At Home in Hespeler

Climate change should be the thing that we are all worried and concerned about as humans on this planet, how we affect the planet, our consumption, and how we treat the place that we live in.

will.i.am – Oxford University.

Seems like hypocrisy, but you would be wrong. Flying to a climate change debate in a private “hip.hop.copter,” burning “71.5 gallons of fuel, ploughing three-quarters of a tonne of CO2” for a 286 mile trip and preaching about, how we affect the planet, our consumption is actually OK:

…he’s committed to the issues and he’s written songs about it.’

So you see, it’s not what you do, it’s what you sing that counts.

Actually, isn’t it having a big f’in helicopter that counts?

Update: a small correction was made: quote was closed after the word CO2.

Welcome readers of Small Dead Animals.

Global Warming, Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment Global Warming, Myles Allen, Oxford, will.i.am

I love Kate. There, I said it. It’s out there. I… Love … Kate.

There’s nothing more for it than to admit that up front. She has the best blog going, saying so much with one or two sentences, a subtle joke and a link. A video and a headline can say so much. And usually, she is right on top of things. And then there’s that picture of her working on a bike… in shorts…

This time, however, she is a year and a half behind the curve. And while it’s nice that NewBusters is on the environmental refugee non-event (“Rising sea levels, desertification and shrinking freshwater supplies will create up to 50 million environmental refugees…”), I was on top of this file in Dec, 2009, where I intoned, “… it’s going to be a hell of a month”

But unlike The Guardian or Al Gore, I provided actual evidence of my theory, proof that environmental refugees were real and living among us. Yes, in December 2009, I ran Environmental Refugee Week. Here was my list of environmental refugees:

1. Sarah Palin
2. Sanata Claus
3. The Phoenix Coyotes
4. Barack Obama

It’s lonely at the bottom, but when your other true love can’t hear you yelling up to her on her pedestal, it makes for a long, cold 17 months. Thank God I had climate change to keep me warm.

Global Warming, Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment Environmental refugees, Global Warming

Who said what again?

Back in 2007 I asked, would you stop driving for 12c a litre?

Elizabeth May thinks you would. I wonder. Hasn’t the price of gas gone up more than 12c a litre this year? What has it stopped you from doing?

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Sixty cents a litre is the starting point for serious reduction. This is just a smooth trick to get carbon taxes in play, they’ll adjust accordingly later. And we all know how hard it is to get governments to adjust down.

The Pembina Institute says British Columbia should increase its trendsetting carbon tax to $200 per tonne of CO2 emissions, equivalent to a 48-cent surcharge in the price of gasoline, if it’s serious about addressing climate change.

Carbon Tax, Economic Fundamentalism, Global Warming, Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment British Columbia, Carbon Tax, Elizabeth May, John Baird, Stephane Dion

Born, depending on whom you listen to, in Hawaii or Kenya, Barack Obama has been an environmental refugee for years.

The Sea Level Rising Behind Barack Obama

If you accept the Kenya hypothesis, Obama realized early in life that desertification was coming and left to find water, where he settled in Hawaii, Indonesia and back to Hawaii. If you accept the born in Hawaii hypothesis, the young Obama just travelled a lot. What’s clear is that in 1979 he saw the risks of living on an island in a warming, water rising world and headed for the mainland.

Landing in Los Angeles in 1979, Obama soon realized that Los Angeles was sure to burn down, fall over and sink into the ocean. New York was next, where the young Obama studied at Columbia before learning that Manhattan would also sink when the ocean levels rose. In 1984, Barack Hussein Obama, environmental refugee, landed in Chicago well away from the ravages of desertification or soggy menace of rising oceans.

Other than some winters in Boston, where he studied law, Obama stayed in Chicago until last year, when he moved to Washington DC. Still safe from the menace of global warming, Barack Obama has finally settled, finally found peace in an ever warming world.

Global Warming, Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment, Uncategorized

Desertification. You’ll hear that phrase a lot as you start to meet the environmental refugees. Phoenix, a mere 350 miles from the Pacific Ocean is experiencing desertification. So close to all that potential precipitation, yet Phoenix gets an average 8.3 inches. There is only one explanation: global warming. Disagree if you want, but with an average daily temperature of 72 degrees (106 in July), what else can you call that but warm?

Global Warming, Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment desertification, Global Warming, Hamilton, Jim Balsillie, Moses, Phoenix Coyotes

The North Pole: Santa’s workshop; deer with fur coats; Polar Bears drinking Coke; Abominable Snow Monsters with abscessed teeth. A way of life is disappearing with the glaciers. The Snow Monster hasn’t been seen alive in 45 years, the polar bears are dying off at a rate that can’t be explained by obesity and juvenile diabetes alone. And Santa’s workshop is now Santa’s surf and sand, where the elves stay busy waxing Santa’s board and fanny banging tequila and sprite. It all sounds too fantastic: a man who used to need a sleigh and magic reindeer can now surf at his own back door. Alas it’s true.

