Stupidity causes global warming

The Harper government's decision to kill its own environmental advisory board could result in a government hearing little else but its own voice on climate change, says a former director of Environment Canada's meterological and climate research branch.

That’d be the voice of people like Peter Worthington.

Worthington, that old, white, failed conservative candidate must have simply decided when he graduated from Carleton U.  in the fifties that there simply was nothing more to learn.  Any new research, any recent world events, any post-50s facts are just...fads.  Or the lies of communists.
How else can one explain his response to Elizabeth May objecting to the fact that the 2012 federal budget doesn’t even mention climate change:
(emphasis mine)

One might ask why on earth the budget would mention climate change? There is nothing you, I, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair, or even Elizabeth May herself can do about climate change.  Climate change is going to happen, we just don’t know to what extent.

And why is it such a threat to our future? We will adapt to it, whatever it is, and even if no one fully understands it, we still have to live with it. Climate is always changing.  Thank goodness we no longer stress “global warming,” and now call it “climate change.” (WTF?)

If Canada were to abandon the Keystone pipeline, ceased trying to extract oil from the earth, eliminated oil tankers, forbade SUVs, outlawed cigarettes and allowed only whole wheat bread, it wouldn’t stop the climate from changing if the climate continued to want to change.

Peter...where to start...

The climate doesn’t want to change.  It doesn’t not want to change.  It simply changes as a result of forces around it, and one of those forces is the impact of human beings spewing crap into a closed system – the Earth system.

“Climate change is going to happen, we just don’t know to what extent... We will adapt to it, whatever it is...”  Well, no.  That’s the fallacy of the ignorant who mock science yet blindly believe “they” – those scientists – will come up with a solution.  If we keep warming the planet at the rate we are, there will come a point at which the devastations caused by the warming will occur so rapidly and with such frequency and ferocity that we will not have the time or resources to “adapt” our entire species to the new and unstable environment.

Worthington goes on to say that because the climate is changing anyway (because it wants to), that we should focus on what’s really important -  “tap the continent’s oil reserves...exploit our resources. Period.”

If a fire is threatening to spread, a few people trying to control it will have no success if others are avidly feeding it as fast as they can.  The fire will reach a point where it will destroy even those feeding it.  It doesn’t want to.  It can’t help it though, because that’s the science at work.

“Thank goodness we no longer stress “global warming,” and now call it “climate change.”” First, WTF gives him relief in that?  Next - Worthington is a journalist?  He doesn’t know that those terms mean two different things?

"Without the national round table, they can go wherever they like for advice, and sometimes that may mean they go after the people who are going to give them the answer they expect to get," said John Stone, a former Environment Canada employee who has worked with the agency.  "I can imagine very easily that the vacuum will be filled with organizations and interests which are more inclined to deny climate change, sow doubt about climate change and hence, hold back progress," said Mr. Stone, who is currently an adjunct professor with Carleton University's geography and environmental studies department.

“Hold back progress...”  There’s the problem.  To the harpers and worthingtons of this world, progress is only linked to economic development, and protecting our planet and life on it just doesn’t turn a quick enough buck.  What they fail to realize in their monumental ignorance, what even a young child can understand is that you can’t make money if you use up the means to make it, and you sure as hell can’t spend it if you’re dead.

Harper says oilsands critics spreading 'misinformation'

Naw…it’s just free speech, dude. 

And you can’t shut these guys up.

(graphic partial)

Harper's comments came in response to a question about Chiquita Brands, which announced Thursday that it would avoid using fuel from Alberta's oilsands.  The company, which sells hundreds of millions of dollars of fruit, juice and snacks around the world, said it has joined 13 other companies and one city in trying to reduce its carbon footprint.

I have a sudden craving for bananas.  Chiquita, in fact.

Happy Anniversary, harper and CONstones!!!!!!!!!!!!

Five years in a row!

Fucking awesome!

