“We are still in, regardless of the president formally beginning the process of withdrawing us from the Paris Climate Agreement,” Barnes said Thursday at the inaugural meeting of the state’s first dedicated climate change initiative.
Tag Archives: Global Warming
Protests at First Meeting of Wisconsin Climate Change Task Force
I’m not sure who was nuttier… the people in the room or the people outside.
“We have to be a leader,” Barnes said. “The moment calls for us to be a leader in the absence of federal leadership.”
Created earlier this year by an executive order, the Climate Change Task Force is headed by Barnes and made up of appointees from the agriculture, utility and tourism industries as well as higher education and indigenous nations.
Members are charged with advising Gov. Tony Evers on strategies for slowing global climate change and adapting to the local impacts.
[…]
The group sang modified Christmas carols in the hall outside the conference room — “Jingle bells, jet fuel smells, no F-35s, no way!” — while members of the Extinction Rebellion, in white face paint and red robes, held silent poses.
It is remarkable to me that one can read the entire story and twice it mentions that the members are made up of people from different areas of government, business, and special interest groups, but never does it say who is actually on the task force.
Posted by Owen at 0907 hours
Madison to Fine Businesses for Leaving Doors Open
Do you begin to see how the Global Warming/Climate Change jihad is all about controlling people? It can be used as justification for all sorts of Nanny State lunacy.
Madison businesses that leave their doors or windows open too long while running air conditioners could be fined under an ordinance to be introduced next week in the local fight against climate change.
Except in emergencies or when people or goods are going into or out of a business, “it shall be unlawful to keep open any door or window of a building or structure with a commercial use while an air conditioner is operating,” according to the proposed ordinance authored by Ald. Ledell Zellers, 2nd District.
The fine for a first-offense fine would be $50, rising to $100 for a second offense. Any third or subsequent offenses would cost $250, and “each day or portion thereof such violation continues shall be considered a separate offense,” the ordinance says.
Posted by Owen at 1648 hours
Scientists Want to Blot Out the Sun to Fight Global Warming
What could possibly go wrong?
(CNN)Scientists are proposing an ingenious but as-yet-unproven way to tackle climate change: spraying sun-dimming chemicals into the Earth’s atmosphere.
The research by scientists at Harvard and Yale universities, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, proposes using a technique known as stratospheric aerosol injection, which they say could cut the rate of global warming in half.The technique would involve spraying large amounts of sulfate particles into the Earth’s lower stratosphere at altitudes as high as 12 miles. The scientists propose delivering the sulfates with specially designed high-altitude aircraft, balloons or large naval-style guns.
Posted by Owen at 2144 hours
EPA Rejects Attempt to Politicize Harvey
It definitely is a new day over at the EPA.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday rejected a contention by scientists that the historic rainfall from Tropical Storm Harvey was linked to climate change, calling it “an attempt to politicize an ongoing tragedy.”
Several scientists have said that factors related to global warming have contributed to increased rainfall from storms like Harvey, which struck the Texas coast as a major hurricane on Friday and has since triggered catastrophic flooding in Houston, killing at least 12 people and forcing tens of thousands from their homes.
“EPA is focused on the safety of those affected by Hurricane Harvey and providing emergency response support – not engaging in attempts to politicize an ongoing tragedy,” said EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman, responding to a question about comments from the climate scientists.
A White House official said: “Right now, the top priority of the federal government as we work together to support state and local authorities in Texas and Louisiana is protecting the life and safety of those in impacted areas.”
Posted by Owen at 0654 hours
Yellowstone to Cure Global Warming
THIS is why we set aside Yellowstone as a national park. We knew that someday it would come to our rescue and completely reverse Global Warming.
Seismic activity around the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, US, is not uncommon, but the heaviest swarm in half a decade has people very concerned.
Since June 12, there has been over 1,400 tremors in the region, and experts state that the swarm could go on for another month.
The Yellowstone Caldera supervolcano last erupted 70,000 years ago but a spike in seismic activity around the national park has unsettled nerves.
If the Wyoming volcano were to erupt it would kill an estimated 87,000 people immediately and make two-thirds of the USA immediately uninhabitable. The as the large spew of ash into the atmosphere would block out sunlight and directly affect life beneath it creating a “nuclear winter” and threatening ALL life on earth.
