Jim Prentice Gets It Right

National Post Editorial Board Says So, So So It Is Sorta

The National Post Editorial Board is not a scientific group, so they can be excused for enthusiasm that is good, even if its wrong. Heck, Al Gore was enthusiastic, even if out of his tree, and despite his funky science, he did make us more aware that our environment needs our protection.

On their Editorial Board web presence today, they had this to say:

The Earth is warming, and human activity is likely to blame. Climates are changing across the world, including in Canada’s far north. In other parts of the world, some crops will fail, some species will be pressed to extinction and some low-lying territories will be flooded.

Well, not so fast there. This is far from settled science as I noted a couple of weeks ago here.Of course, so did an early commenter Daystrom to this item:

NP, you're as guilty as the unquestioning acolytes in swallowing the nonsense that passes as settled science these days. Is the earth warming? Not in the past 10 years. Human activity is likely to blame? England warmed 4 degrees from 1700-1735 whilst the earth warmed 1 degree in the 20th century - small problem here - the 4 degrees warming was before a little thing called the Industrial Revolution, you know machines, gases and stuff. Climates are changing - Greenland's glaciers have gotten thicker not thinner. Unless you mean low lying areas like the Big Easy circa 2005, the oceans have risen at most 8 inches the past century. Why, the Goracle is so concerned that he bought an oceanfront condo in San Francisco.

But as the editorial goes on to say, after a shaky start, that Copenhagen is about a money swapping agenda that Canada does not plan to partake of. It seems we intend to stand up to the whack jobs in charge of blaming industrialized nations for something that nature does mostly on its own:

But this parade of horribles cannot be used to justify any form or remedial action. Many of the proposals put forth by environmentalists would do little to stop global warming, and would simply act as transfer-payment schemes from rich countries to poor ones. As Terence Corcoran has written at great length and with great frequency in the Financial Post, many activists are exploiting concern over climate change to justify the creation of state-managed “green economies” — socialism with a Gaian face.

Environment Minister Jim Prentice is to be commended for opposing this agenda. Mr. Prentice will head Canada’s delegation to the Copenhagen conference on climate change next month and says categorically that Canada will not sign any agreements that force painful adjustments on Western countries while major polluters such as China, India and Brazil go free.

In doing so, Canada is calling the bluff of Big Green and its army of unquestioning acolytes, who conveniently overlook the fact that developing countries are responsible for almost all of the world’s growth in carbon dioxide emissions.

It is all about green, that's true. But what it is really about is transferring my green to your bank, so you can be green too. The idea makes me green with envy, or green as in bilious. This sounds so much like Elizabeth May blaming the kids of Canada' parents for F*cking up the planet. What a bunch of folderal. How's that for a cool word to describe what's going on. Folderal means: ornamental objects of no great value. Works for me.

The Europeans who have lost their minds, as much as they have lost their way, want the haves to globally pay $100 billion (that's $100,000,000,000) annually from petty cash to help developing countries adjust to this fake climate change. For those of us in Canada, it amounts to $3,000,000,000 each and every year to this wonderful cause.

As the editorial goes on to say:

Mr. Prentice treats (this proposal) with the skepticism it deserves. If that attitude makes us the target of eco-extremists and their well-oiled propaganda machine, he says, “bring it on.”

It is about time someone declared that the emperor has no clothes, and Canadians should be proud that Mr. Prentice has done so.

One commenter Robert McClelland opined as follows:

Congratulations to the National Post for finally accepting the reality on global warming and its cause. Now the Post needs to work on accepting that the industrialized world created the problem and should be the one shouldering most of the responsibility for correcting it.

$3 billion is not much of a burden for Canada especially when that money can be put to good use solving more than one problem. For example, building solar power generating stations in Africa will help reduce ghg emissions and help provide the energy Africans need to raise their standard of living which will reduce poverty. Reduced poverty in Africa will then open up new markets for our goods and services. A three for one deal.

What a comment. Too bad NP started with that idiotic first paragraph. Now we have bandwagon jumpers seeing what they think is the light of day, but it's really a fast approaching freight train in the tunnel of unsettled science.

That $3,000,000,000 per year "not much of a burden" is about $100 per person in Canada each year after taxes. Not gigantic, but it sure does not get my vote. If we believe in Mr. McClelland's 3 for 1 deal, then the last thing we need is more bureaucracy in the way of getting the money to them.

With all the government hands in the till in this one, how much of the $100,000,000,000 a year do you think would get to where it is allegedly needed? My bet on that one, is not enough to make a difference, even if one can be made. I suggest Mr. McClelland go to Africa on his dime, ie. put his own money where his mouth is, and help build some solar generating stations if he believes in this cause. If he can make a good case for it, I am prepared to donate some of my own money to the cause, and maybe even go over and help him.

Just Sayin.