The CONstones...doing their bit on the World Stage™ to drive climate change along.

Canada: a winner on the World Stage!

Really, Rest-of-the-planet, this is making us blush.  More awards!  We’ve been cleaning up yearly on these notable commendations, and we are humbled that you notice our global contributions.

Once more, Canada takes the lead and holds it at the international Climate Talks.

As I write this, Canada has so far earned itself two first place, two second, and one third place medal including an impressive sweep on Day 1 in Durban. Canada is expected to win its 5th consecutive Fossil of the Year.

What made us shine:

1.  Canada said it will not entertain a second commitment period for Kyoto and may even  formally withdraw from Kyoto, the first country to withdraw.

Outstanding!  A precedent setting move!  And if Canada withdraws, not only will it be working against global cooperation on climate change, it will no longer have to post its emissions as per the agreement.  The CONs can then make up their own stats like they do with crime, the economy, and unemployment.

2.  Canada insulted all developing countries with this statement from Kent:

Emerging and developing countries need to stop “wielding the historical guilty card” and asking for a free pass on emissions reductions just because in the past, industrialized countries had more emissions than the rest of the world. 

So Kent and CONsorts think it’s just perfectly fine for industrialized countries to damage the entire planet while taking most of the profits.  So fine, in fact, that those advantaged countries should not be held accountable for the damage they cause to vulnerable countries.

CONs don’t understand responsibility and accountability as displayed by Kent’s belief that creating an emergency fund for poorer countries devastated by climate change amounts to guilty reaction, not owning up to damages caused by our actions or even shared responsibility for the fate of our species.

3. Kent, displaying an ignorance of sematics:  There is an urgency to this. We don’t need a binding convention, what we need is action and a mandate to work on an eventual binding convention.

WTF???!!!

So we don’t need a binding convention, but urgent action is needed to work on a binding convention.  Okay.

4.  Third place award for blinding ignorance:

“The 'informed' and 'survival-driven' award Canada with a 3rd place Fossil of the Day...Kent  stated...that the fossils awarded to Canada this week came from the 'uninformed' and the 'ideologically driven'.       

So the Minister of Tar sands who can’t grasp the role the ozone layer plays in absorbing the sun’s damaging rays celebrates his ignorance at a global event.

This pride for being a moron isn’t exclusive to Kent:

Embracing and Praising Failure and Ignorance -

When Canada’s fossils were announced in the House of Commons, a round of applause broke out.

Among the conservatives.  Seriously.

Ms. Megan Leslie (Halifax, NDP):  I will give the Minister of the Environment kudos for one win that he has had on the environment file. For the third straight day, Canada received a fossil award as the country that has done the most to block progress on climate change.

Some hon. members: Hear, hear! (Applause from the CONsorts)

Ms. Megan Leslie: It is unbelievable that they are applauding that.

Well, not really that unbelievable from a party that elevates ignorance, insults specialists, paints academics as people worthy of derision, and claims Tim Horton “wisdom” is of greater value than any research done by highly trained, impartial scientists and public servants.  Not so surprising from a party that has members who think the planet is roughly 6,000 years old.

The environment isn't a special interest

Although some people seem to think it is.  It's not like hockey, or hunting, or the opera where you can choose whether or not you want it to be part of your life.  Unlike skiing, or golf, or the art of origami, you can't just ignore it if you aren't interested and unlike those things, it will have a major impact on your life whether you believe it is worth taking into account or not.

Care of the environment isn't something that can be put on hold like renovating the Parliament buildings or building a hockey rink.  We can't keep saying there's no money in our budget to meet the challenges of climate change or protect the ozone layer. 

Because it isn't a special interest and because it affects everyone right at the survival level, we can't treat it like a marketable product that needs to compete with other products or interests.  It can't be forced to compete with oil profits or political ideologies, but largely, that's what's being done.

