Focus On CO2 Foolish and Counterproductive

SEARCH BLOG: GLOBAL WARMING

Recently, I posted an summary sketch of the type of analysis needed to bring some sense to the politics of climate debate. Increasingly, the rush to action by politicians in their zeal to be recognized as champions of the planet has been creating a growing economic friction between the rich western nations and the poorer Asian and African nations. There is an increasing likelihood that the red herring of limiting CO2 will become a very real economic and environmental conflict between the "haves" and the "want to haves."

For example:

• US, China, India rebuff call to form a climate group
• China, India, Brazil Hold Up Climate Change Talks
• Global Warming Report: Convincing Asia
  

The list goes on....

I suspect that until the one-sided approach [CO2] is abandoned in favor of a logical and reasonable approach to assessing vulnerabilities (real or suspected), we will be seeing many more such headlines. Meanwhile, the CO2 debate is far from over... even if the politicians are anxious to cash in.

I want to issue an appeal to our American friends, to tell them that they can count on our friendship, which has been forged in the tragedies of history which we have faced together. I want to tell them that France will always be by their side when they need it, but I also want to tell them that friendship means accepting that your friends may think differently and that a great nation such as the United States has a duty not to put obstacles in the way of the fight against global warming, but on the contrary to take the lead in this fight, because what is at stake is the fate of humanity as a whole. France will make this battle its primary battle.
--Nicolas Sarkozy, 6 May 2007 [from Benny Peiser]

Of course, the French were smart enough to build a power grid based on nuclear power which politicians elsewhere rejected because of... environmentalists... who are trying to regroup under the global warming banner, but find their options getting fewer as major players are rejecting the so-called "green" approach.

Right now it is still a fight between CO2, environment, energy, and economy. It's time to get rational.

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European Backlash - Step 2

SEARCH BLOG: FRANCE and MUSLIMS

Last month, I made a prediction that was just too easy:

French voters are coming out for the end of the dilution of their culture by Islamists and you can bet that Segolene Royal will get the royal boot when the final election takes place against Nicolas Sarkozy.

Look to the UK for the next place where Muslims will become unwelcomed. The usually freedom-loving Brits have had their patience sorely tried by radical elements in their Muslim communities and some government officials are beginning to express the sentiments of many of their citizens.

This Belgian blogger expresses similar sentiments.

By 2010, Europe will be more divided by the issue of Muslim immigration than the U.S. is by Iraq and illegal immigration from Mexico... and there will be significant violence. The nations of Europe are smaller than the U.S. and there is less "absorption" space for cultural antagonism. Emigration was always the big population dynamic for Europe. Immigration and non-assimilation of Muslims is too new and too disruptive for it to continue much longer.

Europe's short, half-century "tradition" of tolerance... a reaction to Nazi Germany... is about to become short-lived.

Another easy prediction.

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Muslim Women Arise and Unite Against Terrorists

SEARCH BLOG: ISLAM

Yesterday, I posted an article about Taliban-wannabe, Islamic terrorists attempting to create a death-trap for young girls attending a new school. This, I pointed out, is another example of the misogynistic nature of these people.

If they can't subjugate their women as domestic and sexual slaves, they prefer to kill them. Education of girls is against their whole world view.

So why do Muslim women put up with this? Probably abject fear. Possibly abject ignorance. But not all Muslim women are too afraid or too ignorant to speak up. It may be that these brave, intelligent women may be the hope for a better world; a world where the personal beliefs of Muslims do not become the public acts of terror against others.

These women need the support of the West against the Islamic trolls who try to pull the world into the Dark Ages.

Watch this interview.



Also see this.

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Terrorist's Rules of Engagement

SEARCH BLOG: IRAQ

Thanks to "The Captain's Journal"

From CNN comes this heartening story of the misogynistic forces at play within certain Islamic factions:

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- American soldiers discovered a girls school being built north of Baghdad had become an explosives-rigged "death trap," the U.S. military said Thursday.