Global Warming, Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment, Uncategorized

One day, Sarah Palin woke up, put on the coffee (fair trade, naturally), looked out the window and said to no one in particular, “where the hell did the glaciers go?“

It’s true, the glaciers are melting at an alarming rate and Alaska is surrounded by cold water. Two-hundred and thirteen communities are threatened by inland creeping tides. Sarah Palin, former mayor, governor and author has recently turned up in Hong Kong, New York, Chicago,  Grand Rapids, Cincinnati, Roanoke, Dallas andSioux Falls, SD running from the catastrophic effects of global warming: run Sarah run.

Global Warming, Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment, Uncategorized

Scholars are predicting that 50 million people worldwide will be displaced by  2010 because of rising sea levels, desertification, dried up aquifers, weather-induced flooding and other serious environmental changes.

Whew, 50 million people by 2010: that only gives one month to re-settle them.

While a chunk of the refugees I’m sure are from the Philippines, Africa and other poorer countries, how many are coming from the US? Manhattan is sinking, as is Los Angeles and San Fransisco . Two-hundred and thirteen Alaska coastal towns are being washed out. How many refugees are right now headed towards our border? 5 million? 10? Good Lord man, if only 1 million it will still be about 995,000 more than our border can realistically handle.

Sceptics be dammed, 50 million environmental refugees is hard for even Exxon to hide, and this month the predictions will be proven. Follow along as At Home in Hespeler highlights a different environmental refugee at 6pm every day this week.

Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment, Uncategorized

Note that 1970 was the anniversary of Lenin’s 100th.

Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson, Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

Here in Canada when Stephen Harper and Dalton McGuinty decided to ban incandescent light bulbs and force the public to use compact fluorescent bulbs (CFB’s), there was nary a peep of complaint. Oh, a few of us bloggers stepped up with some concerns.  But few seemed to really care, and far too many concluded that a little liberty was irrelevant in the face of what was good for us.

In Britain, however, the bulbs are coming off the shelves, and it’s not going over very well:

Revolt! Robbed of their right to buy traditional light bulbs, millions are clearing shelves of last supplies.

Millions of Britons are finally waking up to the fact that their beloved light bulb will disappear for good after 120 years.

Traditional 100-watt bulbs are vanishing from the High Street because of a controversial European Union decision.

Yesterday panic buyers were snapping up the remaining bulbs in a last-ditch attempt to stockpile the final supplies. Hundreds of leading supermarkets and DIY chains – including Sainsbury’s, Asda and Homebase – have already sold their last remaining bulbs after a surge in panic buying.

In Europe they took a slightly different approach, banning incandescent bulbs incrementally, 150 Watts first, now 100 Watts. Next up, 60 Watts, &tc.

And as Michael Hanlon points out, much like I did earlier, the environmental benefits are dubious. I particularly like this part:

Then there is their lifespan, because turning them on and off dramatically shortens the working life of the electronic circuits.

If a CFL is switched on and off frequently, it will probably not last any longer than an incandescent lamp, and in any case CFLs become less bright as they age.

Tell me about it. I put some in my living room last year, and am already replacing them.  But in the EU, mercury is banned as toxic, yet they will force every home owner to fill their light sockets with… mercury. I said it last May:

The mandatory conversion to CFBs is going to be a travesty, and in ten years we will be calling them an environmental menace.

I stand by that statement, even if the Daily Mail agrees.

Note: I use the term CFB’s (compact fluorescent bulbs). some, however, including the Daily Mail, use the term CFL’s (compact fluorescent lights).

Global Warming, Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment, it's not easy being green, pimply minions of bureaucracy

It’s hard to figure how a story takes life. Some self described eco-terrorists burn down some houses, it seems like a story. But two years ago At Home in Hespeler was reporting a similar story by the same group:

Local radio station News 570 is reporting that “Several Arsons in Guelph in the past months may be the work of an eco-terrorist organization.” This fire is one of the arsons started suspected of being started by a cell of eco-terrorists ELF (Earth Liberation Front)…

By all accounts ELF is a loose knit grouping who, according to their own literature have no leaders, members or official spokesman. They are none the less, highly interesting to the FBI.

What’s more it is being reported that 3 other fires may be related to ELF… These arsons are a pattern that has Guelph police very concerned, and citizens of Guelph should also be concerned. To date ELF does not seem to be responsible for any deaths, but when you go around lighting buildings on fire, sooner or later it’s going to happen. Citizens of Guelph should also be concerned, both that it is happening in their community, and that it is receiving virtually no coverage or getting the attention of the community.

