encouraging the minors to come and organizing the travel with smugglers. EPIC is a widely respected intelligence analysis group and was initially staffed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). (snip)

The leaked EPIC report discusses the motivational factors of the illegal immigrants in their choice to migrate to the United States:

(U//LES) In late May, the U.S. Border Patrol interviewed unaccompanied children (UAC) and migrant families apprehended in the Rio Grande Valley. Of the 230 total migrants interviewed, 219 cited the primary reason for migrating to the United States was the perception of U.S. immigration laws granting free passes or permisos to UAC and adult female OTMs traveling with minors. Migrants indicated that knowledge of permisos was widespread across Central America due to word of mouth, local, and international media messaging—prompting many to depart for the United States within 30 days of becoming aware of these perceived benefits, according to the same reporting. (WT-bold add by me)

Make sure to read the whole article by Brandon Darby.

Meanwhile, the “symbol of the immigration debate”, per CNN, has been arrested by the Border Patrol. I think we all know that, once ICE gets their hands on Jose Antonio Vargas, and the politics kick in, there’s little chance he will be deported. What will happen, though, is that he will be held up as an example to push for amnesty.

Read: Leaked Report Shows Border Surge Not Really Due To Violence »

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If All You See…

By William Teach July 15, 2014 – 1:00 pm

…is a horrid carbon pollution wind, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Sweetness and Light, with a post doing the math on Honduran kids deported.

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Shocker: Warmists Tend To Be Big Energy Hogs

By William Teach July 15, 2014 – 11:00 am

And by “shocker”, I mean this is completely a non-shocking notion. Warmists are hypocrites, generally refusing to give up, or even cut back on, their own use of fossil fuels, nor take more than token measures to reduce their “carbon footprint”

(UK Telegraph)  People who claim to worry about climate change use more electricity than those who do not, a Government study has found.

Those who say they are concerned about the prospect of climate change consume more energy than those who say it is “too far into the future to worry about,” the study commissioned by the Department for Energy and Climate Change found.

That is in part due to age, as people over 65 are more frugal with electricity but much less concerned about global warming.

However, even when pensioners are discounted, there is only a “weak trend” to show that people who profess to care about climate change do much to cut their energy use.

The findings were based on the Household Electricity Survey, which closely monitored the electricity use and views of 250 families over a year. The report, by experts from Loughborough University and Cambridge Architectural Research, was commissioned and published by DECC.

And what does all this mean? That Warmists should practice what they preach? Nope

“This means that policy makers cannot rely on stated behaviours alone in assessing the extent to which households turn off unused appliances,” the report noted.

The findings will strengthen the case of those who argue that more coercive methods are needed if people’s energy consumption is to be reduced.

But of course! More Government control of people’s lives.

I’d suspect that a study here in America would find the same thing, if not worse energy use amongst our Warmists.

Read: Shocker: Warmists Tend To Be Big Energy Hogs »

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Obama’s Made The World More Tranquil Or Something

By William Teach July 15, 2014 – 8:43 am

So far, White House spokesweasel Josh Earnest has been better than his predecessor, Jay Carney, at least when it comes to demeanor. Less sneering. Otherwise, they are cut from the same cloth. Evasive, willing to throw invective, and willing to make really silly statements

(CNS News) White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Monday the Obama administration’s foreign policies in a number of areas have enhanced the world’s “tranquility” – a word that raised eyebrows as reporters pointed to situations in Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Ukraine and the South China Sea.

More than one reporter during Monday’s press briefing referred to a front-page Wall Street Journal article highlighting some of those crises, and citing security strategists as saying “the breadth of global instability now unfolding hasn’t been seen since the late 1970s.”

“How does the White House react to the notion that the president is a bystander to all these crises?” asked Fox News’ Ed Henry, citing the widening gaps between the sides in the Iranian nuclear talks, the conflict in and around Gaza, and the Syrian civil war.

“I think that there have been a number of situations in which you’ve seen this administration intervene in a meaningful way, that has substantially furthered American interests and substantially improved the, uh, you know, the – the tranquility of the global community,” Earnest replied.

This is so bad that even Dana Milbank isn’t buying it. The article is entitled “A foreign policy strikeout” on the web front page. Inside, the headline is Another swing and a miss for Obama’s foreign policy

President Obama has described his foreign-policy doctrine as an attempt to hit singles, doubles and the occasional home run. But at this stage of the game, it looks as though he has popped out, grounded into a double play and been hit by a pitch.

Actually, it more often looks like Obama has been riding the bench with a groin pull in Single A, then does those other things when he gets a crack every once in a while.

His attorney general, Eric Holder, said Sunday that the threat of undetectable explosives from Syria is “more frightening than anything” he has experienced in office. And the Wall Street Journal ran a front-page article Monday reporting that “the breadth of global instability now unfolding hasn’t been seen since the late 1970s” and that “U.S. global power seems increasingly tenuous.”

The Journal’s catalogue of woes — civil wars in Iraq and Syria, hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians, an electoral crisis in Afghanistan, tension with Russia over Ukraine, floundering nuclear negotiations with Iran and renewed Chinese expansionism — didn’t include the current crisis on the United States’ Southern border.

Could things get any worse? Well, maybe if the president’s chief spokesman claimed that Obama was bringing “tranquility” to the globe — which is what White House press secretary Josh Earnest did at his daily briefing Monday afternoon.

After noting the same info as the CNS article, Milbank writes

Tranquility? Where, in Iceland?

Well, other than a few choice expletives, all those countries golf courses Obama visits are pretty tranquil.

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