The plot at the Huda Girls' school in Tarmiya was a "sophisticated and premeditated attempt to inflict massive casualties on our most innocent victims," military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said.

The military suspects the plot was the work of al Qaeda, because of its nature and sophistication, Caldwell said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

The plot was uncovered Saturday, when troopers in the Salaheddin province found detonating wire across the street from the school. They picked up the wire and followed its trail, which led to the school. Once inside, they found an explosive-filled propane tank buried beneath the floor. There were artillery shells built into the ceiling and floor, and another propane tank was found, the military said.

The wire was concealed with mortar and concrete, and the propane tanks had been covered with brick and hidden underneath the floor, according to a military statement. Soldiers were able to clear the building.

"It was truly just an incredibly ugly, dirty kind of vicious killing that would have gone on here," Caldwell said.

Iraqi contractors were responsible for building the school, which was intended to bring in hundreds of girls.

"Given the care and work put into emplacing this IED, it is likely it had been planned for a long time" and it is thought that "the IED was not intended to be set off until the building was occupied," the military said.

Authorities intend to question the Iraqis involved in the school's construction.

Yes, but please don't detain any of them because certain political factions in the U.S. will be upset. No more detaining those involved in terrorism. Nope. Just line them up against the school that they built and shoot them all on the spot.

For those of you who missed my post questioning "rules of engagement," you might want to read it.

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Some Discrimination Is Okay

SEARCH BLOG: DISCRIMINATION

The other day, Pat Buchanan had a post entitled, "PBS is Hiring - Blacks, Whitey Need Not Apply."

The issue was that PBS had hired a film and casting company for a "show exploring the latest in science and technology" and had specified that the person to host the show must be "Latino." That might have made some sense for a show about how Mexicans were adapting to the U.S. culture, but seemed a little arbitrary for a show about science and technology.

What a particular writer to Mr. Buchanan was riled about was that a staff member at the University of Southern California wrote this:

From: Nancy Levien - levien@usc.edu
Date: April 30, 2007
To: FACULTY@usc.edu
Subject: FW: Casting

Dear Faculty,

The person in the email below is looking for a host for a TV show with a specific background and be a Latino. Please pass on to any post doc, PhD student, etc. that you think would be interested.
Thank you.

Nancy Levien
Executive Assistant to the Chair
Department of Computer Science
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Tel: (213) 740-4498
Fax: (213) 740-7285

I posted this comment:

This is not so much a case of discrimination as it is a case of being thought-conflicted.

It is “discriminatory” to have a white actor play a black in “black-face” or a Mexican in a sombrero and fake mustache because you are “perpetuating stereotypes.” This is different from providing specific “minorities” with “opportunities” based on a perceived need for “representation” whether it forces individuals of other groups [read whites] out of consideration.

Discrimination is only discrimination if it against the “powerless” [which could include wealthy individuals of the correct ethnic backgrounds]. Discrimination is not discrimination if it is against the “powerful” [which could include the jobless among the “majority”].

It is conflicted thinking because it focuses on the “personal attributes” of individuals rather than the “economic attributes” in defining those in “need.”

It is conflicted thinking because it focuses on the “personal attributes” of individuals rather that the “personal accomplishments” in defining those who are “worthy.”

The interesting thing is that blacks, Asians, and all others were also excluded... which meant it wasn't about getting "diversity."

It was about playing to the Mexican audience in Los Angeles. This is called "marketing"... unless it is done by whites.

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Indecency According to Islam?

SEARCH BLOG: ISLAM

I came across this bit about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being berated by some right of right-wing Islamists because of his indecent behavior with an elderly teacher.

Then I realized why so many in the West have a visceral reaction against the Islam of the Taliban, et al: it is a modern caricature of the West's Dark Ages.

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Debate About "Mission Accomplished"

SEARCH BLOG: IRAQ

An interesting discussion about the war in Iraq that has been going on for 3 days at Econbrowser.

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Technology and Global Warming

SEARCH BLOG: GLOBAL WARMING

Recently, I have commented to several scientists who have their own blogs that the issue of applying technology to address CO2 output is a very narrow and, quite probably, counterproductive approach to mankind's future on this planet.

