FEW ISSUES HAVE SO ENGAGED THE SOUND AND FURY of the Republican Party, as representated by party and congressional leadership, as the notion of climate change or global warming being advanced by liberal “hoaxers.” Of these Republican statesmen, none so captures the zeitgeist of the current GOP grasp of atmospheric realities as the senator from Oklahoma, James Inhofe. It is surely fitting that Inhofe would be the spokesman for this “conservative” band of brothers with his penetrating book, “The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future.”
For this — how can we put it? — deeply personal expression of Inhofe’s views, feelings and his astonishing grasp of those GOP-shared environmental realities, Amazon Customer Reviews showed a remarkable spread, with 45 five-star reviews and 42 one-star reviews, and few in between! I quote briefly from a few of the reviews (from the Amazon site) that appear to me to have caught the true voice and richness of Inhofe’s unique sense of reality.
• “The book gets off to rather an unfortunate start on the cover with the absurd contention that thousands of scientists working independently over decades, publishing countless papers in peer-reviewed journals, have somehow managed to coordinate, or at least are complicit in constructing and perpetuating a “hoax”. The enormity of that accusation is staggering in its implications and the lack of understanding of science and the scientific process and more importantly perhaps, the scientific community.” — Dave Smith, Dec. 20, 2012
• “What I learned: 1) He’s MUCH WORSE than a blowhard; and (2) It is not ‘open-minded’ to seriously consider the opinions of someone like Inhofe, who is completely closed-minded; it’s just an exercise in letting a deluded nincompoop get inside your head and rattle his chains up there for a while. And Senator Inhofe is definitely not someone you want in your head, because he’s not just an incompetent jackass, he’s a mean sumb*tch.” — “The ‘Hoax’ Hoax” by Charles Hirshberg, Sept. 7, 2013
(I do apologize for including this one, but after having buried myself in Inhofe’s views for days, it captured deep personal feelings and slipped in! Sorry about that.)
• “The allegations Senator James Inhofe makes in ‘The Greatest Hoax’ are unlike any since Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed to have documented evidence that Communist agents were overrunning our government. This time, liberals at the UN are corrupting science to scare us into accepting global governance, huge tax increases, and severe limits on our way of life …” — “Red Scare Meets Green Scare” by Marc Anderson, April 26, 2013
In 2006, Inhofe was one of only nine senators to vote against the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, prohibiting “cruel, inhuman or degrading” treatment of individuals in U.S. government custody. Damn, I’ve deviated from climate again. Discipline, self!
But the guy is riveting! Inhofe has consistently voted against federal disaster relief, most notably in the case of relief for the 24 states affected by Hurricane Sandy. He argues, however, for federal aid when natural disasters hit Oklahoma. (Hey now, these are real emergencies — and real folks!) In defense of his decision to vote against a relief fund for Hurricane Sandy, but not in Oklahoma after tornadoes ravaged the state in May 2013, he claimed the situations were “totally different” — the difference being the Sandy funding involved “everybody getting in and exploiting the tragedy that took place. That won’t happen in Oklahoma.” (Whatever the hell that means!)
Inhofe often repeats his claim that human-influenced climate change is a hoax and impossible because “God’s still up there,” and it is “outrageous” and arrogant for people to believe human beings are “able to change what He is doing in the climate.” (Hey, the Big Fellow is in charge, and if drowning a few hundred thousand of us seems fair to him, who are we to disagree?)
In a July 28, 2003, speech in the Senate, Inhofe stated, “I have offered compelling evidence that catastrophic global warming is a hoax. That conclusion is supported by the painstaking work of the nation’s top climate scientists.” Those he cited in support for his “compelling evidence” were that clutch of eminent scientists from (guess where!) that citadel of science, the Heartland Institute, including John Christy, Fred Singer, Richard Lindzen, Willie Soon and Sallie Baliunas. In his speech, Inhofe said “satellite data, confirmed by NOAA balloon measurements, confirms that no meaningful warming has occurred over the last century.” (Actually, of course, the satellite temperature record corroborates the well-documented warming trend noted in surface temperature measurements, but that’s a minor caveat for the Inhofe screed.)
