Friday, December 09, 2005

Global Warming and American lobbyists

I don't really know what to make of this, but can I see a show of hands, please??: Are humans responsible for global warming or not?

Your comments appreciated, and references would be helpful...

ELMO

7 comments:

  1. Here is a reference: the article refers to a group called the "Cooler Heads Coalition". According the the Cooler Heads Coalition website @ http://www.globalwarming.org/article.php?uid=562, "the Cooler Head Coalition is a subgroup of the National Consumer Coalition focusing on global climate issues." (viewed Dec. 8, 2005).

    According to SourceWatch, the Centre for Media and Democracy, @
    http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Consumer_Coalition, the "the National Consumer Coalition is a group of industry friendly organizations that oppose government regulation and support "free market" solutions to consumer issues". (Viewed Dec. 8, 2005).

    While I am no expert on the groups or initiatives being talked about, it does not exactly seem illogical to think that someone with close ties to such groups would be involved in undermining efforts to support Kyoto in Europe.

    Other comments? Does anyone know more about the current status of Kyoto discussions?

    Your librarian friend. Where am I coming from? I'm no expert on chemistry, but I care deeply about the environment and equity for people around the globe. I'm for open access, and democracy. That is rule by the people, for the people - not rule by the corporations, for the corporations.

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  2. I don't find this at all surprising. I'm assuming Greenpeace has a systematic plan to move their own agenda forward, so why shouldn't people with other viewpoints?

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  3. This analogy does not quite work. Whatever you think of Greenpeace, I think we all have a very good idea of what they stand for. This kind of deception (corporations calling themselves the National Consumer Organization) would be like Greenpeace calling themselves Big Oil. Corporations do have a right to present their side of the story, but they have an obligation to do so honestly.

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  4. Ah, good point, I didn't realize they were acting deceptively.
    -Mark (that was me earlier, too. I forgot my logon password)

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  5. Energy industry companies have funded public relations campaigns to undermine climate science for at least two decades. They have spent hundreds of millions on advertising by funding 'independent' think tanks. The also fund many 'astroturf' (false grassroots) organizations.
    //////
    Here is an article from a man in Vancover who owns his own PR / Marketing firm. He loves the outdoors and skiing and he's angry enough to expose what they have been doing.
    //////
    http://www.desmogblog.com/slamming-the-climate-skeptic-scam

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  6. I grew up during the early seventies. I jumped on all of these bandwagons too...SAVE PLANET!!! And then I watched my friends start spouting Charmain Moa, Ho Chi Mihn and Karl Marx (Marx being the key word) talk. They even wore those khaki caps with the little red star. Then I watched as my friends became prominent Democrats and (so called) liberals....they're Marxists! You need to stop worrying about saving the planet and start worrying about saving your freedoms....they're disappearing, one by one! Or have you had it so good in America that you can't see that you are the frog in the boiling pot of water?

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  7. I am not keen to take a political tack in this blog, but Kevin's comments about freedoms and Marxists do seem to request a response. It seems the current hosts of the White House have done more to attack freedoms in America than anyone in living memory. Consider this interview with Glenn Greenwald at http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/12122008/watch.html. Bill Moyers sits down with political commentator and Salon.com blogger Greenwald who asks: Are we a nation ruled by men or by laws? A former constitutional and civil rights lawyer, Greenwald looks at the legacy of the Bush Administration, the prospects for President-elect Obama's cabinet choices, as well as the possibilities for government accountability.

    Consider, too, that just because one can be labeled as a Marxist, Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, or whatever, does not mean that everything one says is wrong or has no value. Moreover, why can we not be concerned about both our planet AND our freedoms? Neither is much good without the other, don't you think?

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