This week, knowledge-challenged Kent will be going to Durban to discuss climate change.  His plan?  Defend Alberta’s oilsands.  Not discuss ways we can deal with climate change, but defend one of the very things that aggravates the very serious problem.  Our Environment Minister's priority is how to stop environmental protection from interfering expanding oil production.  If anyone still has any doubts that the harper government™ is not at all concerned about climate change or any aspects of our environment, this insane plan for the Durban meetings should quell those permanently.

As harper tries to keep some distance from the crazy Levant, his party has picked up on the term "ethical oil" although Kent thinks we are all as stupid as him and says the term "came from somewhere in (his) unconsciousness" before he ever heard of it in connection to Ezra.  Right.  Sure. 

So Kent is going to use that dishonest argument at a climate change summit to attempt to convince countries that recognize the necessity of actually having an environment that can sustain us that increasing production of Canadian oil will somehow benefit burka shrouded women in the Middle East.

These aren't a bunch of distracted Canadian voters he'll be addressing.  He can't count on their ignorance of science, social issues, and the harsh realities of climate change lapping up at shores across the globe, causing droughts and famines, drying up rivers reliant on ice caps.

Besides embarrassing Canadians by his small town, small minded politics, he will not likely meet with much success -

(N)egotiating climate change agreements in South Africa by bringing up the ethics of Canada’s oil may not be the firmest ground for Canada’s government delegations...

“The ethical oil sort of messaging has certainly been popping up. It certainly wouldn’t have been around three or four years ago,” Matt Horne says. But in Europe, as focus turns to curbing the production of carbon-intensive fuels, “it doesn’t seem to be a dominant part in that debate. They’re much more focused on the environmental implications of different sources of oil.”

“The fact that we have a stable democratic system is good, that’s not an excuse not to move forward on environmental considerations as well, though. It certainly wouldn’t surprise me if it’s raised by some, but I don’t think that will satisfy the many people who are rightly looking at the environmental concerns as well.”

Like Baird before him, on harper's orders, Kent will do what he can to slow progress on climate talks.  I think that rather than gaining any points for Canada, he will return with our image even more tarnished and put us at a disadvantage when invitations are issued for tight groups intent on making real change happen.  We'll be the country listed on their agendas as problematic.  

Not if Cthulhu eats it first

Today someone said to me - again - in reference to global warming: "the planet will burn when god wants it to burn."

Well, if we're talking mythical beings, here, my money is on The Great Cthulhu.

Really.  Who would win in a face-to-face?

OK, I'll even throw in the dad god and the ghost bird.

 

Sure, Cthulhu may be sleeping...for now.  But he can wake up any time.  Any time.  And when he does, he won't be hanging out in some cloud city only showing up to burn a bush or carve commandments in stone every couple of thousand years.  Not The Great One.  He'll be on the move, getting the job done, showing himself to humans and they won't have to ever doubt his existence for the rest of their short lives.

Sure god has angels.  One of them might even have killed a dragon, once.  But Cthulhu has minions.  Lots and lots of minions with big teeth and claws.

Canada is on track!

Wow!  So maybe there is something to this stay-the-course stuff.  Let’s see...

Oh...I see...

Canada is on track to dramatically miss its 2012 Kyoto target of cutting GHGs by 6 per cent below 1990 levels.

So what is Canada doing about this?

You know how some chicks only hang around with unattractive women thinking they will look better by contrast?  Or how the alcoholic asshole tries to get everyone else drunk thinking he won’t look so bad if everyone is acting like an asshole?

Canada has reportedly aligned itself with Russia and Japan to block the extension of the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012...The move by the Harper government has sparked criticism from environmentalists and opposition politicians, who argue Canada is now holding back talks at a climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico.

Well, harper & co., you’re still an ugly chick, and you're still assholes.  And don’t think people haven’t noticed.

Canada won first, second, and third place in a 'Fossil of the Day' mock award ceremony in Cancun on Tuesday.  The awards were given by environmental groups to the country they believe has done the most to disrupt and undermine negotiations at the UN climate conference.

