Gate-gate? - by Richard... Saturday, February 13, 2010

Gate-gate? - by Richard... Saturday, February 13, 2010

The man who brought you the computer equivalent of a train wreck, Bill Gates, is now turning his attentionto the crise du jour, global warming, an issue which seems to entrance the great and the good, and the fabulously wealthy.

Many people would prefer he devoted his time to fixing his Windows operating system, but instead we have the great man standing in front of a gilded audience, telling them: "The formula is a very straightforward one ... More carbon dioxide equals temperature increase equals negative effects like collapsed ecosystems. We have to get to zero."

In front of a more "robust" audience, such utter tosh would be howled down, but such is the power of prestige that the man can escape without being drowned in a wave of derision.

It says everything of the audience, however, that one of the members was al-Gore, the man who needs a bodyguard to do a book signing, and is himself the butt of innumerable jokes, to the extent that his credibility is below zero with the general public.

But within the glitterati – where the denizens are completely detached from reality – their fantasy world survives intact, while they congratulate themselves on their cleverness and concern.

But, of course, behind the facade is the greed. Al-Gore was there to tout his "Alliance for Climate Protection", a political lobby aiming to push cap and trade through the Senate.

A vital step will be to put a price on carbon dioxide emissions so the cost of polluting the air gets factored into the global economy, says Gore, oblivious to the costs it will impose on millions of ordinary people, but doubtless very conscious of the huge profit opportunities which will help line his pockets.

Thus, as always, when rich men start talking of the "public good", watch out for your wallet - a view echoed by Autonomous Mind.

CLIMATE CHANGE – FINAL PHASE THREAD

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That Radio 5 Debate - by Richard...

Maurizio Morabito has posted a partial transcript of the proceedings. And very well done, it is.

CLIMATE CHANGE – FINAL PHASE THREAD

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Notice the similarity? - by Richard...

We have William Hague with "an apocalyptic message", telling us we must choose between "change and ruin".

The forthcoming general election is our chance - our only chance - to get rid of Gordon Brown. "This is no time to punish mainstream political parties with votes for fringe groups or to indulge in fantasies of a hung Parliament," says Hague.

Elsewhere, we have Geoffrey Lean, on global warming, telling us ... er ... we must choose between "change and ruin". Keep the faith or the kangaroo gets it.

Both are variations on a theme – the politics of fear. Do as I say or terrible thing will happen to you, and generations to come - always in the same hectoring, patronising tone.

It seems an unlikely coincidence that, in the global warming camp, we also have Professor Liss of the CRU and Prince Charles offering very similar doom-laden messages.

Now, in the political camp, the not-the-tory-party, bereft of ideas – and a fully paid-up member of the warmist ideology – adopts the same tactic. In both cases, though, they are doing nothing but display their own intellectual bankruptcy. Neither have anything to offer except a vision of "apocalypse future".

The answer to both camps is the same.

CLIMATE CHANGE – FINAL PHASE THREAD

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Rally for Academic Integrity - by Richard...

"Students, residents and community leaders will join together on Friday, February 12, to demand a fair and independent investigation of Michael Mann and Climategate. The University has a conflict of interest, and should not conduct an internal investigation without external oversight.

The Rally for Academic Integrity will take place in front of the Hetzel Union Building (HUB) on Penn State’s University Park Campus (Pollock Road entrance) at 12:00. This Rally for Academic Integrity is jointly sponsored by PSU Young Americans for Freedom and The 9-12 Project of Central PA."

Now that is really something. Are we to have one at East Anglia University as well?

CLIMATE CHANGE – FINAL PHASE THREAD