Blog About the Weather

In the wake of the Oscar nod for An Inconvenient Truth, conservative critics of the globalwarming awareness2007 superhero have taken to attacking his energy use in blogs. They are relying on a press release by the ‘Tennessee Center for Policy Research.’

It’s even been picked up in the ‘legitimate’ press, such as the Detroit Free Press. However, as journalists, they researched further to find that Al Gore purchases ‘green’ energy credits and carbon-emissions offset credits. He and his wife drive a hybrid SUV.

The basis of much of the criticism is the cost of the Gore’s energy bills. However, part of the expense is allegedly that they are using alternative energy, which may be costing them more.

Nonetheless, it is hard to debate that Al’s globetrotting in the name of globalwarming awareness uses a lot of energy — no doubt more than his three homes do. His homes are also quite large, especially relative to the amount of time he spends in them, and the fact that as former Vice President he undoubtedly has an awesomely powerful security system sucking down juice.

Criticism of Gore’s own energy use is nothing new. USA Today was criticizing his energy use in August 2006. The current flurry of activity is mostly a result of the new attention on An Inconvenient Truth, and continuing angst that the Democratic party retook Congress and can take steps to legislate new energy rules and ideas.

Hopefully, more of the honest media will also look into the background on the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. While they claim to be non-partisan, they are big believers in free-market solutions for social and policy issues. Speakers from the group are popular speakers at Libertarian Party of Tennessee meteings. Like many think-tanks (both conservative and liberal), here’s betting they have a lot of dirty laundry if only someone sniffs.

It’s important for people within the globalwarming awareness2007 movement to consider if energy usage is purposeful or proper, and match their actions to their outspoken advocacy for globalwarming awareness. It is almost undoubtedly true that Al Gore’s electric bills aren’t a complete picture of his energy use, and his other energy use is probably also higher than most Americans. However, he seems to be doing more with the energy he’s using. Perhaps a fair trade? Only time and globalwarming will tell; in 2007, we cannot have awareness of the long-term impact of his outspoken advocacy for globalwarming awareness versus his present energy use.

Today’s important learning:

There is actually an Oilweek Magazine.

They’re covering issues around coal-fired energy plants and their contributions to globalwarming.

There really is a magazine for everything, isn’t there. Holy frijoles, Batman.

In her continuing efforts to be an environmentally attractive candidate for the globalwarming aware crowd, Hillary Clinton toured a clean-coal facility in upstate New York.

As part of her tour, she pledged to wean the US from foreign oil dependency, and as Senator will be introducing a bill in the near future — doubtless in as showy a fashion as possible.

She touts clean coal technology, among others, to combat globalwarming. The US has a lot of coal, although mining coal is frequently dangerous and has long-term health hazards for miners.

Clinton called for more efficient use of electricity and natural gas, expanded use of wind and solar energy, new biofuels, and expansion of technology such as that being refined at Huntley that removes and captures toxic emissions from coal.

These alternative energy sources will help expand fuel options throughout the world, and Ms. Clinton’s campaign appearances will no doubt further the cause of globalwarming awareness2007. She is a polarizing figure, and adopting energy independence and alternative fuel production in her platform for 2008 president will increase awareness of these globalwarming issues.

…or is that walrii?

In any event, today’s Valentine’s Day story of love focuses on several Californian groups who are suing the US government to protect polar bears and walruses in Alaska from the ravages of globalwarming.

Per the International Herald Tribune:

The groups say the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not fully consider the effects of global warming, such as diminished sea ice, when it wrote regulations allowing for incidental harassment of polar bears and walruses by the oil and gas industry in the Beaufort Sea and nearby coastal areas.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday, February 13, 2007 by globalwarming activists at the Center for Biological Diversity and Pacific Environment. It’s an attempt to force the United States government to greater awareness of globalwarming issues in 2007 and beyond, and protect polar bears from big oil companies.

The activities of big oil companies disrupt the environment for polar bears and walruses, and may disrupt pregnancies and life cycles. Melting sea ice has already impacted the breeding grounds and homelands of these Alaskan and arctic species. Globalwarming has hurt the polar ice caps on which these species depend.

For more info: California groups sue to protect Alaskan species from globalwarming

Ceres, a group of shareholder activists with an interest in globalwarming and the environment today released a list of the most nefarious environmental villians among US companies.

These companies are responsible for soil and water pollution, as well as air pollution that may be leading to global climate change and globalwarming. The ten companies named in today’s report are specifically targeted for their activities impacting the climate and globalwarming in 2007.

