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Why is the TRUTH so Inconvenient?

Posted by Joanne on 31 January 2010, 10:13 am

The global warming debate has really been heating up lately with the two opposing sides becoming increasingly fractious and combative.

Credibility in the Warming side is steadily breaking down and yet the proponents cling to their belief that the overall science is still sound. Most politicians are afraid to confront the new reality and seek refuge in the propaganda without giving more than a passing thought to the remote possibility that we may not be hearing the truth. In some cases they are even declaring war on the ’skeptics’.

Our Conservative Government seems to be seeking the mushy middle on this subject but still succeeds in getting reamed from both extremes of the AGW divide.

Frankly, I believe it is up to columnists like Lorrie Goldstein, Rex Murphy, Lawrence Solomon and Terence Corcoran to try to get the truth out there (with the assistance of bloggers and other social media, letters to the editor, etc.).  We need to communicate to the public that the science is at the very least somewhat questionable – that it is not settled -  and maybe we shouldn’t even be calling it ’science’ but rather intensive lobbying by various self-interested groups.  But the Warmists are hurting their own cause with the coverups and screwups.

Let’s just hope that the public starts tuning into the controversy as well.

I’ve heard the Warmist argument that we can’t afford not to act and so forth. Well if the science is indeed unsettled then we are in for a needless assault on our economy which is just starting to recover. At the very least why not try to get more information and plan to take action when the economy is stronger? And what about the unforeseen side-effects of the mindless accelerated push for green energy?

Let’s pressure our politicians, scientists and the media for all the facts – not just the ones that conveniently support their arguments and personal agenda.

*   *   *   *

Update from the Department of Irony:

Now climate-change scientists say ozone hole stops global warming – M4GW

*   *   *   *

More fallout from in-your-face political know-it-alls and lobbyists:

Lawn companies seek charges against minister, activists – CTV (H/T Musings of the Techical Bard):

…The activists worked with the Ontario government to ban pesticides using alleged false and misleading information to undermine the industry, Lowes said.

The documents filed on Tuesday allege the activists knowingly presented false and misleading information about the health and environmental risks associated with pesticide products, knowingly misled the public, lawn care industry and government officials, and impeded access to Health Canada approved pesticide products through fraudulent means.

The legal manoeuvre, if endorsed by the court, could result in federal charges being filed against Gerretsen and others by police or by a private individual, and there may be sufficient grounds for a criminal charge of fraud, Lowes said…

Will Dalton use our tax dollars to try and buy his way out of this one too? It worked in Caledonia after all.

*   *   *   *

Update

How Many Climategates Are Needed? – CFP

Climategate: Is the British government conspiring not to prosecute? – James Delingpole, Telegraph

Climategate: Al Gore and the politicization of science – Roger L. Simon, Pajamas media

*   *   *   *

Tuesday Update

The UN’s enviro-activist in-chief – National Post

Real deal on Canada’s environmental ranking: Goldstein – Lorrie Goldstein

Filed under AGW, Big Environment, Big Green, CPC majority solution, Canadian economy, Climategate, Copenhagen, Dalton McGuinty, Follow the money, Global Warming, Global governance, Goldstein, Kooky Suzuki, Socialism, UN, Wind farms, environmentalists.
133 Comments

Vindication!

Posted by Joanne on 28 January 2010, 9:33 am

Lorrrie Goldstein explains how the global warming skeptics have taken the reasonable approach after all by refusing to swallow the Green Koolaid without serious investigation (Global warmists leaking hot air):

…Warning … warning — the debate over global warming isn’t over and a scientific consensus has not been achieved!

Emergency … emergency — it is no longer possible to smear anyone who questions the politically correct orthodoxy on anthropogenic climate change as a lackey of Big Oil!

( . . . )

…From Tuesday’s National Post:

Headline: “Overhaul UN climate panel, scientist urges”:

“A senior Canadian climate scientist says the United Nations’ panel on global warming has become tainted by political advocacy, that its chairman should resign, and that its approach to science should be overhauled.

“Andrew Weaver, a climatologist at the University of Victoria, says the leadership of the IPCC has allowed it to advocate for action on global warming, rather than serve simply as a neutral science advisory body.

“‘There’s been some dangerous crossing of that line,’ said Weaver … echoing the published sentiments of other top climate scientists in the U.S. and Europe this week.”

BTW where has David Suzuki been hiding out lately anyway?