Posted by Owen at 0847 hours
Golf and Climate Change
My column for the Washington County Daily News is online. Here you go:
Next week the U.S. Open Championship, one of the world’s marquee golf events, will come to Wisconsin for the first time in history at the Erin Hills golf course in scenic Washington County. The weeklong golf extravaganza is expected to bring thousands of visitors and have an estimated economic impact of $130 million. Wisconsin has officially become a golf destination.
Erin Hills is 652 acres of gorgeous pristine land that was scraped into the elegant curves, peaks, and valleys that distinguish the area known as the Kettle Moraine. The towering nearby Holy Hill will sentinel the visitors and the innumerable pockets of shade will provide a welcome respite from the warm (I hope) sun. Wisconsin welcomes the U.S. Open, but the inescapable fact is that this would never have happened had it not been for global warming.
The area we know as the Kettle Moraine is said to have been formed during the last Ice Age when a vast sheet of ice covered Wisconsin as far south as Walworth County. As the earth warmed, the ice melted and scampered back into Canada leaving behind a Wisconsin landscape teeming with biodiversity and sculpted into regions perfect for farming, fishing, and yes, golfing.
The mania over the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord indicates that some folks are no longer capable of having a rational discussion regarding climate change, what it means, and the costs and benefits of various public policy options regarding climate change. Various factions have galvanized into reactive shock troops that are divorced from reason and defend their positions with the religious fanaticism of David Koresh.
Let us start with the basics. The earth’s climate changes. It always has. It always will. It changes because of many forces at play including the sun’s activity, volcanic eruptions, celestial collisions, and the activity of organisms on it. The approximately seven billion humans on earth are part of the picture — particularly with our capacity to manipulate our surroundings to our benefit. It is common sense that the climate is changing and that human activity has an impact on that change.
The next question we need to answer is how is the climate changing? Many climatologists argue that the climate is warming and will continue to do so. Much of that research is in doubt because of numerable reports of fraud, manipulated data, and the fact that much of that research is funded by governments and people with a vested interest in reaching that conclusion (always follow the money). It is also worth noting that the global warming adherents have been almost universally wrong when making predictions.
But given that the climate is changing, there is some chance that it is getting warmer. Let us stipulate to that probability and move on to the next question, is it good or bad that the climate might be warming?
The answer to that question depends on one’s frame of reference and perspective. Any change has positive and negative consequences and climate change is not any different. If the globe warms significantly, scientists predict that many islands will be submerged and coastal areas flooded as the oceans rise. Conversely, vast areas of tundra in Russia and Canada that are now locked in permafrost would melt and become farmable, thus helping provide jobs and food for billions of humans. There are undoubtedly millions of additional consequences if the globe warms, but nobody can categorically predict whether the net effect of those consequences would be good or bad.
So if the globe might be warming and that might be a bad thing, what public policies should we enact to “combat” it? And at what cost? Therein lies the rub. There is broad agreement in America, if not yet in other nations, that we want to take reasonable measures to make our environment as clean and sustainable as possible. We are even willing to pay more and sacrifice some comforts to achieve those ends. We want that not really because of anything to do with climate change, but because we do not want to breathe toxins, spread diseases, or drink unclean water.
What we do not all agree upon is that we should surrender our way of life and cripple our economy in order to combat the possibility that the earth may be warming and that might be a bad thing. Humans have proven tremendously adaptable and are capable of weathering moderate changes in climate. Simply put, the cost of the Paris Climate Accord was too high for the perceived benefits rendered. President Trump was right to pull out of the deal, and the baying of foreign liberals has far more to do with the fact that they will not be able to fleece American tax payers (always follow the money) than it does with how warm the earth might be in the year 2200.
After golfers from all over the world come to Wisconsin to enjoy the beautiful landscapes and lush foliage of the Kettle Moraine, let us hope that some of them return to their homes thankful for the warming planet that made it all possible.
Posted by Owen at 0642 hours
U.S. Withdraws From Paris Accord
Excellent. It is refreshing to see a president putting America’s interests first again.
Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw the US from the Paris climate accord Thursday, a major step that fulfills a campaign promise while seriously dampening global efforts to curb global warming.