First place awarded for: killing the Climate Change Accountability Act.

Second place awarded for:  Federal efforts to gut climate change programs, including attacks on clean fuels policies in other countries, cuts to funding for Canada's climate science foundation, and the elimination of energy efficiency upgrades for homeowners.

Third place awarded for "the country making the least constructive contribution to the negotiations."

All this during the same couple of weeks that this comes out:

Climate change fans deep-burning fires in Alaska

Climate Change Could Cost 1 Million Lives A Year By 2030

Rise in flood claims tied to climate change

Now, over to our Minister of the Environment for some lies explanations:

Environment Minister John Baird said Sunday that U.S. regulations set to take effect on Jan. 2, 2011, simply wouldn’t work in Canada. “We just can’t because the permitting process with America . . . is so different than ours, we can’t have full-on harmonization like we can with auto (emissions’) standard,” he said.

Baird’s comments come despite the Harper government’s pledge to harmonize its regulation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases with the United States.

Way to go, ladies and gents!

sure as hell beats those ridiculous love the tar sands ads.
In the fight to protect the environment, some people can bare just about anything.

Priorities

I heard someone on CBC news this morning say it would be better for the climate change conference in Mexico if Canada stayed away from the table.  Didn't catch who said it, but I get their meaning.

They haven't just been investing in $56,000 advertisements and op-ed pieces. The governments of Canada and Alberta are also engaged in something much more insidious: a concerted effort to weaken climate policies in other countries, with the aim of ensuring that no impediments exist to Canada’s filthy tar sands.

Well, our current government has only so much money, you know.  Fiscally conservative, and all that.

A Canadian climate-change research foundation is celebrating its 10th anniversary, but has already begun winding down its operations after failing to get new funding from the Harper government.   The budget crunch at the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences comes on the heels of revelations that the government is leasing out the Amundsen, a coast guard icebreaker equipped to monitor climate change in the North, to a pair of fossil-fuel companies for oil exploration in the region.

Because doing nothing takes practice

Mr. Bramley (director of climate change at the Pembina Institute) said, however, that although Mr. Baird's term as environment minister was not as successful as he had hoped, he's happy that Mr. Baird was appointed the interim minister because he already knows the file.

And he sure knows how to implement harper’s agenda on climate change.  Make sure Canada does nothing and make sure Canada does what it can to slow international agreements.

So it really helps that Baird knows the file, because this may come up again -

The federal government raised the prospect that northern aboriginals might seek more money if countries signed a climate-change treaty in Copenhagen last year, new documents show.  Officials at Foreign Affairs flagged the issue in a memo to Canada's former climate-change envoy before a major United Nations conference in the Danish capital.

“There is a possible link between an agreement at Copenhagen on international funding for adaptation and an increased demand for funding by indigenous groups in the Arctic,” the document says.       

Have to know ahead of these tiresome summits what exactly is at risk for harper’s Canada.  Have to know what you want to block, after all.

When is a journalist not a journalist?

Or...Donna Laframboise is a drama queen.

Maybe, Donna, Sun Media listened to the outcry over how dumbing down media is not what Canadians want.  Maybe even Sun Media realizes the insanity of hiring someone who thinks the IPCC compiled its research from obscure mainstream media articles when credible reports such as these appear daily.

Donna whines on for two pages with a play-by-play and many personal tangents over why she may take Sun Media to...small claims court...because they changed their minds over a verbal agreement between her and our favourite media personality/game show host, Kory Teneycke.  However, she hadn't actually heard of the very high profile Mouth of Sauron until he contacted her. "Among the avalanche of e-mail that followed was one from a person of indeterminate gender whose first name was Kory."

Poor girl even spent her own money on Suzuki's books because she "hadn’t thought much about Suzuki before that conversation" with Kory but brilliant as she is, quickly determined he's "he’s actually a preacher who espouses environmentalist views with religious fervour."