*    *    *    *

Related:

Climate change skeptic Danielle Smith is in good company – Post

Climate sceptics bask in the light as science steers clear of debate – FT.com

*   *   *   *

Filed under Big Environment, Big Green, Carbon Shaft, Climategate, Global Warming, Goldstein, Kooky Suzuki, UN, climate change, environmentalists.
61 Comments

We interrupt this Christmas break with a quick post

Posted by Joanne on 21 December 2009, 7:42 am

I’m sorry but I just had to point out Lorrie Goldstein’s column published in yesterday’s Sun – Copenhagen sure was a gas. Goldstein at his best, IMHO.

He’s packaged all the Copenhagen hypocrisy into one zinger of carbon-spewing roast:

Now that the enviro nuts have finished handing out their “Fossil of the Day” and “Colossal Fossil” awards, unfairly smearing Canada at the just-completed Copenhagen climate summit, let’s return the favour with some well-deserved honours of our own.

Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, we present the Copenhagen Flatulence Awards, honouring those who raised the art of generating hot air and gassy emissions to new intensity levels during the UN-sponsored festival of indignation.

—

The “I’m Not Really A Climatologist, I Just Play One on TV” Flatulence Award:

To Al Gore, who, having made a career out of mocking opponents for “getting the science wrong” on global warming, gets the science wrong on the melting of the polar ice cap, according to the scientist he says he got the science from.

—

The “That Old Man River, He Just Keeps Rolling Along” Flatulence Award:

To David Suzuki, for suggesting during a CBC interview — twice — that anyone worried about lost jobs if Canada’s oil sands are shut down, would also have endorsed slavery in the American south….

Please read the whole thing. Bonus chuckle near the end. I don’t want to spoil it for you.

The comments in response to Lorrie’s column are worth checking out too and include kudos for some of those who were actually looking out for our best interests in Copenhagen:

Patsplace
December 20th 2009, 10:19pm
Don’t forget to send the PM a note telling him that he did a good job. Nice that he was so polite in waiting until the Empty Suit repeated what he’s been saying for years. Nice of him not to make the big O look more frantic than he was.
HarpeS@parl.gc.ca

Jim Prentice deserves a pat on the back too.
Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca

Two men that Stood Up for Canada.

This is probably as good a time as any to thank Lorrie for all his dedication and effort in putting forward the truth regarding the true motives of the carbon-credit industry and environmentalists in general. Goldstein has done a terrific amount of research in this field and is extremely knowledgeable as well as objective. He is always ready to discuss the issues with readers, bloggers and colleagues.

Canada needs more in the media like Lorrie Goldstein.

*   *   *   *

Related:

Then They Came for the Toilet Paper and I Did Not Speak Out – John Stossel (another one of the good guys) (H/T Moose & Squirrel).

Oh what a tangled web we weave – Falling carbon price could result in higher bills, energy firms warn - Guardian

*   *   *   *

Now back to your regularly scheduled shopping, wrapping and baking.

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Tuesday Update:

Lorrie Goldstein gives well-deserved kudos to PM Harper and Jim Prentice – Enviro nuts blow smoke (H/T Liz J):

Congratulations to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Environment Minister Jim Prentice for receiving both the “Colossal Fossil” award and the most “Fossil of the Day” awards from the enviro nuts at the now-concluded Copenhagen climate summit.

This means Harper and Prentice remembered their duty in Copenhagen was to represent Canadian taxpayers, not radicals who would happily destroy our economy, primarily for ideological reasons...

Filed under Big Environment, Big Green, Canadian economy, Climategate, Copenhagen, Global governance, Goldstein, Kooky Suzuki, Kyoto, Science/tech, Stephen Harper, UN, Your tax-dollars, climate change, environment, hypocrisy.
25 Comments

Three cheers for the fossils!

Posted by Joanne on 15 November 2009, 9:51 am

As Lorrie Goldstein says, every time Canada is given a fossil award from environmentalists, let’s put out a great cheer right across the country. (H/T Maz2)

It means that our Conservative government is concerned about the potential ramifications to our economy at the present time, and the actual efficacy of the actions on a global basis.

And that’s a good thing.

Jim Prentice explains:

“Instead, our government and the United States government will be aiming for a still-ambitious, but we believe more responsible, goal: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as fast as possible without killing the economy and without resulting in a situation where the cure is worse than the disease.”

The minister’s comments did not sit well with Mike Kennedy, senior resource economist with the Calgary-based Pembina Institute...

Oh yeah. That Pembina.

Lorrie should be happy.