The decision amounts to a rebuttal of the worldwide effort to pressure Trump to remain a part of the agreement, which 195 nations signed onto. Foreign leaders, business executives and Trump’s own daughter lobbied heavily for him to remain a part of the deal, but ultimately lost out to conservatives who claim the plan is bad for the United States.“In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord but being negotiations to reenter either the Paris accord or an entirely new transaction under terms that are fair to the United States,” Trump said from the White House Rose Garden.
“We’re getting out. And we will start to renegotiate and we’ll see if there’s a better deal. If we can, great. If we can’t, that’s fine,” he added.
Posted by Owen at 1459 hours
U.S. Expected to Withdraw From Paris Climate Accord
Another rumor from more unnamed sources, but hopefully this one is true.
Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump is expected to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, two senior US officials familiar with his plans told CNN Wednesday.
The decision would be a significant foreign policy break with nearly every other nation on earth and a major reversal of the Obama administration’s efforts on climate change.Trump met Tuesday with a key voice advocating for withdrawal, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt. He meets Wednesday with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who supported remaining in the deal.The precise mechanism for withdrawal hasn’t yet been determined, but Trump has made clear he plans to fulfill his campaign promises to withdraw.
A formal announcement is expected at some point this week. The officials cautioned the plans could change until Trump makes his decision public.
Posted by Owen at 0800 hours
Trump to Roll Back Climate Change Regulations
Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump will sign a sweeping executive order Tuesday at the Environmental Protection Agency, which looks to curb the federal government’s enforcement of climate regulations by putting American jobs above addressing climate change.
The order represents a clear difference between how Trump and former President Barack Obama view the role the United States plays in combating climate change, and dramatically alters the government’s approach to rising sea levels and temperatures — two impacts of climate change.A White House official briefed on the plan said Monday the administration believes the government can both “serve the environment and increase energy independence at the same time” by urging the EPA for focus on what the administration believes is its core mission: Clean air and clean water.More important than regulating climate change, the official said, is protecting American jobs.
Posted by Owen at 2330 hours
Perpetuating Global Warming Doctrine
As a general rule, always look for where the money is flowing behind political issues – especially the heated ones. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they are wrong. But it means that one should view their statements in context.
Please don’t be surprised. Government-paid researchers are desperate to perpetuate the climate shock. They know that if there is no warming as they have predicted, the generous public funds that support their work will eventually dry up.
It is in their financial interest to keep the public tied up in knots of anxiety and to dupe politicians, who are eager to assume the posture of caring guardians of the environment so they’ll to continue to hand them money
And it fits right in with the other evidence problems that undermine the global warming narrative, such as the hopelessly flawed temperature record, the unreliable models that can’t even predict the past, and the possibility that as many half of the alarmist research papers could be wrong.
Instapundit Glenn Reynolds is fond of saying that he’ll believe there’s a warming crisis when the people who are saying it’s a crisis start acting like it is. Maybe we’ll start believing there’s a warming problem when government scientists quit cheating to make it look like a problem exists.
Posted by Owen at 0725 hours
SCOTUS Blocks Obama’s Illegal Environmental Activism
Good.
Washington (CNN)The Supreme Court on Tuesday dealt President Barack Obama a blow by moving to temporarily block his administration’s rules to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
Reacting to a lawsuit from 29 states, as well as the energy industry, justices blocked the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan from going forward while the rule is challenged in court.
The decision means that Obama now has two major legacy actions — immigration and climate change — stuck in the court system with the specter of a Republican taking over the White House in January.
I would note for CNN that his actions are “stuck in the court system” because they are unconstitutional and illegal. We should be celebrating this check to executive overreach.
Posted by Owen at 1922 hours
Global Warming Delays Next Ice Age
When talking about climate change, the liberals always focus on the negative consequences. There are some good ones too – if you’re into that sort of thing.
(CNN)Could this be good news about global warming? Latest research suggests that human intervention has postponed the beginning of the next ice age.
The researchers suggest that even moderate human interference with the planet’s natural carbon balance, through activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, might delay the next glacial cycle by 100,000 years.
