We are set on a course of 'planet saving' madness

Telegraph (UK) ^ | Nov 25, 2007 | By Christopher Booker

[Islander7]

The scare over global warming, and our politicians' response to it, is becoming ever more bizarre. On the one hand we have the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change coming up with yet another of its notoriously politicised reports, hyping up the scare by claiming that world surface temperatures have been higher in 11 of the past 12 years (1995-2006) than ever previously recorded.

This carefully ignores the latest US satellite figures showing temperatures having fallen since 1998, declining in 2007 to a 1983 level - not to mention the newly revised figures for US surface temperatures showing that the 1930s had four of the 10 warmest years of the past century, with the hottest year of all being not 1998, as was previously claimed, but 1934.

On the other hand, we had Gordon Brown last week, in his "first major speech on climate change", airily committing his own and future governments to achieving a 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 - which is rather like prime minister Salisbury at the end of Queen Victoria's reign trying to commit Winston Churchill's government to achieving some wholly impossible goal in the middle of the Second World War.

[Islander7]

As Whitehall officials privately briefed ministers in August, there is no way Britain can begin to meet such a fanciful target (even if the Government manages to ram through another 30,000 largely useless wind turbines).

[onedoug]

Coming: carbon taxes.

[neodad]

I’m going to start selling sub-prime carbon credits for illegals and countries who can’t meet Kyoto. I should make billions.

[Bobbisox]

I have never believed this unbelievable hoax on the American people. Never! And look at the numbers that have fallen for it. Republicans included. McCain, Rudy, Mitt, Huckabee have all stated that they will jump in with both feet to “fight Global Warming.”

You know...FRED THOMPSON is the only candidate not to fall into the trap of “Global Warming.” He is a man of few words, but the words he chooses are good ones.

[Cogadh na Sith]

On the other hand, we had Gordon Brown last week, in his "first major speech on climate change", airily committing his own and future governments to achieving a 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 - which is rather like prime minister Salisbury at the end of Queen Victoria's reign trying to commit Winston Churchill's government to achieving some wholly impossible goal in the middle of the Second World War.

AHAHAHAHAHA!

[Cacique]

btt

[ari-freedom]

To dream the impossible global warming nightmare

[businessprofessor]

Carbon taxes and cap and trading are just disguised price controls. In order to meet these arbitrary goals, demand will need to be slashed through price increases. Price controls have typically been used in periods of rising prices to make goods more affordable. The reality is that shortages arise when prices are artificially restricted. In the case of global warming, we will have surpluses with goods too expensive to purchase because the prices are set artificially high. United Airlines has already admitted this situation. They have indicated a willingness to idle 20% of capacity if energy prices continue to rise. Global warming is the ultimate socialist dream of controlling the economy.

[Names Ash Housewares]

“I’m going to start selling sub-prime carbon credits for illegals and countries who can’t meet Kyoto. I should make billions.”

And that is what it is all about.

[the invisib1e hand]

m-a-s-s i-n-s-a-n-i-t-y alert.

[onedoug]

They [United Airlines] have indicated a willingness to idle 20% of capacity if energy prices continue to rise.

Then they must have made the calculation that idling 20% of their fleet of airliners, which are designed to fly, is worth the increased costs of maintenance to keep them on the ground and then at some point refurbish them for flight?

[maine-iac7]

My favorite Picasso - indeed, about the only Picasso I like at all -

"I am I, Don Quixote..."

[goldstategop]

I like the mild weather. Why are liberals so obsessed over global warming? They want me to freeze my ass off. Thanks but no thanks.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[businessprofessor]

Yes UA seems to think that idling the aircraft costs less than flying them given some future cost structure with higher fuel costs. UA thinks that people will fly less if fares increase beyond some level. The GW crowd wants much higher fuel costs so I have linked UA’s public announcement about aircraft usage with the CO2 limits that the GW crowd wants to impose.

[ari-freedom]

higher fuel costs are also because
1) most oil supply is controlled by state governments
2) practically all money supply is controlled by central banks linked to governments.

[onedoug]

It doesn't seem like a good bet to me.

George Reisman, Capitalism

[steelyourfaith]

~~Anthropogenic Global Warming ™~

[Piquaboy]

I have noticed that the only ones promoting this global warming scam are leftest.