In a 2006 interview with the Tulsa World newspaper, Inhofe said regarding the environmentalist movement, “It kind of reminds … I could use the Third Reich, the Big Lie … You say something over and over and over and over again, and people will believe it, and that’s (the environmentalists’) strategy …”
Inhofe had previously compared the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the Gestapo, and EPA Administrator Carol Browner to Tokyo Rose. (I’m really not making this stuff up!) He had previously stated that global warming is “the second-largest hoax ever played on the American people, after the separation of church and state.” Inhofe voted on June 22, 2005 to reject an amendment to an energy bill that would have forced reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases and created a mandatory emissions trading scheme.
During the 109th Congress, Inhofe voted to increase offshore oil drilling, to include provisions for drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge in the House Budget Amendment, and to deny funding for both low-income energy assistance and environmental stewardship, citing heavy costs and unproven programs. As of 2006, the League of Conservation Voters has given Inhofe the lowest possible score on environmental issues.
In all, a very heavy dose of that old-time religion, with the devil’s followers credited with incessantly spouting environmentalist creed.
For a wrap on this piece, I note the following: In the 2008 election cycle, Inhofe’s largest campaign donors represented (first you have to guess!) oil and gas companies ($446,900), leadership PACs ($316,720) and electric utilities ($221,654). In 2010, his largest donors represented the oil and gas ($429,950) and electric utilities ($206,654).
I close with an interesting bulletin on relationships between warming, gas, oil, coal, CO2 and wealth, from a Nov. 21, 2013 piece titled “Ninety Companies Responsible For Two-Thirds of Global Warming Emissions,” by Ari Phillips:
“According to a new report by the Climate Accountability Institute in Colorado, just 90 companies caused two-thirds of man-made global warming emissions. To be published in the journal Climatic Change, the report says ‘the vast majority of the emitting firms were in the energy business, including Chevron, Exxon, BP, and state-owned and government-run firms.’
“According to the research, ‘90 companies on the list of top emitters produced 63 percent of the cumulative global emissions of industrial carbon dioxide and methane between 1751 and 2010, amounting to about 914 gigatons of CO2 emissions. Aside from seven cement manufacturers, the rest of the emitters were energy companies producing oil, gas, and coal.
“‘There are thousands of oil, gas and coal producers in the world,’ climate researcher and author Richard Heede at the Climate Accountability Institute told the Guardian. ‘But the decision makers, the CEOs, or the ministers of coal and oil, if you narrow it down to just one person, they could all fit on a Greyhound bus or two.’
“Michael Mann, a well-known climate scientist, told the Guardian that this information could help bring enhanced attention to fossil fuel companies’ future activities. ‘What I think could be a game changer here is the potential for clearly fingerprinting the sources of those future emissions,’ he said. ‘It increases the accountability for fossil fuel burning. You can’t burn fossil fuels without the rest of the world knowing about it.’”
But then how can anyone possibly give credence to Dr. Mann’s wild phantasies after having spent a half hour closeted with the sober wisdom of James Inhofe?
Jerome Page is a Benicia resident.
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Being this an opinion Forum artyicle as part of the local paper I assume we take the article for what it is an Opinion. The Senator is elected and does represent a state with fossil fuel and is for sure on that side of those who elected him. It appears all the writer is doing is collecting anti Global Warming/Climate Change info and reporting it in one of his reviews/opinions on this topic. His concerns may well represent a very small vocal group in Benicia but for sure not all. The Senator does not agree with the very left leaning writetr it appears. So that would be OK it appears for the writer to use others to attack the Senator. Maybe the writer could do an opinion article on the statements made by the President and Nancy Pelosi on Obamacare. The writer knows whatrthey are. It appears those statements are far more important than a statement made by one of one hundred Senators. After all those two are are in authoritarian leadership rolls that have an effect on all voters. The writer needs to be Fair and Balanced on this and all his articles.
(More) “On the thrills of trashing climate science”
From the column above:
From the article below solid information and links for the community to consider…
“Somewhat less known is Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R. Tenn.), Blackburn’s role as vice-chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, responsible for legislative oversight on matters of public health, air quality and environmental health, and energy.”
“One would think that a person in such an important role would have a clear, if not advanced, understanding of the science of energy and climate change in order to guide policy to further the public interest and protect our children’s future.”