See, that's a problem, Donna.  Uninformed rants aren't journalism.

But Donna is very concerned that by not paying her 4,200.00 a month for a weekly column and the occasional tv appearance on the evils perpetuated upon society by "legions" of climate scientists, we will all suffer from lack of her unworldly claptrap because who, oh who will tell the world that "(b)illions of dollars are now being spent on climate change programs aimed at preventing hypothetical bad things 100 years from now...It’s important that we talk about these facts."

She is concerned we will be deprived of her unique insights and solid research skills, both part of what makes a good journalist:

"I therefore counted the number of words in a few already-published Toronto Sun columns before writing and polishing my debut piece ahead of time. I titled it: David Suzuki is a Drama Queen."

But Sun Media, fools that they are, decided that Donna is "not the kind of commentator they’re looking for anymore."  Or, scratch that, "it was all a practical joke."

And after poor Donna had suffered so for her trade - "When we told you you’d be appearing regularly on television, how were we to know you’d get religion about losing 10 pounds? [TV cameras really do add a few.] When you were cycling your heart out in the summer heat and turning down those ice cream cones, you didn’t think we actually meant any of that job stuff, did you?"

Sun Media, according to Donna, no longer was interested in pursuing an anti-climate change project Kory was fostering.  With Kory gone, she lost a big backer she had much in common with. "But thanks to our rural roots, we both possess a restricted firearms license."

What's to become of poor Donna?  Will she take the mighty Sun Media to small claims court?  Will she manage to sell off those Suzuki books at a garage sale and recover some of her loses?  Will she cease her elitist practice of cyling and put chains on her tires this winter?  And most important...will poor Donna put back on those ten pounds she lost?

Donna tells us: "Stayed tuned."

A global problem

While there is little doubt that the Harper government has made itself a major player on Steve’s precious world stage when it comes to stalling talks on coping with the negative effects of climate change, it is not alone in trivializing if not outright mocking global warming and its effects.
Are the CONs truly so stupid, so atavistic as to believe the planet isn’t warming?  This may be the case for a few perhaps such as Day and Gooyear, CON icons of god before science, but some conservatives need no convincing.

Harper’s interest in the Arctic tells us of a far worse political reality than simple ignorance.  The government is fully aware that global warming is altering our environment at an alarming rate, but they deal with the situation with the typical sociopathological approach of governments more concerned about money and garnering votes than with what is good for the majority of the citizens they were elected to represent.

In a report released Tuesday, the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center described the opening of the Northwest Passage through Canada's Arctic islands and the "unusually fast" melting of ice in the Beaufort Sea as highlights of another extensive circumpolar thaw that has all northern nations -including Canada -scrambling to cope with increased Arctic ship traffic and to plan for potential oil and gas development.

Canada and the four other Arctic Ocean coastal nations -Russia, the U.S., Denmark and Norway -have pledged to co-operate in creating new search-and-rescue and environmental-protection regimes to manage increased shipping, tourism and economic development in the melting Arctic.

There is full acknowledgment by government of the ice melt, with little doubt they expect more to come, and quickly.  Plans are being made at a frantic pace.  Big bucks are being invested.  But for development. 

Sociopaths consider and act on all things with one perspective in mind: How they will be affected, leading to two considerations: what’s in it for them, and how can it harm them.

Thomas Walkom exposes some of this approach in a Star column today on the Harper’s government’s action on the economy.

Some explain this disjunction by arguing that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government is ideologically blinkered. But that isn’t the whole explanation. There are other forces at work...they also fear doing anything that might interfere with the normal boom and bust of free-market capitalism.  More to the point, they fear alienating core voters.

In fact, for many who support right-wing parties, moderately high unemployment is useful...
Best of all it keeps the population in line. Most are too busy worrying about their jobs to pay attention to matters like climate change or the Alberta oilsands.