It is evident that CO2 has become a red herring for every political and social agenda imaginable and that, too often, science and reason are disregarded in the proclamations of impending disaster.

There are at least four "dimensions" that should be addressed before the government steps in to create its own version of the "enlightenment":

• energy
• environment
• economy
• global warming (climate impact)

As I wrote yesterday, global warming and climate change are not synonymous. Most proposals to take this approach or that to reduce CO2 have conflicting impacts in these four dimensions.

Below is an example of a summary evaluation a coalition of scientists and professionals from different disciplines could provide as the basis for public debate (with more detail, of course).

While the debate does go on, the arguments for or against a particular action are often highly biased, confusing, and detrimental to other aspects of human existence (such as dragging down economic development in poor countries by limiting CO2 output from the resources available to them).

I believe that the IPCC (UN climate evaluation group) represents only one of the four critical dimensions that need to be considered before billions or trillions of dollars are dedicated toward a particular effort or technology.

Click on image to see a larger picture



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Making Sense Out of Climate Change

SEARCH BLOG: GLOBAL WARMING

A recent post at Climate Science tries to clarify the difference between the terms "global warming" and "climate change" which are often used interchangeably, but are not necessarily equivalent.

Global warming is a increasing trend in earth's average temperature.

Climate change is "Any systematic change in the long-term statistics of climate elements (such as temperature, pressure, or winds) sustained over several decades or longer. Climate change may be due to natural external forcings, such as changes in solar emission or slow changes in the earth’s orbital elements; natural internal processes of the climate system; or anthropogenic forcing.”

I suspect that most people are concerned about climate change more than the global warming. They aren't so much concerned about a couple of degrees of warmth versus bad things that might happen to their region's climate. They presume that warming = bad.

But when you look at what human activities affect climate the most, it is not CO2 that causes changes to climates. It is how humans alter their environment.

The most spectacular example is how deforestation in the Amazon rain forest is reducing precipitation and raising temperatures. Another similar example is how crop irrigation in the U.S. plains is increasing rainfall. Meanwhile, deforestation of northern latitude forests increases albedo (reflection) and reduces temperatures in the winter. But expansion of urban areas creates warmer, drier conditions.

But won't warmer temperatures turn everything into either a desert or a tropical swamp?

Actually, human manipulation of environment will have more impact on environment than changes in temperatures. Certainly, growing seasons will be extended and animals will have larger habitable ranges, but predicting specific weather patterns and living conditions is a crap shoot given the many variables other than temperature that must be considered.

For more, read here.

ADDENDUM

[thanks to Luboš Motl] CNN showing this.
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Marching For Legitimacy

SEARCH BLOG: ILLEGAL

Thousands of people marched today in Chicago to legitimize pedophilia... I mean illegal immigrants... I knew something was illegal.

“A lot of people in the U.S. call themselves Americans, but they forget their heritage — their parents and grandparents were immigrants too,” said Apolinar Marin, 29, who manages a car wash in the Chicago suburbs.

“We think we are being treated unjustly,” said his wife Esmeralda, 30, who is an interpreter in a high school. “A lot of our people can’t express themselves because of the language, but it does not mean that they don’t care.

The general theme of the rally was that immigrants as a group work hard and that changes are needed to make it easier for them to get the papers needed to legalize their status.

Well, what if pedophiles are hard workers? Should we make it easier for their actions to be declared legal?

If you do something illegal should you be rewarded?

How about a system that rewards immigrants who come in legally? Perhaps a more streamlined guest worker programs that rewards those who apply and register and keep up proper notification of status changes?

Don't make the guest workers pay a fee; make the employer pay a fee!

...and quickly deport any foreigner who doesn't follow the law and make certain they can't get in again legally or otherwise by imposing an automatic jail sentence followed by deportation for subsequent offenses.

Go home now and try again... legally.