*   *   *   *

Friday Update:

Show leadership: Reject Copenhagen – Kevin Gaudet and Maureen Bader

Filed under Canadian economy, Follow the money, Goldstein, Green Shaft, Kooky Suzuki, Kyoto, Shifty Green, environmentalists.
22 Comments

Don Drummond’s folly

Posted by Joanne on 30 October 2009, 7:59 am

This morning John Ivison of the National Post is questioning the wisdom of TD’s Don Drummond to hook himself up with the likes of the David Suzuki Foundation and Pembina Institute:

…His mistake was to ask two environmental groups, the David Suzuki Foundation and Pembina Institute, to author the report. It would be fair to say that neither group is particularly well-disposed toward the Conservatives — in fact, at the last election Mr. Suzuki backed the carbon tax plan put forward by Stephane Dion’s Liberals. The loathing is mutual — one insider called the two organizations “official opponents of the government.”

The report, which suggests the target can only be achieved by limiting growth in Alberta and Saskatchewan, went down like a stink bomb in a spacesuit in the office of Environment Minister Jim Prentice.

“I’m astounded that TD Bank would be associated with a report that calls for these devastating economic consequences,” Mr. Prentice told the Winnipeg Free Press…

Yes indeed. Alarm bells went off in my head when I first heard that those three were in bed together.

Ivison further questions Drummond’s judgment:

…There’s little doubt Mr. Drummond initiated the exercise to move the debate forward. But for a man who has watched politics from close quarters when he worked at the federal Finance Department, commissioning a report on greenhouse gas emissions from David Suzuki just weeks before the United Nations climate-change summit in Copenhagen showed a surprising naivety. The language in the report is fairly neutral but, given Mr. Suzuki’s publicly expressed view that the Conservatives have moved Canada backwards on climate change, his partiality should have precluded his organization’s involvement.…

According to the Globe, Jim Prentice is calling the report ‘irresponsible’:

…Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice said there is no way Western Canadians could absorb the deep economic hit projected by the report’s environmentalist authors – the David Suzuki Foundation and the Pembina Institute.

He said their assumptions are way off: The long-term economic conditions they forecast will be avoided by working with the Americans on a continental climate-change plan.

“The conclusions [the report] draws are irresponsible,” said Mr. Prentice in an interview with The Globe and Mail from Kingston, where he was meeting with provincial and territorial environment ministers. Specifically, he said Canadians will not accept the report’s advocacy of emission targets for 2020 that would reduce Canada’s gross domestic product by 3 per cent nationally and 12 per cent in Alberta from business-as-usual estimates…

Meanwhile Hunter wonders why TD would involve itself in such a divisive issue. Westerners are hopping mad.

Maybe it’s time for Canadians to stand up and shout out that we won’t take it anymore. We are tapped out and just starting to get back on our feet.

We don’t need no more stinkin’ taxes – carbon or otherwise.

And we sure don’t need any threat to Canadian unity.

*   *   *   *

Update: Welcome Jack’s Newswatch readers!

Welcome Newsbeat 1 readers!

And a very warm welcome as always to Canadian News Reader fans!

Carbon report’s bloody portent – Kevin Libin, National Post (and check out the comments!):

…And so the pro-Kyoto groups behind the study may not have done themselves any favours here. Their continued insistence that what Mr. Drummond described as “a considerable disruption to labour markets” in some of Canada’s largest sectors — in exchange for more money, from carbon taxes, for public transit, wind turbines and other green subsidies — is a tolerable price to pay for environmental absolution risks revealing a stark disconnection between environmentalist NGOs and the reality of the condition of the average family…

Muddled models – Peter Foster, Financial Post:

…The TD’s Mr. Drummond apparently doesn’t “endorse” the report. He told me he just wanted people to have “something to shoot at.”

But such a study, while an inviting target, should hardly be the starting point for rational analysis of the greatest policy threat to freedom and prosperity in living memory.

What it does confirm is how far the policy “debate” has been taken over by activists, supported by Big Corporate money.

That’s right. Big Environment.

*   *   *   *

Saturday Update: Great letter in today’s National Post by Victor Godin of Vancouver:

Re: The True Cost Of Carbon Reduction, editorial, Oct. 30.

TD Bank made a curious choice in selecting economist Mark Jaccard and “environmentalist” David Suzuki to map out a long term development strategy for Canada…

…As for David Suzuki’s industrial planning expertise, he studied fruit fly mating patterns when Elvis was in the army. The term “environmentalist” is not a credential and it carries no weight in economic planning.

Try again TD.

Filed under Big Environment, Carbon Shaft, Follow the money, Kooky Suzuki.
50 Comments

Green Invasion

Posted by Joanne on 25 June 2009, 8:38 am

Lorrie Goldstein has a disturbing column in today’s Toronto Sun - Suzuki Silliness.

