Ah, you knew it had to happen. Taking a page from the “smoking kills” campaigns, the McKibbenites are petitioning the land of fruits and nuts to put new warning labels on gas pumps warning buyers about the evils of gasoline use as it pertains to global warming.
And, given that California’s governor Jerry brown was recently scared shitless at AGU by a hyped up presentation by Penn State’s Dr. Richard Alley, he’ll probably help these folks get it into law. I wrote then:
I shudder to think what sort of influence Alley’s rantings might have on the people of California via Brown.
Here’s the proposed label:
My view is that it will probably get about as much attention from consumers as the idiotic Global Warming Labels for cars in California, that are even required on electric cars (which is why I gave up on trying to sell them in 2008, but that’s another story) because apparently consumers are too stupid to figure out that electric motors don’t directly emit gases.
Does anyone except the most zealotous of buyers really care? Generally not, looks, features, color, price, performance, and mileage are still the biggest factors in determining an automobile purchase.
So, even if the McKibbenites manage to get this into law, it will likely have about as much impact as this sticker already slapped onto new car doors and the side of gas pumps in California from Proposition 65 in 1986:
![prop_65[1]](http://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/prop_651.jpg?quality=83)
People still need to get from point A to point B, like to work, and will generally consider that need above all others. Basically the new global warming gasoline warning label as proposed will just be a subtle form of harassment from the minority McKibbenites on the majority of Californians.
The local chapter of the McKibbenite sect thinks the label should look like this:
350BayArea.org has released this mock up of what a climate change warning label might look like on a gas pump. (350BayArea.org)
I keep hoping environmental zealots will be forced to wear a warning label. Maybe something like “Warning: Irrational and emotionally based statements (and odors) may emanate from this individual, keep 10 feet back.”
(h/t to a bunch of people, you know who you are.)
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stupid is as stupid does
Does anyone except the most zealotous of buyers really care?
zealous zealotous is is a name from Ragnarok http://ragnarok.wikia.com/wiki/Zealotus_(anime)
I like to think that California is like a safety valve for the rest of the country. It gives the more extreme nutty progressives a place to regulate. Perhaps by providing an outlet, it alleviates our having to deal with this in other parts of the country to some extent.
At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
If the ‘success’ of the Surgeon General’s Warning on every pack of cigarettes produced in the USA for the last 48 years is any indication, don’t look for gas stations to be going out of business for lack of sales any time soon.
I saw the article as well. California – going broke as fast as it can.
Caution!
Living is hazardous to your health, and will lead to illness such as heart disease and cancer. Prolonged exposure to life will result in death.
They are still digging I see. Perhaps they have reached a depth where they can’t clear the dirt from the hole.
This is the funniest part about it:
http://www.stuffaboutstates.com/agriculture/
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/study-finds-plant-growth-surges-as-co2-levels-rise-16094
California is benefiting more than any state from the CO2 fertilization effect on its massive agriculture crops.
Talking about shooting yourself in the foot……..but this is on purpose!
What’s next? Ban the use of H2O for outdoor applications(irrigating crops) because it will evaporate and become a greenhouse gas.
Warning: One of the liquids, water, used in your engine’s cooling system can cause death if it is in sufficient quantity to inhibit breathing.
Warning: One of the gases, oxygen, in your vehicle’s tires can create runaway fires if exposed to heat and a flammable material.
Warning: That same gas, oxygen, which is partially present in your vehicle’s tires, will, in insufficient quantities result in asphyxiation.
Warning: If you look through any of the windows of your vehicle, and directly at a solar eclipse, the glass on the vehicle will not prevent permanent vision damage.
Warning: The State of California has determined that the mindset of the State of California can cause permanent injury to Western Civilization.
Average Joe or Maria at the gas pump: (muttering)
… regular….. dang it why doesn’t he re-set the pump……. come ON already (annoyed glare in direction of mini-mart)….. (punch…)…. okay, good, it’s going. (look at sky…. look at traffic on road…… orange sticker catches eye, reading to self:) “WARNING The State of California, blah, blah, blah, whatever”… (stops reading…. glance at gallons pumped) fifteen……… sixteen….. I’ll run it up to twenty…. (stare at traffic on road… at pump…. think about that jerk at work…… think about what to eat for lunch — CLICK!. Done. Into Chevy Silverado, drive off, accelerating sharply (because it is FUN)).
