Some upcoming events of interest:
- Chocolate for Choice — Join me at NARAL Pro-Choice Washington’s annual fundraiser tonight (March 8,) 6-8PM at Safeco Field’s Ellis Pavilion. I’ll be the one shoving chocolate into my face.
- Joe Conason at Third Place Books — Reporter, columnist and frequent radio and TV commentator Joe Conason will be signing his new book It Can Happen Here: Authoritarian Peril in the Age of Bush, Friday March 9, from 6:30PM to 8PM at Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE in Lake Forest Park. In his 1935 novel It Can’t Happen Here, Sinclair Lewis wrote “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross.” Conason argues it can happen here, and presents a frightening and infuriating thesis. I’ve read the book, and highly recommend it.
- Saturday Family Science: ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ — Lisa Shimizu, of KEXP 90.3 FM and The Climate Project, presents a 40-minute slide show (based on Al Gore’s presentation) especially designed for children 8-12. Local 5th grade science teacher Laura Maier leads an interactive experience that graphically demonstrates the principles of climate change. Every family will receive a copy of The Low Carbon Diet, a how-to guide showing easy ways for families to reduce their carbon footprint. Saturday March 10, 11AM and 1:30PM at Seattle’s Town Hall. (I’m going to the 1:30PM presentation; I’ll be the one with the 9-year-old girl.)
BUSH LIED, PEOPLE DIED – THE PROOF
ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER AND ULTRA-RICH WINGNUT BERLUSCONI (OR HIS INTELLIGENCE CHIEF) FIRST SHOWED THE PHONY DOCUMENTS ABOUT IRAQI PURCHASES OF YELLOW CAKE FROM AFRICA TO THE CIA STATION CHIEF WHO REJECTED IT BECAUSE IT WAS CLEARLY PHONY.
THEN BERLUSCONI SHOWS THE CRAP DIRECTLY TO BUSH WHO PASSES IT ON TO THE CIA WHO REJECTS IT AGAIN! THE CRAP WAS PATENTLY FALSE – IT HAD THE SIGNATURE OF A GUY WHO DIED TWO YEARS PREVIOUS TO THE DATE OF THE DOCUMENTS!!!
AND THIS WAS ALL BEFORE 9/11!!!!
SO THE PENTAGON THEN PROCEEDS TO RECYCLE THIS CRAP THROUGH BRITISH INTELLIGENCE WHO DIDN’T BELIEVE IN IT EITHER BUT BY THIS TIME BLAIR WAS BEATING THE DRUMS FOR AN INVASION.
NOW GUESS WHAT SHOWS UP IN BUSH’S STATE OF THE UNION YEARS LATER?
AND THIS ALL WAS KNOWN TO JOE WILSON AND MOTIVATED HIM TO WRITE THAT EDITORIAL.
LIES, LIES, LIES!!!! BILLIONS DOWN THE DRAIN, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DEAD AND MAIMED. THIS COUNTRY IS IN MORE DANGER BECAUSE MORE PEOPLE HATE US.
FOR WHAT? MONEY AND POWER!
The world’s getting warmer. Our activities may be quickening the pace, but the earth is doing what it does without directions from us.
We’re just part of the bio-mass, not part of management.
“The Low Carbon Diet, a how-to guide showing easy ways for families to reduce their carbon footprint.”
How about moving from a large mansion to a normal-sized house, and cutting your electricity and natural gas consumption by more than 90%? And also, flying coach instead of by private jet, and cutting aviation fuel consumption by well over 90%?
Just a few “inconvenient” suggestions …
OH AND LET’S NOT FORGET:
THE DEVIL’S GIFT TO THE NEO-CONS, OSAMA BIN LADEN AND AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI, MASTERMINDS OF THE MURDER OF THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE STILL AT LARGE.
POOP: DOESN’T MATTER THE SIZE OF THE HOUSE. IF YOU BUY GREEN POWER, IT’S OK.
THERE ARE NO GREEN SUBSTITUTES FOR JET TRAVEL, COACH OR OTHERWISE, BUT BUYING OFFSETS HELP A LOT.
NICE TRY.