Oh, just one other issue. There is a growing discord between blacks and recent Mexican immigrants in places like Los Angeles. Listen to Los Angeles black radio show host, Terry Anderson.


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Not So Brave New World - Iranian Style

SEARCH BLOG: IRAN



Iranian police are now also the "haircut police" in the cleric-run fascist nation.

Approved haircuts now look like this:





Elsewhere, those corrupted by western-style haircuts joined those with Islamic-approved haircuts in planning "corrective action" events around Britain. Unfortunately, the corrupt British legal system has prevented them from further such actions.

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Europeans Eschew Ethanol

SEARCH BLOG: ETHANOL

Europeans are, by and large, underwhelmed by the prospects of ethanol replacing oil.

Why? Costs too much, not very efficient, and environmentally flawed.

What looms on the horizon? Biodiesel fuels... a new way to burn wood.

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Reports About Iraq

SEARCH BLOG: IRAQ

I was up at 4 a.m. so when I saw William S' email with the following links, I began the arduous process of going through them. Most of you hear the nightly "capsules" of information about Iraq. These links are probably more than you can chew on, but do contain some very interesting insights about the politics and military operations in Iraq. I recommend the Charlie Rose interview.

Full Transcript (90 minute interview on Iraq)

A conversation with President Bush

Interview with Charlie Rose, aired 24 April 2007

transcript made available by the International Herald Tribune

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/25/news/gwb.php

or here (a French source):

full transcript in one long page (text size is adjustable):

http://www.resiliencetv.fr/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2226

and video:

http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2007/04/24/1/a-conversation-with-the-president-of-the-united-states

Full Transcript (lengthy news media Q&A)

DoD News Briefing with General Petraeus from the Pentagon

April 26, 2007 10:00 AM EDT

U.S. Department of Defense

http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=3951

and video:

C-SPAN video of DoD briefing by General Petraeus - 26 April 2007

http://www.c-span.org/rss/video.asp?MediaID=30670

(the video may not be available)

March 2007

9010 Report to Congress (45 pages)

Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq

U.S. Department of Defense

http://www.defenselink.mil/home/pdf/9010_March_2007_Final_Signed.pdf

and here:

HTML version (excluding charts in the original)

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/2007/iraq-security-stability_mar2007-01.htm

April 2007

Section 1227 Report to Congress

U.S. Department of State

http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/rpt/1227/83923.htm

You ought to at least scan the 1227 Report to Congress... and wonder how may congressmen actually heard/read it.

Just one other thought: Americans seem to be fascinated with videos of explosions and the insurgents in Iraq are very aware of this fascination. It's like the sleight-of-hand tricks of the sideshow magician who gets you to focus on one thing and miss what is actually happening.

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A Failure in Generalship

SEARCH BLOG: IRAQ

I received an email from one of my corresponding associates asking me to forward this rather intense article found in the Armed Forces Journal written by Lt. Col. Paul Yingling about the role of military leadership in the current problems the U.S. is experiencing with the insurgency in Iraq.

Although I was in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, I recognize that I have few qualifications to either support or dispute this article. So I leave it up to you.

When you get done with the article, you may have the same question as I have: if the military leadership had agreed with the precept of this article regarding modern warfare... and they were vocal about it... would the U.S. have committed to this war?

I'll pose just one other question: if the U.S. military was allowed to conduct the war effort as a military operation ... no holds barred... how long would it take to get rid of the insurgents?

Many of you may be too young to remember or know about the "rules of engagement" in Vietnam that contributed to the humiliating U.S. withdrawal. I suspect that there are far too many "rules of engagement" in play now in Iraq.

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Education Accomplishments Not Important

SEARCH BLOG: EDUCATION

One cannot read the newspapers without at least one article appearing each week about how schools are failing our students, the state is failing our students, or the society is failing our students (students don't fail).

Now we hear that the Dean of Admissions at MIT, Marilee Jones, who "rewrote MIT's application, trying to get students to reveal more about their personalities and passions, and de-emphasizing lists of their accomplishments," may have been one of those students failed by our schools, state, and society.