Warming and resulting effects are real and we must take advantage of them.  Warming is bull-shit, the climate isn’t changing, and look!...the Economy!!!!

Until climate change hits Canadians as personally as tax hikes, job cuts, and climbing costs of living, not enough of us will put pressure on our politicians - of any party  - to deal with negative climate change issues.  Without the pressure from voters, it is unlikely that any party will take on the warming challenges in anything more than a token way.  It just has too many down-sides politically.

That doesn’t mean people shouldn’t keep demanding change.  When the majority of Canadians finally are forced by circumstances to treat warming as something worth casting a vote over, a relevant dialogue will already be well established from which a larger population can build on.

"The current government doesn't want to do anything,"

Environment Canada spokesperson Mark Johnson said in an email to The Hill Times last week that the federal department has been closely watching the U.S. discussions on climate change legislation and regulations.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper's (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) government has pinned its climate change strategy on the backs of the United States.

"It's quite clear that at this point the U.S. Senate is not prepared to proceed with a cap-and-trade in the U.S. on a comprehensive basis, and our policy remains that without a U.S. cap-and-trade policy we are not prepared to implement one in Canada either," ...Prentice (said).  The environment and the economy are inextricably linked across the 49th parallel so both countries must work together and have similar policies to effectively fight climate change, said Mr. Prentice. Otherwise, one country could lose its competitive edge to the other, economically.

Well, not really.  That’s only true if we keep looking to developing the oil sands in a bid to give us such an edge.  As the impact of climate change is felt globally, more countries are facing the reality that something needs to be done to curb emissions, and that developing new technologies with this in mind means big money.  Canada is failing to look ahead at what the world will be demanding as is missing an opportunity to develop and market new technology.

"It sends a strong signal throughout the economy," said ( Ian Bruce, a climate change specialist). "As polluting technology becomes more expensive, green solutions become more affordable. Investments shift toward cleaner and safer sources of energy."  Canada could be a "build-it" nation in finding solutions to the climate change problem, he said. "But we risk losing out on these opportunities if we continue to delay action."

Our anti-science government, however would rather keep sucking up the remains of the very dinosaurs they don’t believe in regardless of longer term effects.  Short sighted as always, and denying what even the layperson knows about the cause and effect of relentlessly pumping carbon dioxide into a closed system, they pretend to give a damn to cater to voters but use excuse after excuse to avoid tackling climate change.  Two years ago, the excuse was why should developed countries do anything unless the Chinese agree to cut emissions?  Can’t be saying that anymore:

While South Korea, the European Union and China set aside upwards of 37.8 per cent of their economic stimulus plans for climate change investment, Canada's plan contained a mere 8.3 per cent, or $2.6-billion U.S. of $31.8-billion US, according to a February 2009 HSBC report.
So now that the Tea Party in the US has succeeded in stalling progress on this issue in the US, the Steve party of Canada is using a new excuse: no point doing anything unless the Americans do.

At the very least, the Steve government could be lobbying the US for change, just as they saw fit to pressure other countries about the seal ban, about allowing asbestos to be sold with no warning labels,  and speaking against the international Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

Harper's government does not speak out in favour of change because it doesn't want to act on climate change.

"The current government doesn't want to do anything," (Matthew Paterson, a University of Ottawa professor specializing in climate change politics) said. "I think there is a deal of evidence that they're hiding behind the Americans."

And when the US finally decides to act, Harper, if he’s still PM, will come up with yet another excuse not to.  Hell, he’ll probably start sending out his little mouth pieces to lobby other countries against change.  Canada and the world will feel the negative effects of Steve long, long after he is gone.

Don’t worry...Harper promised

Sinopec's $4.6-billion deal to acquire a minority stake in the Syncrude oil-sands plant would give the Chinese state-controlled company a veto over the crucial decision of whether the company should upgrade more oil in Alberta or export raw bitumen for processing.