“Sadly, one would be wrong.”
And;
According to Influence Explorer, Blackburn herself has reportedly accepted more than $280,000 from the oil and gas industries.
The coal, oil and gas industries are fueling the false climate debate. And while people like Blackburn are fiddling, the earth burns.
http://www.desmogblog.com/2014/02/21/there-s-no-debate-about-climate-change-denial
Just another claim by The Local “Research Reporter that is very biased. and very anti women. Also very anti Republican which is OK if it was the Local Research Reporter saying it. Will seems to think all locals do not get the news. Will try being Fair and Balanced..
More climate science news you can use…
From the article below more information on climate change for the community and our elected leaders past and present to contemplate…
“Last year marked the 37th consecutive year of above-average global temperature, according to data from NASA.”
“The signs of advanced Anthropogenic Climate Disruption (ACD) are all around us, becoming ever more visible by the day.”
“At least for those choosing to pay attention.”
More Pollution, More Denial
“The US State Department recently released its environmental impact statement that found “no major climate impact” from a continuation in the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, a pipeline that will transport tar sands oil – the dirtiest fossil fuel on Earth, produced by the most environmentally destructive fossil fuel extraction process ever known.”
“US President Barack Obama claims he has yet to make a decision on the pipeline, but we can guess what his decision shall be.”
“In late January, the US House Energy and Commerce Committee voted down an amendment that would have stated conclusively that ACD is occurring, despite recent evidence that ACD has literally shifted the jet stream, the main system that helps determine all of the weather in North America and Northern Europe. The 24 members of the committee who voted down the amendment, all of them Republicans and more overtly honest about who they are working for than is Obama, have accepted approximately $9.3 million in career contributions from the oil, gas, and coal industries.
http://truth-out.org/news/item/22002-the-march-of-anthropogenic-climate-disruption
Will do you have a Personal account of all this stuff or are you just a lemming. It will not happen.. Just where have you been for the lAST 70 yeARS?
Beyond the climate change deniers and anti science crowd—
“The signs of advanced Anthropogenic Climate Disruption (ACD) are all around us, becoming ever more visible by the day.”
“At least for those choosing to pay attention.”
From the article below more physical evidence/ information on climate change for Mr. Page, our community and our elected leaders past and present to contemplate…
“Methane-Explosion Craters Could Be Latest Indicators of a Warming Planet
Newly discovered funnels in Siberia are believed to have been created by methane gases bursting through a thawing permafrost.”
A 100-foot crater was first spotted last summer in Yamal peninsula, a freezing cold land 2,000 miles north of Moscow, and two other funnels were discovered soon after.
While it is not entirely clear what caused the blowholes, the dominant theory, as summarized by Washington Post writer Terrence McCoy, is: “Global warming had thawed the permafrost, which had caused methane trapped inside the icy ground to explode.”
In a new development, the Siberian Times reported this week that such funnels, in fact, are “more widespread than was first realized.”
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/02/27/methane-explosion-craters-could-be-latest-indicators-warming-planet
Beyond Senators Inhofe and Representative Blackburn— can it get much worse?
From the above column:
“Inhofe had previously compared the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the Gestapo, and EPA Administrator Carol Browner to Tokyo Rose. (I’m really not making this stuff up!) ”
More German references and climate change information for the community to contemplate…
From the article below:
Climate Change Denier Roy Spencer Says People Who Use Word ‘Denier’ Are ‘Global Warming Nazis’
http://www.desmogblog.com/2014/02/20/climate-change-denier-roy-spencer-says-people-who-use-word-denier-are-global-warming-nazis
More climate science news the community can use…
– ” it is time to wake up.”
Key passages from the article below for Mr. Page, our elected representatives past and present and our citizenry to consider…
“An epic struggle is currently taking place that will determine the fate, and perhaps the survival, of our species. It is a collision between natural limits and rational awareness of the need to respect those limits, on the one hand, and the forces of blind greed, on the other.”
“Over the next few years, fundamental questions about who we are as a species really will be answered: Are we fundamentally sane, rational? Or are we a self-destructive failure that will end in the evolutionary dustbin?”
