following politics, pursuing holiness
Over at Michelle Malkin’s, a Cap and tax liveblog: Democrats limit debate, stampede toward national energy tax. This is going to be very bad if it passes. Aside from the catastrophic financial repercusssions that even President Obama admits will occur [Read more...]
Watts Up With That? has an ongoing series, “How Not To Measure Temperature.” It illustrates obvious temperature measuring problems – like placing weather stations next to AC units that blow hot air all around them. Well, there’s been a response:
Apparently, the NWS thought enough of the criticism of the siting next to a/c heat exchangers to do something about it. And, I’ve been hearing from time to time, that stations that volunteers have visited and we have showcased in “How Not To Measure Temperature, Part X” have been quietly cleaned up.
That’s lovely – it’s nice that something is at least being done. The essential dishonesty of the “quiet” cleanups is disturbing, though. Not least because it’s going to facilitate the ongoing switch from global warming hype to global cooling hype. [Read more...]
Guest post by Ken @ Red Dot in a Red State
Climate change has a new Knight in Shining Armor – Henry Waxman (D-CA). His 900+ page Climate Bill, also known as Cap-and-Trade or more affectionately as Cap-and-Tax, is supposed to somehow stop, and possibly reverse, Global Warming. Waxman, and other supporters are obviously not true believers in the climate change cause, or CO2‘s role as a root cause.
It should be plainly obvious that an energy tax will have absolutely no effect on either global atmospheric concentrations of CO2, nor average temperatures. Not one additional inch of arctic ice will be gained. Snow will not magically form on Mount Kilimanjaro. Ocean levels are not about to drop. The money collected will have an impact on our energy consumption, but only until people discover the loopholes. In winter, they may use their fireplaces more often. Plans for homemade methanol and ethanol stills will receive far more hits on Google. Sales of candles and kerosene lamps will increase. Demand for meat will shift to cheaper cuts and more chicken will be purchased. Overall, poverty will increase. Not one of these things will “save the world.” Economies shift when under pressure. Like a bean-bag chair, pressure on one end causes a rise on the other.
The Obama Administration, through the EPA, is prepared to use the Clean Air Act to enforce mind-numbingly strict regulations upon all elements of our economy which depend upon the burning of carbon-based fuels (story link). While EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is quick to point out that regulations are not imminent, she did make it clear that they are ready to move if Congress fails to curb emissions.
Representative Ed Markey (D-MA), who heads the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee that will craft the legislation over the next few weeks is quoted as saying
It now changes the playing field with respect to legislation. It’s now no longer doing a bill or doing nothing. It is now a choice between regulation and legislation.
The regulatory barrage will be unleashed against six gases and compounds which are claimed to be responsible for “Global Climate Change”: Carbon Dioxide (CO2); Methane (CH4); Nitrous Oxide (N2O); Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC’s); Perfluorocarbons (PFC’s); and Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6).
I’d like to take you through each of these, and try to determine why the EPA is hell-bent on removing these emissions.