YOS LIB BRO says:
Do you even know what “offsets” are? Buying offsets, just lets rich liberals feel good about their carbon emissions. Someone else is doing the actual work of trying to reduce the CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
What is “green power”? Hydroelectric? Nuclear? They don’t emit CO2, but they do have environmental impacts.
Mr. Pope:
I’m not going to defend Mr. Gore’s house, as I really don’t understand the need for that much room. There may be a good reason, but I have yet to see it. Green power and offsets are good things to do, but every KWH of green power he buys is offset by another KWH of dirty power, unless the green power sources are not running at capacity.
But I will point out that Mr. Gore cannot readily travel by commercial airliner. First there is the security issue, then the little matter of the horde of folks that travel with him, whether he wants them to or not.
Would I be happier if Mr. Gore worked harder at living the message that he is promoting? Absolutely. His high energy usage gives opponents of his message a perfect opportunity to rebut him.
I’d like to see him do as well as the President has in his Crawford, Texas house that really does seem to be a model of energy efficiency.
Does it seem odd to me that the man working for environmental responsibility does not seem to be doing as well in his personal consumption as the President with the worst envirnomental record in recent history? Yes.
Does this have anything to do with whether the message is correct or not? No.
NARAL’s chocolate parties offend even me, and I support choice. This is the group that told their donors to kiss Joe Lieberman’s ass and thank him for letting Alito happen.
@2 You’re talking through your hat! You want us to believe that pumping billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has nothing to do with global temperature changes. You’re full of shit.
@3 Richard, I suppose Gore flies on Paramount Pictures’ company plane for the same reason most top business executives do — because commercial airlines don’t go where they need to go, when they need to go there.
Your 90% figure depends on the false assumption that Gore is flying alone on a 10 or 12 seat business jet. In fact, most flights on business aircraft are full, or nearly so, and fuel consumption on a passenger-mile basis is not much greater than commercial airline. One reason the charter and fractional aircraft companies are prospering is because they’ve made the cost of private business travel competitive with the cost of first-class airline travel.
When the right wingers grand kids are drowning thanks to global warming, then I guess it won’t much matter what Handjob Hannity lies about regarding President Gore’s home.
Personally – since I don’t have kids, I don’t care. Frankly, the thought of these right wingers suffering makes me happy. Bring it on!
Mr. Barrelli:
I never said Al Gore’s message was incorrect. However, his own personal life (and those of the people that support him) may have a lot to do with whether he is sincere about his message.
President Bush has the same message as well, and proclaims a different set of policies for accomplishing the same. But President Bush has invested a good bit of his own personal resources into conserving energy.
While Al Gore hypocrisy may (and should) hurt him personally, it may actually help the cause he claims to be promoting. By focusing attention on Al Gore waste of energy, other people may be inspired to look at their own consumption and reduce it.
The wingnut critics of Gore’s travel arrangements falsely try to portray Gore as owning a jet. He doesn’t. Nor is there any evidence he’s ever made greater use of corporate aircraft than any other national politician.
The rightwing tales about Gore’s “private jet” travels originated in the 2000 campaign when Gore made occasional use of corporate aircraft (as I recall, 15 trips during the entire campaign). Show me a presidential candidate who doesn’t. The rightys criticized Gore for traveling on corporate jets instead of Air Force Two. Well, guess what, Air Force Two is government property and can’t be used for political campaigning.
These people — you included, Richard — are just trying to gin up a talking point to distract attention from Gore’s message, which is that humanity’s heavy use of fossil fuels is damaging the environment and our species’ own future.
@11,
You have no kids! Great! Your genes won’t be passed dwon and the world will be a better place, global warming and all!!!
It’s the old rightwing tactic of using personal attacks to distract attention when they’re losing an argument.
@6 Rich Republicans don’t bother buying offsets — they just go merrily on their way polluting the skies. And that’s better?
I’ll bet there’s at least 20 Republicans tooling around on private jets for every “rich liberal.”
@12 Gore’s personal life has absolutely NOTHING to do with the validity of his message.
Roger Rabbit says:
I didn’t say it was. But it’s certainly less hypocritical. With the exception of Schwarzenegger, I don’t see “rich Republicans” flying around the world telling others to live a lifestyle they themselves aren’t willing to live. At least in regard to the environment and climate change.
