Anyone else been watching CSPAN (global warming)?

[baby_bear]

McCain's scientific panel on global warming has been on for a few hours now. Absolutely fascinating.

I am hoping that now that the election is over, that McCain will be a really nasty thorn in Bush's side on this issue (and others - that would be nice).

s_m

[Indiana_Dem]

1. No I haven't. It sounds interesting.

Do you know if it will replay?

[baby_bear]

6. You can check out this page

http://www.cspan.org/VideoArchives.asp?z1=&PopupMenu_Name=Science/Technology&CatCodePairs=Issue,ST;

You may be able to replay it. I'm not sure if it will be replayed on television. It was excellent.

s_m

[Indiana_Dem]

9. Thanks. I'll check it out! nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Feh. If McCain is really so concerned about global warming

why did he whore so shamelessly for Bush?

[phantom power]

3. No doubt. McCain knows full well that Bush isn't going to "listen"

to anybody but his cabinet of yes-men and the voices in his head. The only way to moderate Bush was to throw him out of office, and McCain chose to help install him for a second term.

[kuozzman]

4. Saw part of it, interesting......hopefully

they take these guys more seriously than they did:
Testimony before the
U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Science
Washington D.C., May 22, 2001
Douglas W. Jones
Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of Iowa
Chair, Iowa Board of Examiners for Voting Machines and Electronic Voting Systems
Member, Iowa Election Reform Task Force

Who concluded by saying:

Given this, I cannot recommend large-scale funding for immediate modernization of voting systems across the country. To do so now would be to rush into the purchase of large numbers of systems that I hope will be found failing by the standards we ought to have in place!
Furthermore, there are many aspects of current standards that ought to be subject to constant reexamination. How accurate our our ballot counting machines with real ballots cast by real voters? How do the different user interfaces of different voting machines change the way voters respond to the machinery? How can we realistically test direct-recording machines, and how can we develop open standards.
http://www.house.gov/science/full/may22/jones.htm

[hatrack]

5. McCain can bite my bag!

This POS shamelessly whored day and night for Bush, who leads the most anti-science administration since the Inquisition roasted Giordano Bruno.

And now he's hoping to display his "moderate" stance on climate breakdown by holding these hearings, which is rather like holding hearings to emphasize your "moderate" stance on gravity.

If you were truly serious about this issue, you wouldn't have supported Pissy Frat Boy and his Merry Band of Corpo-Whores, now would you, John? I hope Phoenix dries up and blows away, I hope Powell and Mead drain below their river outlets and I hope McCain enjoys spending quality time with his lil' buddy in the White House.

Fuck you, John McCain.

[baby_bear]

7. Hold up there, hatrack

I have no more admiration of McCain than you do. But let's face it; the environment is on the skids under Bush. If McCain or the devil or Ted Stevens of Alaska (choke choke) proposes something scientific and progressive for the environment, I'll take it. And the more it irritates Bush, the better.

We may have to redefine victories as "small steps" for awhile. I am looking for all opportunities.

Let's hang in there together, even when we have to hold our collective noses (like now).

Cheers
s_m

[Indiana_Dem]

8. Hatrack has the same feelings I do.

We don't HAVE enough time. Sure I'll hold my nose but there is no underlying respect for these people that support that man. I'm hanging in there but it's probably too late. The environment is ticking away like a timebomb and we all have to spend our time dealing with stupid politics. It's very frustrating.

[hatrack]

10. Sorry, Sierra, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree

If this issue really mattered to McCain, he wouldn't have been out clapping his flippers and honking bike horns with his mouth for the Big Chimpy Road Show.

He knows (as do all of us) that this administration isn't going to do jack shit on THE issue of our lifetimes. He knows (as do all of us) that this tiny little PR pebble is going to produce 12 hours' worth of ripples and then fade away. And he knows that nothing substantive is ever going to pass the new Rapture Ready Congress for the forseeable future.

The ONLY thing that McCain could have done to make a difference would have been principled, straightforward and above all courageous opposition to another Bush term, and direct substantive criticism of this maladministration's environmental idiocy. But, of course, that was never in the cards. It's easier by far to go out and dispense big happy hugs to the man who smeared you while the campaign calliope plays on.

We are running out of time. We don't have four more years. The studies I've seen in GRL and Nature and Science and New Scientist and all the rest show that most of the Arctic & Subarctic soils & bogs are on the verge of flipping to a net carbon source, if they haven't flipped already. And when they do, game over.

I don't care about "realism". I don't care about who gets reelected. I don't care about humanity's little dance of denial, bargaining, anger and depression. I don't care about what's "politically possible".

Most of all, I really, REALLY don't care about displays of post-election "courage" and "independence" by a posing little Senator who apparently likes it rammed in hard and dry by the president he supported at all our expense.

Abrupt, awkward transition.

And on a totally unrelated noted, my hat's off to you, Sierra, for what you're doing at EPA. There was a post on this the other day about all the crap you guys are putting up with, and I salute you and your colleagues for keeping on doing what you're doing as best you can. :toast:

[baby_bear]

14. Thanks, hatrack

Today we were talking about what it would be like if we got a memorandum a la Porter Goss, telling us essentially to shut up, get with the Bush program, or get out.


The day we are told to become anti-environmental scientists, I guess we will get out too.

In the meantime, we work toward our agency's true mission, IN SPITE of the administration. We are not against the U.S. But we should not as civilian federal employees, be expected or asked to salute any president.

I understand about McCain, and what you believe. From my perspective, I am pathetically grateful for crumbs.

s_m

[ramapo]

12. Small steps = defeat

Time is long past the point where small steps will do anything to address the huge problems confronting us.

What will hearings translate to? Tough legislation? World leadership on the environment? Presidential leadership to focus attention on the fact that drastic action is needed to at least slow down the environmental juggernaut that becomes more apparant by the day?

How about nothing?

If McCain was worth anything as a leader, if he had any courage at all, he would've backed Kerry and he would've held these hearings pre-election.

[Kolesar]

11. Look at the calender. McCain waited until after the election for hearings

I woke up at 4:00 am and could not fall back to sleep. I was tossing and turning, worrying about the Larssen Ice Shelf & my beloved hemlocks.

[DemBones DemBones]

13. You mean the live feed of Congressional

Republicans expelling hot air?

:evilgrin:


Seriously, I'm sorry to hear I missed it but I was offline a good part of yesterday.

I hope McCain and most of the Dems will stand up and oppose everything the Bush**istas do wrong.

[YankeyMCC]

15. Wasn't it McCain

who said something like "he's concerned but that there needs to be further study." Or some such nonsense recently.