Companies included in the list include big oil and energy companies, such as Exxon and ConocoPhillips, but the list also includes low-cost manufacturers of household goods like Bed, Bath & Beyond, who may be valuing low production costs over sustainable production that does not result in pollution in third-world and developing nations. Many developing nations are used as low-cost producers of consumer goods, in part because these countries have low industry standards and low wages. Banking giant Wells Fargo is also on the Ceres list,

Some investors are looking at the environmental practices of companies with an eye to not investing in them, or voting as shareholders for sustainable energy and production standards. Other investors, however, are focused solely on the bottom line of profitability, with no eye to long-term globalwarming impacts. Ceres believes that CEOs need to take a long view and plan their business relative to environmental issues and globalwarming awareness.

For more information: Ceres Names 10 Climate Watch Companies

Thursday’s US House of Representatives Science Committee meeting degenerated into massive silliness when several House Republicans decided to take their time on CSPAN to make completely ridiculous statements to downplay the risk of globalwarming and mock those whose awareness of the problem have resulted in the UN Report on Globalwarming, as well as these Congressional hearings on the danger of climate change.

Proving that breathing Wisconsin’s legendary ‘dairy air’ may have touched his wits, Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) asked one scientist the following doozy:

Does (it) mean to stop this increase in methane we’ve got to put catalytic converters on the backs of cows?

Meanwhile, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) proved a dissenting voice against that of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Ms. Pelosi is a noted friend of the globalwarming awareness movement, and since taking the post of Speaker of the House in 2007 has made it an important cause. However, Rep. Rohrbacher questioned if globalwarming might be cyclical:

“We don’t know what the other cycles were caused by in the past,” he said. “It could be dinosaur flatulence. Who knows?”

As these Republicans blame cow farts and dinosaur toots for the globalwarming of today, many others are increasingly aware of the problems caused by human use of such things as oil — which is in fact a byproduct of dead dinosaurs. Friends of globalwarming must continue to pepper their Congressional delegations with their concerns about global climate change, and encourage US investment in new energy technologies.

Iowa, a state with great potential to use wind, manure, and ethanol in response to energy needs, still breeds another type: the globalwarming skeptic. Despite massive communities of activist students at universities who are raising globalwarming awareness, and many scholars and scientists har at work here in 2007 to find globalwarming answers, skeptics still exist, as shown in the Des Moines Register.

In an Op-Ed letter, a Des Moines man touts the cause of Big Oil, proclaiming:

Believing that people are the primary contributors to CO2 in the atmosphere is silly. Compared to the CO2 and other gases produced naturally by volcanoes, both on land and under water, and from the surfaces of the oceans, man’s contribution is miniscule.

Throughout his letter, he proclaims oil as an answer:

It’s obvious an ample and dependable supply of oil is the answer. It’s cheaper, more efficient and plentiful.

Seeking cheap answers to energy needs is both short-sighted, and shows ignorance to the cause of globalwarming awareness2007. Even if we make use of cheap answers, their supplies are finite. The ingenuity of scientists researching globalwarming and alternative energy is infinite! While this guy from Des Moines may want to drill in Alaska and harm the wild habitat of fuzzy polar bears and frolicking caribou, many oppose such action. The Inuit people claim that globalwarming is a violation of their human rights. Even in Iowa, globalwarming may hurt important cash crops and the livelihoods of Iowans.

Thought processes like those displayed by this individual — who may or may not be a minority voice — is but one reason why Americans have such low stature in the world globalwarming awareness community. We must think beyond our pocketbooks, our SUVs, and our Wal-Marts and think of the good of humanity and our animal friends. The well-being of all is at the heart of globalwarming awareness2007.

Link: Des Moines Register: More oil is the obvious answer

Stop Globalwarming has a ‘virtual march’ of people against globalwarming. This tribute to slacktivism features numerous celebrities and political figures ‘marching’ against the dangers of globalwarming.

Some of the ‘featured marchers’ include presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, probable candidate John McCain, as well as numerous other political figures (such as Arnold Schwarzenegger of California).

Some of these politicians have taken legislative stands to help promote alternative fuels and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Others are clearly hoping the American public does not investigate their true environmental records. For instance, Governor Schwarzenegger touts his environmentalism, but has accepted campaign money from big oil companies, and has opposed taxing said companies to help fund alternative energy research.

Meanwhile, those very big oil companies are also funding a think-tank that is offering phat cash to scientists willing to criticize the newly-released 2007 report on global warming released by the United Nations. Greenpeace, especially, has commented negatively on this development, although it may in fact lead to greater globalwarming awareness. Call it ‘link trolling’ for the scientific community.