Earlier this month, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse made a courageous and crucial speech to the US Senate. He commented:
” I have described Congress as surrounded by a barricade of lies. Today, I’ll be more specific. There isn’t just lying going on about climate change; there is a whole, carefully built apparatus of lies. This apparatus is big and artfully constructed: phoney-baloney organizations designed to look and sound like they’re real, messages honed by public relations experts to sound like they’re truthful, pay-rolled scientists whom polluters can trot out when they need them. And the whole thing big and complicated enough that when you see its parts you could be fooled into thinking that it’s not all the same beast. But it is. Just like the mythological Hydra – many heads, same beast.”
Senator Whitehouse told Congress:
“We must break the back of the beast… For the sake of our democracy, for the sake of our future, for the sake of our honour – it is time to wake up.”
“As NASA climate scientist James Hansen has suggested, Nuremberg-style trials must be held for senior corporate (including corporate media) and political executives responsible for crimes against humanity and planet that almost defy belief. They must be held to account for their crimes.”
http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/02/the-fateful-collision-floods-catastrophe-and-climate-denial/#more-53109
It appears our “Local Citizen Research Re[porter” has been taken in by the climate fiolks hook, line and sinker. It also aoppeARS
Bob,
I thought you might like this:
“There is no scientific proof that human emissions of carbon dioxide are the dominant cause of the minor warming of the Earth’s atmosphere over the past 100 years, if there were such a proof it would be written down for all to see. No actual proof, as it is understood in science, exists.” — Canadian ecologist Patrick Moore (Greenpeace c0-founder) in testimony before US Senate committee Feb. 25m 2014
Obviously the Koch brothers have given this guy some money and he is now completely under their evil spell.
Who is Patrick Moore?
Greenpeace Statement On Patrick Moore
“Patrick Moore often misrepresents himself in the media as an environmental “expert” or even an “environmentalist,” while offering anti-environmental opinions on a wide range of issues and taking a distinctly anti-environmental stance. He also exploits long-gone ties with Greenpeace to sell himself as a speaker and pro-corporate spokesperson, usually taking positions that Greenpeace opposes.
“While it is true that Patrick Moore was a member of Greenpeace in the 1970s, in 1986 he abruptly turned his back on the very issues he once passionately defended. He claims he “saw the light” but what Moore really saw was an opportunity for financial gain. Since then he has gone from defender of the planet to a paid representative of corporate polluters.”
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/media-center/news-releases/greenpeace-statement-on-patric/
Who is Will Gregory? I have asked him many times why he is no longer a featured Benicia Herald Forum writer. Guess what, he will not answer that question. Will you have no credibility at all. You are as I have described many times “Local Citizen Research Reporter” with a very biased view without any personal knowledge or experience on any subject. I will take your comments as not your opinion only because that is all you do is give opinions from others. Give us your opinion on any subject and it might get you some attention.
Will posted:“Patrick Moore often misrepresents himself in the media as an environmental “expert” or even an “environmentalist,”
The man does have a PhD in Ecology, so I think he can be termed an expert in the environmental fields,
Sorry for the typos. Did not finish comment. It also appears Will has been taken in by Ms Korn a student from Harvard. The “Local Citizen Rersearch Reporter” is now starting to use Scare Tactics that others are using. No one except Wii theThe Local pays any attention to this kind of nonsense except Will and the very few local Enviro Greenies. Will get serious about what you try to direct to the residents. Getting a little over the top..
Climate change news the community can use….
Beyond the anti-science crowd—
“Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends over the past century are very likely due to human activities,1. and most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing this position. The following is a partial list of these organizations, along with links to their published statements and a selection of related resources.”
http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus
Climate change news the community can use….
Beyond the anti-science crowd—
From the incisive article below a few key passages to consider…
“The Mainstream Media’s Criminal Climate Coverage ”
‘ …giving creationism equal footing with science is crazy. And giving climate change “skepticism” equal footing with climate science is just as crazy.’
and this;
“In light of what we know about global warming, about how it’s already destroying communities across the world, about how it is already literally killing tens of thousands of people, and about how it could lead to the Earth’s sixth mass extinction, it’s hard to see the mainstream’ media’s coverage – or lack thereof – of climate change as anything less than morally and ethically criminal.”
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/22123-the-mainstream-medias-criminal-climate-coverage