That would include decisions on whether to invest in a proposed project that would increase the plant's production and whether to boost capacity to process the additional bitumen into lighter synthetic oil on site. It could also cover investments in technology needed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

That would be bad.  Exporting raw bitumen would not favour job creation for Canadians and would most assuredly lead to greater GHG release in China, which affects us all.

Not to worry, though.

In the last election campaign, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his government would prevent any company from exporting raw bitumen to take advantage of weaker environmental rules in other countries.

And he always keeps his election promises, right?

Harper`s real important shit gets highjacked

From the PMO, these real important photos (paid for by us) of Steve, doing real important stuff:

Unfortunately for Steve, Charest doesn't go for the one man show thing, nor does he feel subject to any Stevie gag order or scripted messaging.

Charest got to draw attention once more over his concerns at how Harper is stalling on climate change action by simply waiting to see what the US plans to do.  Nice.  Reminded Canadians of the severe problems our country faces as Parliament is prorogued.  Problems to big to hide behind self-promoting photo ops.

I'm sure it's because Canadians don't care, right?

With the environment near the top of the public agenda this year, Prentice's door swung open the widest for lobbyists, with 136 face-to-face or telephone contacts reported in the year, the data show.

Isn’t that nice?  Harper’s government not only realizing that the environment is near the top of the public agenda, but our very own environment minister meeting with lobbyist as a result.

Let’s see how what Harper, through Prentice has in mind for our environmental future.

Of these contacts, the majority -- 81 of 136 -- were with lobbyists representing oil, gas or other energy companies, including EnCana, Suncor, Shell Canada and ConocoPhillips. Prentice met to discuss energy issues with Imperial Oil on 14 occasions, more than any other company or organization.

Over half of the meetings were with companies lobbying to develop more energy sources harmful to the environment?  Not good.  But let’s be fair and look at how many environmental lobbyist groups our, you know, environmental Minister met with.

In the same period, he took just two meetings with environmental group the David Suzuki Foundation and another two with the Pembina Institute.

Steve Harper: once more ignoring what Canadians really care about.

Harper gets high praise from convict

The great stars of Copenhagen were the Chinese and the Canadians...All Canadians should be proud of Stephen Harper. Of all the leaders of serious countries, he is the most conspicuously skeptical of this great eco-scam. This is Canada's finest foreign policy hour since Mackenzie King supported Charles de Gaulle's takeover of St. Pierre and Miquelon from Vichy at Christmas 1941, against the mindless opposition of the U.S. state department. - Conrad Black


mhmm...the great stars.  Well of course, that's pretty obvious from all the comments of the common folk and unwashed masses from all around the world.

Conrad the Con offers us a seasonal gift by imparting some of his lofty wisdom to the peasantry:


A s we say farewell to this rather dismal decade, which opened with Millennial celebrations of a New World Order and The End of History, and has been thoroughly disfigured by terrorism, economic stupidity, inept political leadership and untrammeled vulgarity of public tastes.

He should know about vulgarity.

Merry Christmas, Harper

Another link for your all about Steve, all the time sites.

An international award...this will be viewed all around the world. Beats the hell out of that piano playin’ vid!

Lisa Raitt Award goes to: Colin Mayes

The Raitt Award goes to Colin Mayes.

Unashamedly lifted from ACR who finds it as difficult as I to decide which Harpercon has made the most stoopid statement of the week.

In e-mails sent to several voters, British Columbia MP Colin Mayes wrote that the cause of climate change “has yet to be substantiated”.

“…I am careful not to over react and spend billions of taxpayer dollars because a few scientists say CO2 is causing the planet to warm,” the e-mail says.

A few scientists?  Far fewer are those oil servants claiming to be scientists saying there is any doubt about climate change or its causes.

This is not a mere bungle that can be written off as Mayes' personal opinion.  He was responding to a question regarding the government's stance, and was acting in his capacity of a member of that government.