Lorrie refers to Canadian environmentalist Tom Adams’ recent video warning Ontarians of the dangers hidden in the Green Energy Act – Home Invasion David Suzuki Style. Adams is sounding the alarm over the stealthy way that the Green Movement is invading our basic freedoms, although some measures have been rescinded since the act was initially proposed.

This is where the internet shines over print media because I can embed the video here. I wonder why the Sun doesn’t provide the links online. But no matter.

Lorrie calls Adams’ video ‘clever’. I call it a sleep-inducer because of Adams’ monotone voice, but the message is worth listening to if you are armed with a strong cup of java.

I actually have several items regarding the Green movement that I plan to add to this discussion, whether by update or new posts. I believe that we all need to be vigilant.

Please read Lorrie’s column and watch the first video.

The second one he refers to at the end of the column can be found here - Green Energy Act Paradox.

Follow the money trail. It sounds like Health Tax or Slush Fund 2.0 to me.

*   *   *   *

Update: Greengrift was already on this several days ago – Follow the funding trail.

And in case you missed The Rubber Duck Awards from last week’s Financial Post, here’s the link. It is a non-partisan Junk Science slam fest. John Baird is even mentioned.

Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Suzuki’s mentor, Paul Ehrlich who as an environmentalist and founder of Zero Population Growth advocated “compulsory birth regulation (through) the addition of temporary sterilants to water supplies or staple food. Doses of the antidote would be carefully rationed by the government to produce the desired family size.”

Filed under Accountability, Conflict of interest, Goldstein, Kooky Suzuki, Nanny State, Ontario government, environmentalists.
12 Comments

Your Morning Smile

Posted by Joanne on 22 December 2008, 8:28 am

Toronto Star reporter Linda Diebel picks David Suzuki for Senator, with the following glowing tribute:

…Could it be any more convenient for politicians who profess to care about the environment than to have world-acclaimed Suzuki at hand on Parliament Hill? He knows the difference between rhetoric and a plan...

Oh, he’s got a plan, alright!

*   *   *   *

Update: Lorrie Goldstein has a very interesting column today – The perils of coalition for Ignatieff:

…Indeed, there’s only one scenario where it would make sense for Ignatieff to trigger the coalition deal.

That would be a Conservative budget that so infuriates the public, that the polling all parties will do in its wake shows anger over the budget eclipsing doubts about the coalition…

But what if the budget infuriated the public because it was too leftist in its direction? What if it was deemed to be too socialist and the taxpayers were angry to be propping up failed industries? Then what? Would Jack Layton and his pals move towards the centre?

Would Senator Hargove ask for union concessions?

Filed under Kooky Suzuki, Too many Fools on the Hill.
37 Comments

Good question

Posted by Joanne on 3 April 2008, 11:42 am

From a caller on Jeff Allan’s Hour of Rage:

Exactly what kind of energy does that power saw use anyway?

* * * *
More from Lorrie Goldstein regarding Kyoto – Kyoto supporters have no idea.
Filed under Kooky Suzuki.
Comment

The Great Canadian Carbon Tax Swindle

Posted by Joanne on 2 March 2008, 11:15 am

Last week when David Suzuki rolled out his Amazing Carbon Tax Schticht prior to the Federal Budget, I asked Sun columnist Lorrie Goldstein if he’d be doing a response. He replied, “All in due time…”

It was well worth the wait.

In The carbon cops are coming, Goldstein exposes the intellectual dishonesty of environmental advocates and politicians who try to woo us to the Green side with tales of how their schemes will be ‘revenue neutral’. As a public service, Lorrie offers his three-pronged guide designed to help us sort through the hot air emanating from Suzuki Nation:

1) When any of them tell you “polluters will pay” to reduce greenhouse gases, they mean you and me.

Whenever they talk about a carbon tax, a “cap-and-trade” system, carbon credits or the regulation of industrial greenhouse gases by government, they are talking about the same thing — higher taxes.

( . . . )

2) This brings us to the second point of our guide: Whenever a politician, or anyone else, claims a carbon tax will be “revenue neutral” nail them down on exactly what they mean.

Politicians and environmentalists like to toss around “revenue neutral” because it sounds as if even with a new carbon tax, you will pay no more in total taxes than you do now.

That’s not what it means. Even if a government was considering a truly “revenue neutral” tax, it may well not be neutral for you. Say you need your car to drive to work because you live in one city and your job is in another. If the government imposes a carbon tax by hiking gasoline prices, it may claim it’s “revenue neutral” because it’s going to return an equal amount in tax incentives for people to take public transit. Problem is, if you don’t have a realistic transit alternative for getting to work, your carbon tax is no longer “revenue neutral.” .

( . . .)