Memory of the orange sticker? ZERO.
Bwah, ha, ha, ha, haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
AGW is dead, you dopes, DEAD. No matter how many stickers you plaster all around town, the game is OVER.
CO2 UP. WARMING STOPPED.
***********************************************
Thanks for the laugh, An-tho-ny. #(:))
If gasoline were made illegal in California today there would be millions of dead people there in weeks. Gasoline is an essential component of any modern mobile society. Anything that disrupts the economies of scale in the process of making gasoline universally available at a reasonable cost would far outweigh anything 0.7ºC could ever accomplish. McKibben is a flapping idiot with no sense of proportion and even less common sense. I say we pull his access to modern portable energy.
Wait for it California residents–when the “state” is finally told (and Gov. Brown decrees) that WATER is the primary GHG.
Say “So long!” to your swimming pools, lawn watering, even agricultural irrigation!
And they’ll be trying to figure out how to get rid of that dastardly Pacific Ocean just upwind from them all!
I kid you not!
@ur momisugly Tom J — good one! And, KEEP ON DOING YOUR ART WORK! Hope today is a good day. Take care, J.
Just like the prop 65 plaques in all the restaurants they become part of the wall paper
Seems like most every product I buy has a label on it that says “…KNOWN TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA…” to cause some horrible problem. Does anyone actually give credence to any of this? Has anyone ever decided not to buy something because California says it might be dangerous? Even the air I breathe has chemicals known to California to be dangerous. And the air I breathe out is even more dangerous. Sigh. If Californians actually banned everything they put a warning label on, I wonder what would be left?
I suppose it’s too much to ask these zealots to simply look at the temperature trend in California to see if their rantings match reality?
see California’s temperature trend here:
http://www.appinsys.com/globalwarming/RS_California.htm
Rampant supidity! Over this side of the Atlantic we have had the EU telling us that due to AGW we have to prepare for droughts, this was after they told us that the wet and stormy weather with floods that we have just had was also caused by AGW!
Of course nothing can compete with the warning on a bag of peanuts “WARNING, this product contains nuts”
It is not just the product that contains nuts!
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Whether or not it’s a safety valve depends on who’s in Washington.
I remember replacing a fitting in my house several years ago. The new fitting had a warning saying something to the effect that the California EPA had determined that the brass in it contained lead and so was very, very bad. (I live in Ohio.)
Now, years later, the USEPA requires lead-free brass in water fittings.
At times California isn’t a safety valve but a preview.
Mark Bofill says: @ur momisugly January 10, 2014 at 10:46 am
I like to think that California is like a safety valve….
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Unfortunately it is more like a testing ground.
If it flies in CA it is then exported to the east coast and MA gives it a try and then we get stuck with it nation wide.
Warning where you are right now at any moment could experience an earthquake of sufficient magnitude to cause destruction of everything in your field of view. This is not limited to the ground opening up and swallowing you and your vehicle whole. Have a nice day.
andrewmharding says: @ur momisugly January 10, 2014 at 11:10 am
… Of course nothing can compete with the warning on a bag of peanuts “WARNING, this product contains nuts”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
ERRrr, “Peanuts” are not tree nuts. Despite its name and appearance, the peanut is not a nut, but rather a legume. and grows underground.
“apparently consumers are too stupid to figure out that electric motors don’t directly emit gases.”
I’d surmise it’s because consumers are generally smart enough to realize that electric cars just emit their CO2 elsewhere. I.e., at the power station.
It frosts me every time I see an electric bus or car with a “zero emissions vehicle” sign. It’s a lie. The sign should say ‘exported emissions vehicle.’
These people would have trouble finding their rear ends using both hands
Les Johnson, it’s worse than you think! “Care, being born is fatal – 100% of those born will die. Vote for nil birth rate NOW”!
As Foghorn Leghorn would say, “Bill, ah say Bill McKibben is about as sharp as a bowling ball.”