Roger Rabbit says:
What do you want to bet? Oh wait, now that I’ve called your bluff, you’ll claim Republicans are “welshers”, because of MTR. Or you’ll come up with some other ruse, or stop posting on the thread alltogether.
If you’ve got proof of this assertion, please provide it.
Roger Rabbit says:
All animals are equal, some animals are more equal than others, I suppose.
Spotted on private jets in the last 12 months…
Handjob Hannity
Lush Flimbaugh
Ann Coultergiest
Newt The Hoot
Billy Blackjack Bennett
Yeah – tell me again about Publicans who don’t burn gas.
RightEqualsStupid says:
(Silly name calling deleted)
And none of those people are telling you that you need to personally cut back your CO2 emissions to “save the planet”.
I’ve never made the claim that rich people, regardless of their political stripe, don’t use more energy than the rest of us. It’s the rich liberals that want to the rest of us to reduce our emissions, while they do little or nothing to change their lifestyle, that bother me.
CF: SHOW ME WHERE AL GORE IS COMMANDING PEOPLE WHAT TO DO. IF HE’S TELLING PEOPLE ANYTHING IT’S THAT THEY SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, EXCERCISE JUDGEMENT AND ACT ACCORDINGLY.
A LOT OF AFFORDABLE REASONABLE THINGS HELP LIKE INSULATING YOUR HOUSE – LOWERS BOTH YOUR HEATING BILL AND YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT. INSTALL CFL BULBS WHERE YOU CAN. BUY A FUEL-EFFICIENT CAR.
GEE THAT ADVICE IS SO “OUT OF THE MAINSTREAM” WAL-MART IS ADOPTING IT IN SPADES! AND I’LL PROBABLY NEVER SHOP AT A WAL-MART!
For the Clueless says:
I didn’t say Al Gore was commanding anyone to do anything. So I’m not sure what your beef with my argument is here.
And Wal-Mart is doing this without government intervention. I didn’t realize you were free market conservative.
I didn’t say Al Gore was commanding anyone to do anything.
I don’t see “rich Republicans” flying around the world telling others to live a lifestyle
And Wal-Mart is doing this without government intervention.
YEAH, FOLLOWING THAT RIGHT-WINGER AMORY LOVIN’S ADVICE THAT ENERGY EFFICIENCY CAN BE PROFITABLE. GEE CF, I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE SUCH AN ENVIRONMENTALIST.
YOS LIB BRO says:
See you can learn something every day, if you open your mind.
The rest of your comment made no sense, so I ignored it.
OK LEMME SLOW.IT.DOWN.FOR.YOU.
YOU AND MANY OTHER RIGHT WINGERS CLAIM THAT GORE IS PREACHING ONE THING AND DOING ANOTHER. YOU SAID HE IS “TELLING OTHERS”. I EQUATE THAT WITH “COMMANDING”.
I AND OTHERS SAY HE’S USING GREEN POWER AND BUYING OFFSETS. HE’S A MAN IN DEMAND AND HIS CARBON FOOTPRINT IS HIGHER. HE’S DRIVEN TO SUPPORT HIS CAUSE. THAT MIGHT EFFECT HIS CARBON USE AS WELL. I THINK HE’S DOING WHAT HE CAN.
GOING ALONG WITH THE RIGHT-WING THEMES AGAINST GORE IS STRONG EVIDENCE THAT YOU DENY WHAT ALMOST ALL CLIMATE SCIENTISTS (EXCEPT THOSE FUNDED BY THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRIES) CONCLUDE FROM THE EVIDENCE – THAT MAN-MADE GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE IS AN OBJECTIVE FACT.
They should take this science show to Federal Way, via carpool of course, unless Pope offers to pull their wagon.
I’m loving the offsets discussion.
This will be one of the biggest scams of all time…imagine…taxing every person in the US, then sending those funds (via middlemen) to various unknown “carbon offsetters”
This will be like the corn industry, ethanol, farm subsidies, etc… and big govt libs (and then conservs too) will fall all over themselves to get our money.
If they restricted the “offsets” game to only things that immediately hit you, like solar on your roof, or tax credits for electric car, etc, then the scam angle would be lessened. But as it appears to be playing out, i will contribut to some fund, and they’ll send that money to some 3rd world guy who agrees to grow some trees or whatever. good idea but the inefficienty and fraud will be enormous