3) Finally, when a politician or environmentalist tells you a carbon tax can be imposed with “minimal” harm to the economy ask them what assumptions they base this on.

In both the recent study on carbon pricing by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, and in the one released by the Suzuki Foundation last week, the authors simply assume that while Canada is taxing carbon, the U.S. and our other major trading partners will be doing the same…

And that’s a huge assumption.

Even the Toronto Star takes note of the fact that while this may be a desirable situation, it is clearly not going to happen anytime in the near future. Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty, brother of the current Federal Liberal environmental critic David, is not jumping on the bandwagon. He rightly realizes that such a plan would devastate the Ontario economy which is already facing huge challenges competing with China, etc.

As in all things, buyer beware.

Filed under Kooky Suzuki, economy, environment.
8 Comments

Why does the Suzuki Foundation still have charitable status?

Posted by Joanne on 14 February 2008, 2:09 pm

As Lorrie Goldstein points out in today’s Sun column (This is non-partisan?), Canada Revenue has a strict policy regarding charitable status:

CRA’s website says charities are “prohibited” from participating in “partisan political activity,” meaning anything that “involves direct or indirect support of, or opposition to (my emphasis) any political party or candidate for public office.”

So where does Suzuki get off thinking he can incite students to “put a lot of effort into trying to see whether there’s a legal way of throwing our so-called leaders into jail, because what they’re doing is a criminal act”?

Oh, he’s giving us a lot of excuse, such as he didn’t mean it literally, and he doesn’t necessarily speak for his foundation. And yet right there on his website is an arrogant piece that starts out by telling you and me what we believe:

Canadians believe that their political and business leaders are falling behind and are out of step with the general population.

Really? I don’t recall being asked. Where did you get your stats from David? The students that you revved up after your campaign speech?

…Isn’t it time we made it clear to our elected officials and business leaders that we want them to get to work on solutions? Who will be the first to come forward and break the ice, to offer up some sound policies to get Canada moving and to help us be a model for other countries?

This of course, is the watered-down version – meant to smooth ruffled feathers after his public partisan outbursts.

As Lorrie says, it’s pretty hard to separate the man from his foundation:

In June, in Toronto, Suzuki claimed the Harper Conservative government was harassing him by repeatedly auditing his foundation. According to the Globe and Mail, he said: “I am being hounded by the current government because I have a foundation that has my name and so they’re trying to take away my charitable (status),” adding he now had to preface remarks with: “Everything I say is my personal opinion, has nothing to do with my foundation.”

Really? Quick — name another member of the Suzuki Foundation aside from Suzuki.

Visit the foundation’s website, davidsuzuki.org. You’ll see a picture of Suzuki at the top beside “David Suzuki Foundation.” Both are to the left and slightly above the “DONATE Now!” icon.

Click on the first featured article, (Feb. 6): “Who will pay for our failure to act on global warming?” where Suzuki criticizes Harper and Stelmach.

How can anyone distinguish the views of David Suzuki from the David Suzuki Foundation?

If David Suzuki wants to keep the very lucrative charitable status for his foundation, he should carefully choose his words – or else just give it up and let free speech prevail.

He can’t have it both ways.

* * * *
Update – Excellent discussion going on at Sandy’s (COTM), where Rabbit has thrown in this comment:
I would like to know what Suzuki was doing speaking at an
NDP fund raiser in 2005.

Suzuki can be as partisan as he wants – just as soon as he relinquishes his foundation’s tax-protected charity status.

Bingo!

Saturday Update: SDA – Rex Murphy spanks David Suzuki.

From letters in the Sun: “Don’t muzzle David”:

Re: “This is non-partisan?” (Lorrie Goldstein, Feb. 14): Any prudent business leader knows you need people around you who have different points of view, individuals who don’t always agree on the best course of action. The ensuing discussion always leads to better decisions. Politicians know this too, which is why a cornerstone of our parliamentary democracy is healthy, sometimes heated debate. This allows all points of view to be considered before committing to a particular direction. It is therefore ironic the Toronto Sun would seek to stifle debate by calling on individuals to complain about David Suzuki’s legacy of being outspoken. Furthermore, it smacks of vindictiveness to threaten to take away charitable status just because Goldstein doesn’t like what Suzuki is saying. Come on, folks, let’s encourage different perspectives, not censure them.

Peter Robinson

CEO, The David Suzuki Foundation

(Lorrie wrote this isn’t a free speech issue and Suzuki can say what he likes, but if he’s going to head up a charitable foundation, the same rules about political non-partisanship that apply to all charities should apply to his. Are you suggesting your foundation deserves special status?)

Filed under Kooky Suzuki.
9 Comments
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