The Climate Action Network obtained the e-mails, which originated from Mr. Mayes's Parliamentary account and were sent to at least three people who had contacted the MP about the government's stance on global warming.

Harper' actions seem in keeping with Mayes's words, reflecting that the CONs really aren't all that concerned about climate change, except on managing the message.

Harper kept a low profile, making his first public statement Friday night. The prime minister hobnobbed with other leaders Thursday at a royal dinner hosted by the queen of Denmark, passing up the chance to deliver Canada's address to the UN climate talks. He delegated that job to Environment Minister Jim Prentice.

With messengers like Mayes, their even screwing that up.

Bonus stoopid Mayes from ACR:

In a column e-mailed this week to several B.C. newspapers in his riding of Okanagan-Shuswap, Colin Mayes said that jailing reporters might help the public get accurate information.
    “Maybe it is time that we hauled off in handcuffs reporters that fabricate stories, or twist information and even falsely accuse citizens,” Mayes wrote.  

Where to start?

My PM went to Copenhagen and all I got were these lousy photos

Harper's Big Trip to Copenhagen, as reported to us from the PMO site  (you know, what Soudas tells us is how the government keeps us informed since the press is such a dismal failure?)
     

photos


Good job he managed to snag Obama for that quickie.  Sure spent our money well over there.

In fairness, Harper did provide us with this detailed account of the summit (PMO statement, if full):

“This agreement is the result of two weeks of negotiations in which Canada and Environment Minister Prentice, our chief negotiator, played a key part.  And over the past 24 hours, I have met with numerous leaders to reaffirm that Canada remains committed to a comprehensive, post-2012 agreement that is fair and effective.

“All countries must commit to taking concrete action to address climate change as part of a new treaty – actions which are measurable, verifiable and reportable. Canada is working to align our clean energy and climate change policies with those of the Obama Administration.  This approach recognizes the high degree of integration of our two economies.  Canada is prepared to contribute our fair share of financial support, particularly to the poorest and most vulnerable nations.”      (PMO statement released but not yet posted to pmo site)

Yes, yes.  He did bring back several awards: three Fossil of the Day awards, and the prestigious Fossil of the Year award.   but since I didn`t vote for him, don`t support him, and don`t share his war on doing anything to fight or cope with climate change, I gladly hand over any claim I might have to those who do.  Way to go, guys!  Third time in a row!  Earned the name Colossal Fossil for Harper`s government`s ``strategy to sabotage efforts to tackle climate change.``

There was a greater sense of urgency at this summit than at previous ones.  With many people already suffering directly from the impact of climate change, and with leaders less able to hide the inevitable consequences from those they govern, there was the overall sense of trying to co-ordinate people greatly at odds in order to put out a blaze well out of control.  No plan, and those involved fighting over who does the work, and who pays for the tools.  Meanwhile, the flames grow.

The final day showed this sense of anxiety as leaders, recognizing that little headway would be made because they simply weren`t prepared for the vast divergence in interests, knew they couldn`t go home empty handed without risking the displeasure and increase in very real fear from those they are accountable to.  So they come up with mixed messages, empty statements, and ``toothless`` deal that is non-binding. 

But it has no long-term global targets for emissions cuts or a timetable to turn the agreement into a legally-binding treaty.

Another monumental expense for all involved to come up once more with we have to come up with something or we are screwed.

The only way we will ever get any kind of grip on managing the devastations of climate change is for everyone - leaders and every person on the planet who can put pressure on them - to accept the reality that this is a growing global problem which does not wait for politics or protectionism.

We go to sleep wrapping ourselves in the comfort of our flag, secure in the knowledge that our borders are inviolate only to wake up and see that the way we live has destroyed that comfortable dream.  We love fictitious movies where the world pulls together to fight a common enemy like an alien invasion, but when we face the reality of a common threat, we scream and balk at co-operating.