MIT spokeswoman Patti Richards said Jones has at various times claimed to have degrees from Union College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Albany Medical College. But Richards had no immediate information on what degrees Jones actually has or how the matter was uncovered.

Jason Gorss, a spokesman for RPI, said Jones attended that university as a part-time, non-matriculating student from September 1974 until June 1975 but did not receive a degree. Messages left for officials at the other two schools were not immediately returned.

But, wait! She was Dean since 1997! She was correct! Why worry about actual accomplishments when you just have to say you did something?

One has to wonder how MIT could have been fooled for so long. Were there no other qualified women to ensure sufficient diversity? Is Admissions an area that doesn't really require any qualifications?

Lloyd Thacker, founder of The Education Conservancy, a group that is also trying to tone down admissions anxiety, said he was saddened by the announcement.

"She's had a positive impact in the lives of many students and families and has brought inspiration to the profession," Thacker said. "What's happened in no ways discredits the value of her work and her unwavering commitment to helping students, and I sincerely hope she's able to continue with that cause."

You know, maybe our schools, state, and society are failing our students. After all, Lloyd apparently feels that education isn't all that important... as long as you have "a positive impact."

Since I have plenty of time on my hands, I was thinking out some positions at MIT which I could fill... provost, dean, president, da guy in charge. I have to go now. It's time to create an academic history for myself... doctorates from Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, Beijing University... sounds good to me. Plus, my eight Olympic gold medals in equestrian events should qualify me to lead the MIT polo team.

Also see: An MIT dean with high school education (or less)

Why Islam Will Not Spread in America

SEARCH BLOG: ISLAM

Cultural differences prevent Islam from spreading in the U.S.


Source



Source

Americans don't believe in "submission".

Apparently, many Iranians feel the same way.

Related links:

• Huge cost of Iranian brain drain
• 'Mass purges' at Iran universities

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Birth Control

SEARCH BLOG: POPULATION

As the world's population hovers between 6 to 7 billion people, different societies have various strategies to control their population growth.

China, for example, has limited families to one child (with some recent exceptions in rural areas) and that has had the consequence of female infanticide which has led to a dramatic shortage of available brides for young men... a socially dangerous situation.

Other nations, such as Italy, have suddenly found that they have a declining population as young people have rejected the large family, village oriented lifestyle of their parents for the urban-chic, singles approach to fun and fortune first. There, young men will live with their parents for food and laundry services and keep a little place for entertaining young, willing women.

Other areas such as the Middle East have prolific birth rates which apparently are kept under control by sectarian warfare or "jihads" against "infidels".

Mexico, with the largest Spanish-speaking population of any country in the world (over 100 million), shuns infanticide, birth control pills or condoms, and warfare, so they have come up with a uniquely Mexican approach to birth control:


Source

The End Of Civilization - A Perspective By Scipio

SEARCH BLOG: CATASTROPHE

An interesting post at "The Return of Scipio" (aka Mike Austin) today.

When you are done, go back and re-read this and this.

And then, finally, this.
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Economy: Is Bad Good?

SEARCH BLOG: ECONOMY

The DOW passed 13,000 today for the first time.

Given the extremely soft housing market and the cost of oil/gasoline going up [hint: inflation... Federal Reserve... interest rates], it seems that this may be another bubble getting primed to burst.

Then again, the stock market has not always followed the consumer market.

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VA Redux

SEARCH BLOG - GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE and VETERANS ADMINISTRATION

Earlier this year I had several posts regarding the VA health care system for veterans.

My position was that the outpatient care process was:

1. Inefficient and extremely time-consuming for the veterans
2. Diverted scarce resources from long-term, higher-difficulty rehabilitation efforts

My solution was a VA card, similar to a Medicare card, that would allow veterans to seek outpatient or emergency care at any hospital or clinic, thereby reducing the wait for help and the drain on VA doctors' time from rehabilitation or serious illness care.

I received several comments supporting the VA. I also support the VA; I just don't support this aspect of its health care process.

Here is further support for that position.

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