Scientists at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany have found that the Earth’s last eight ice ages can be explained by a relation between insolation — solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface — and CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. This also helps to predict future glacial cycles.
Perhaps we can agree that having Wisconsin under a mile of ice again would be a bad thing. Perhaps not.
Posted by Owen at 1947 hours
Agreement Reached at COP21
The measures in the agreement included:
• To peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and achieve a balance between sources and sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century
• To keep global temperature increase “well below” 2C (3.6F) and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5C
• To review progress every five years
• $100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020, with a commitment to further finance in the future.
So basically, every country is going to try to reduce emissions and the wealthier countries will give the poorer countries a pile of money. I’m sure that the $100 billion will be spent judiciously and fairly just like it has been in the past. Uh huh…
Think of it this way… America will depress our economy and borrow billions of dollars to give to other countries to waste it. Lovely.
Posted by Owen at 1949 hours
CO2 Emissions Stall
Huh.
Latest figures on fossil-fuel emissions for 2015 show for the first time during a period of global economic growth that the amount of carbon dioxide being pumped into the atmosphere has remained stable for two consecutive years.
Scientists believe however that the unprecedented decline is almost entirely due to the economic slowdown in China, now the world’s single biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, which is likely to see a rapid return to growth in carbon emissions as its energy-hungry economy picks up again.
So, yes, we can stall CO2 emissions by crippling our (and others’) economy.
Posted by Owen at 2121 hours
300,000 Tons of CO2
Well, I asked.
The climate change summit in Paris that aims to tackle global warming will itself pump an estimated 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, it was claimed today.
Posted by Owen at 2028 hours
Global Warming Conference Commeth
I wonder what the carbon footprint of the Global Warming Conference is? But consider this nugget:
More than 40,000 delegates from 195 countries are attending COP21, which has the goal of achieving a legally binding agreement to keep global warming below what most scientists say is the critical threshold of 2 degrees Celsius of warming.
40,000 delegates!?!? That’s an average of over 205 delegates from each country.
And given that we haven’t had any warming in almost 20 years, can we assume that any agreement would be to just freeze the status quo in place? What does that do to developing countries?
Posted by Owen at 1736 hours
Pope Weighs in on Global Warming
Heh.
The document released Thursday was a stinging indictment of big business and climate doubters, and aimed to inspire courageous decisions at U.N. climate negotiations this year as well as in domestic politics and everyday life. Citing Scripture and his predecessors, the pope urged people of every faith and even no faith to undergo an awakening to save God’s creation.
“It is not enough to balance, in the medium term, the protection of nature with financial gain, or the preservation of the environment with progress,” the pope wrote. “Halfway measures simply delay the inevitable disaster. Put simply, it is a matter of redefining our notion of progress.”
Environmental scientists said the first-ever encyclical, or teaching document, on the environment could have a dramatic effect on the climate debate, lending the moral authority of the immensely popular Francis to an issue that has long been cast in purely political, economic or scientific terms.
Few thoughts…
The Pope is certainly an important global person as the leader of the Catholic faith, but for those of us who aren’t Catholic, he’s just another fellow Christian. He does not even speak for all of Christendom – much less all of humanity.
The Pope also has about as much credibility or authority to speak on the economic and scientific issues surrounding climate change as I do. Sure, his opinion is interesting, but that doesn’t make it right.
It is also clear that the Pope is a rather strident Marxist. His comments could have been printed in Pravda in 1978 and not been out of place.
It is extremely entertaining to watch the radical environmentalist Left, which has spent a lifetime undermining any proposed moral authority the Pope has on things like abortion, birth control, men-only management, homosexuality, etc., now fawning over him and claiming that he has given moral authority to their cause.
Posted by Owen at 1319 hours
Obama’s War on Earth
What a buffoon. The same week the ISIS takes over Ramadi, North Korea is becoming even more destabilized, Russia is continuing its war in Ukraine, and half of the despots in the Middle East are looking at building nuclear weapons, Obama is worried about global warming.
“Climate change constitutes a serious threat to global security, an immediate risk to our national security,” he told the graduates in their dress white uniforms at the campus football stadium, “and, make no mistake, it will impact how our military defends our country. And so we need to act— and we need to act now.”
Posted by Owen at 0629 hours