Later the story was reported by the Western Standard, once again to great yawning indifference. It appears that Guelph Ontario is not as important as Seattle Washington in the Canadian blogosphere.

Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment, The Media Following My Lead.

Now that the evidence is coming in that the earth is cooling thanks to reduced solar activity, and cooling is substantially worse than heating, shouldn’t we abolish taxes on all carbon, build and drive bigger cars, fire up the coal, close the hydro-electric plants, and consume, consume, consume?

Or do you think heating was never the issue in the first place?

Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment

Yesterday I stopped at the Petro Canada on the 401 between Cambridge and Guelph, and filled up at $101.9/litre. Over night last night, the price responded to petroleum finishing the day at over $100 /barrel, and by this morning the same gas was running at $109.6. That’s a 7.7¢ litre. If you were looking for a car yesterday, are you looking for a smaller one today? Did you chose not to go somewhere today because of that 7.7¢?

On the same day that gas prices rose 7.7¢, British Columbia has introduced a new carbon tax of 2.4¢/litre of gasoline. It will increase over four years to about 7.2¢/litre. In four years a carbon tax will increase the price of gas by ½¢ less than it rose on it’s own over night last night.

The details of this tax are somewhat complex, with money going back to taxpayers in various plans. It is also according to the BC government, revenue neutral. Revenue neutral is one of those buzz words, and while politicians want you to hear, “your overall taxes will not rise,” they are also, and more importantly saying, “your taxes are not going down.” Even if you decided to save taxes by cutting your carbon use, the carbon tax would necessarily rise to protect the revenue neutral aspect of the tax.

In B.C. however, revenue neutrality is irrelevant. A 7.2¢/litre carbon tax will have no practical effect. I have said it every time I write on this issue, 60¢/litre is the size required of any carbon tax if it is to be effective. Even Elizabeth May, whom I have already stated I think she’s got it wrong, thinks 12¢/litre is what’s required. As I point out in the article the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a leftist think(?) tank thinks the oil companies are taking 15c a litre excess profit. If the gas companies are taking excess profit more than your carbon tax, how effective will your 7.2¢ carbon tax be?

Look out B.C taxpayers, this is just the beginning.

Carbon Tax, Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment

To: Mortal inhabitants of Earth
From: the offices of Beezulbub, Belial, Lucifer and Apollyon
Hell inc.

The rulers of Hell are pleased to announce, in conjunction with the David Suzuki Foundation, the first expansion of the borough of Hell, and it’s surrounding environs.

Pending environmental study, hell will be increasing it’s boundary’s to include a full new, tenth level. Tentatively called Deritus, the new level will be eternal home to global warming deniers and other environmental abasers.

Deritus will be guarded by a three headed bureaucrat, Suzukibus. The three heads of Suzukibus shall be named Amplify, Apply and Abuse. Inhabitants will spend eternity in the over-heated environs of hell, where they will be continually told, “it’s not hot,” “nothing wrong with a little heat,” and “don’t worry, an ice age is just around the corner.” They will further be made to sort unrecycled garbage into recyclables (paper & plastic), compostables and landfill.

Hell inc. and The David Suzuki Foundation are excited by this opportunity to join together in meting eternal punishment to any and all who dare oppose the opinion as given to them by David Suzuki Ph.D.

Signed
Satan, Lord of the Underworld
Suzuki, lord it over you.

Global Warming, Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment, sazuki-ism

Remember the caterwauling when John Baird released his Kyoto report, and Elizabeth May said a carbon tax would not need to be anywhere near the $195 a tonne the report said, and Stephan Dion said no carbon tax was necessary, a $20 tonne deposit system was all that was needed?

Liberal Leader Stephan Dion also rejected the $195 figure as excessive, saying that his party proposes a $20-per-tonne “deposit” instead of a tax.

“It’s a deposit that the companies will have to give to the environmental bank — and they will have this money back if they decrease their emissions,” Dion told Question Period co-host Jane Taber.

“It’s like when you have your bottle of Coca-Cola and you bring it back to the grocery store. You get your money back. It’s not a tax.”

Not a tax. That has been Stephan Dion’s line from the start. No Carbon tax.

If that is true, why did Dion’s Industry Critic and co-chair of the Liberal Party of Canada’s election platform committee, Scott Brison, pen an article today in which he says: “It is clear that… governments eventually will put a price on carbon.”

What is a price on carbon, put their by governments, but a carbon tax? Dress it up however you want, but Scott Brison called a carbon tax a sure thing. And since he’s helping write their platform, we must assume it’s now Liberal policy.

Carbon Tax, Global Warming, Going... Going... Gone Nuts For The Environment, Kyoto