Posted on 05/28/2003 6:19:01 AM PDT by Interesting Times
"The oil-loathing leftists evidently have no idea how food gets to the cities..." -- Interesting Times
"Even more scary, I believe that some of them do understand how food gets to cities. They are fully aware of what they really want." -- William McKinley
"And that understanding is the line that divides the communists from the useful idiots." Interesting Times
Substitute nearly any current problem for "pollution" and your statement would (gasp!) still be true.
With the possible exception of the problem of how to elect Democrats...
Liberals Like Myself -- Please Read This Wonderful Book!, April 8, 2003
Reviewer: grandiork (see more about me) from New York, NY USA
I especially recommend this book to liberals like myself. Lomborg, predictably, is under attack from the left, and his defenders tend to be people who enjoy reading Ann Coulter. This is grossly unfortunate because Lomborg is not a conservative, and his book is not a right-wing political screed but a measured, balanced, thoughtful appraisal of data that's available to anyone. To me, it appears that the attacks on Lomborg are because, after examining the evidence, he failed to come to the politically correct conclusion. It makes me look upon my liberal brothers and sisters in a colder light, and that makes me sad.
No one should want to be a knee-jerk anything. Dare to be wrong! Examine the evidence! Listen to opposing points of view before drawing conclusions!
That's the end of _my_ screed.
(I.T.) There's hope for this guy. Nobody can "listen to opposing points of view before drawing conclusions" and stay a liberal for long.
A good critical look at the evidence, January 24, 2003
Reviewer: Michael J Edelman (see more about me) from Huntington Woods, MI USA
Bjorn Lomborg is a committed environmentalist who has comitted the unforgivenable sin- in some eyes, at least- of taking a critical look at some of the cliams being made in support of environmental policy programs. For this, he has been condemned in the scientific press and accused of everything from ignorance to being a tool of the corporations- everything short of being an agent of the devil himself. Even New Scientist magazine, in comdemning his treatment, found it necessary to repeatedly characterize him as being "out of his depth", and his ideas as "illogical" and "by no means a towering intellect".
All of which, I think, goes a long way in supporting the notion that far too much environmental policy is more about politics than science. Looking closely at data and trying to replicate findings- something that I was taught is at the heart of scientific inquiry- is not allowed.
Now I think of myself as an environmentalist. I drive a tiny 4-cylinder car, I don't run two-stroke motors, I don't dump solvents into the drain, I compoost my lawn, I use organic methiods on my lawn and garden, I superinsulated my house and I try to use manual power wherever possible. I'm excited about the coming of hybrid vehicles in the mass market.
But like Lomborg, I am skeptical of much of the data and theory being presented in support of policy. I know, for example, that a good part of global temperature fluctuation- though I would not claim all of it- it due to long-period, well documented, solar oscillations. And while research on the correlation has been published in Sweden, you won't find any scientist publishing that data in this country. It's just too risky to a career to go up against the politically popular models.
Some of Lomborg's statements that have upset his opponants the most have been those that point out what should be obvious truths- like the fact that while pesticides may have toxic effects, they can also save lives by providing cheaper food.
Remember the Alar flap? It wasn't that long ago that Hollywood mustered dozens of stars to protest against a relatively harmless antifungal agent called Alar. You may also remember those touching ads with Meryl Streep talking about this terrible poison.
Well, Alar was only found to be carcinogenic when administered in a dose large enough to kill 90% of those receiving it- the equivalent of eating pounds of it, when only a few milligrams or micrograms were applied to apples. So now, Alar is banned, and instead we have apples with fungi producing aflatoxins- some of the most potent carcinogens known. All thanks to some concerned and grossly ignorant Hollywood stars repeating the facts they were told.
If you're a comitted environmetalist- and you think you have all the facts- you owe it to yourself to read this book.
A dare liberals appear helpless to resist.
But, noooooooo..... they prefer being hypocritical parasites here in the USA.
Eat 'em up and sen 'em packin!
Our feet on the street cain't be beat...
Regards,
TS
WE HAD TO CLEAN UP AFTER THE "EARTH FREINDLY" ENVIROS!!!. Yep, that's right, the last delusitory leftists straggled off around 10:30 (before we even throttled down for sandwiches) and left the barricades littered with their anti-Exxon/anti-this'nthat signage. A crew of Young Conservatives of Texas (www.yct.org) along with a few freepers, went over to gather up and properly dispose of the radical left's wastage and leavings. Apparently their respect for the environment doesn't extend to the frontage of Dallas' lovely Morton-Meyerson Music Center, either that or, like leftist elitists everywhere, they simply assumed someone else would clean up their mess.
Typical.
Lie Globally, Litter Locally.
Another I.T. Original!
Registered! Draw it up Buddy! This is a good one for a sign!
Stultis - did anyone get a photo of this mess?
Regards,
TS
Here are a few pics from The Feast:
Tim Getting Started
Sauropod Getting Hungry
Chef Timmy and his creation
The organizers of today's rally also took good care of those present, with candy, softdrinks, water and sandwiches.
Some of those on the left apparently got a taste of prison food, after their assault on private property and free enterprise yesterday at Exxon's corporate headquarters in Irving. Word was that they never got an arraignment (sp?) yesterday. For whatever reason, the GreenPeace turnout was poor. I didn't do a head count myself, but most freepers made the max to be around eight. Somebody else said a dozen, but may have been counting reporters.
We had some great live music, and a couple of speakers including organizers Peggy Venable of Texas Citizens for a Sound Economy (www.cse.org), and Cyril Boynes, Jr. of the Congress of Racial Equality (www.core-online.org). Cyril wore traditional African dress, which helped us to attract attention (as if it were needed, with our abundant signs, chants, music and marching) and interviews from the press. In his speech Cyril talked about the great efforts Exxon/Mobil has been expending towards fighting malaria in Africa, and doubtless talked to interviewers about his frequent trips to Africa to promote free interprise, and about the importance of oil and enegry in fueling third world development.
What else? Oh, hellinhandcart came all the way from New York City and made us a terrific super-banner-size sign, with "rainbow" children, under an actual rainbow, with an oil derrick at the end thereof (where the pot-of-gold would go), proclaiming that oil is "for the children." Ms. AntiFemiNazi's husband, LloydChristmas, had the brilliant idea to do the banner on the little-plastic-slatted blind material, so it was nice and sturdy.
LloydChristmas also reported that the expedition to Walmart for materials inspired some Southern Shock and Awe in our yankee guests, HIAC and sauropod. No word on whether sauroped is packing his car with 48 per-pack toliet tissue and the like for the drive back through the wilds of Arkansas and Tennessee.
The 'Podster was NOT, however, either shocked, awed or intimidated by our relatively tame Dallas lefties. He seemed midly dissapointed in the failure to get a "rise" out of them with tried and true chants that would have driven New York City or Washington D.C. "A.N.S.W.E.R." types into a foam and spittle soaked frenzy. Even his "Fry Mumia" t-shirt drew little response. For the most part, in any case, we ignored the enviro-left and kept with a positive message.
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