Note: I don’t normally allow the discussion of things related to Nazi Germany here, including discouraging the use of the word “denier” due to it’s “Holocaust Denier” connotations. But this full page ad in the Sunday papers in Britain, touting “climate crime” and “climate cops” is just a bit over the top, and deserves some attention. It is particularly relevant since the sponsoring website climatecops.com has a teachers section, and we’ve just seen some sensibility from Schwarzenegger in Sacramento on this very issue. I find this method of indoctrinating school children to normal everyday living being harmful to the earth with the “climate crime” connotation as distasteful and wrong headed. I have no problems with energy conservation, in fact I encourage it. But combining such advice with a “climate cop” idea is the wrong way to get the message across. Can you imagine what sort of reaction the neighbors will have to the kids hanging this door hanger on their front door? Will the result of this now be hiding your electric dryer behind false walls so the kids and neighbors don’t see it?
At the very least, npower could have chosen a different color scheme: red, black and white are the same three colors used in the flag of Nazi Germany What were they thinking? – Anthony
Reposted from the website EU referendum:
Can I be the only one more than a little disturbed by the latest campaign to be fronted by energy company npower?
Launched today with large colour ads in the Sundays, it appeals directly to children, urging them to enlist as “climate cops”, to root out “climate crimes“, and thus “save the planet”.
In a luridly-designed website, mimicking the style of “yoof” cartoons, it offers a bundle of downloads, including a pack of “climate crime cards“, urging its recruits to spy on families, friends and relatives, inviting each of them to build up a “climate crime case file” in order to help them ensure their putative criminals do not “commit those crimes again (or else)!”
Quite what the “or else!” should be is not specified, but since the “climate cops” are being encouraged to keep detailed written records (for those who can read and write), there is nothing to stop these being submitted to the “Climate Cops HQ” for further sanctions, the repeat offenders being sent to re-education camps. And for those “climate cops” that successfully perform the “missions” set (or turn in their own parents), there is the reward of “training” in the “Climate Cop Academy”.
In a system which has echoes of Hitler’s Deutsches Jungvolk movement, and the Communist regime Pioneers, perhaps successful graduates can work up to becoming block wardens, then street and district “climate crime Führers”, building a network of spies and informers.
How nicely this ties in with James Hansen’s call to put the chief executives of large fossil fuel companies on trial for high crimes against humanity and nature, accusing them of actively spreading doubt about global warming.
No doubt, with a willing band of “climate cops”, the prosecutors can spread their nets wider, reaching into the homes of all climate change deniers, until the insidious virus of doubt is exterminated (final solution, anyone?). Then we can all march on the sunlit uplands of a “carbon-free” planet – to the tune of Ode to Joy no doubt.
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Yippee! Now I can have the delightfully horrible world of “1984” only a few decades delayed in “2014”! Won’t it be great when we all have nervous twitches and are terrified to voice anything even remotely resembling doubt of the new world religion of global warming? I don’t know about you but I just can’t wait to rat out aging grandmothers for using their cars to get around! I mean really, just because some is sixty+ is no reason they can’t walk several miles to buy their medication! How selfish of them. And those oil companies? Why certainly they should be sued for high-crimes against us all. Seriously, the way they’ve been forcing us to use gas all these years and hiding the better solutions in an elaborate conspiracy? How great will it be when those inspired environmentalist DRIVE up to the courthouse (Either in gas powered vehicles or in the GREENER solutions that cost about the same as a third-world country) and nail those awful capitalists jerks who tried to make a living and became too successful.
-Note: For those without senses of humor the previous paragraph was indeed satirical and making fun of how ridiculous some people can be
Didn’t Russia sign Kyoto putting it into effect.
I have no doubt that Russia will uphold its treaty obligations every bit as well as they have over the last seventy years.
BTW, what does “#B^1″ mean? Sometimes, I r dense.
Turn it sideways. Of my own design. (Unless someone else I don’t know of beat me to it.)
Mencken opposed US entry into WWI. I have pondered it, but on balance, I favor US entry. (The Versailles screwup, the Ruhr intervention/inflation fiasco and the rise of Hitler were not predictable in the same way as, say, selling out the Czecho was.)
The “Climate Cops” would have to take our whole neighborhood to jail for “Climate Crime #3”. Our covenants specifically prohibit using “wash lines” to dry clothes.
We should have listened to George Washington about foreign entanglements.
Mmm. The ocean was “bigger” back around then.
Besides, remember what the Spider-Man said: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
And then they came for my breath because I was a heavy breather.
It’s about time you scofflaws got what you deserved.
This is bad for one reason: it comes ten years too late.
Yes, it would have been that much more effective before the last ten years of mild world cooling, wouldn’t it?
I find this “discussion” utterly fascinating. Is this the site where all the climate change deniers gather?
The first thing I notice is that while everyone is anxious to denounce the “Climate Cops” campaign (it does sound like an obnoxious idea regardless of the ideology), nobody – that’s NOBODY –in this thread is bothering to discuss any of the FACTS regarding climate change.
If anyone has a rational argument to dispute Al Gore’s data showing the most rapid rise in temperature in geological history correlated with the continuous increase in atmospheric CO2 – well, if anyone does have such an argument I’d be anxious to hear it.
The other, almost unspoken idea underlying this whole non-debate is the notion that one might have to give up one of your SUVs or, god forbid, get on the bus or train (or bicycle) in order to save the planet for our grandchildren. I’m sure I will be called a Communist for mentioning this at all, but I would like you guys to do some serious research, not into the physics of unplugging your phone charger, but in global economics, the role of energy corporations in deciding the future of millions in America and billions around the globe, and why this country, as precious as it is in reality as well as ideals, must constantly be at war.
For starters, I recommend that you watch the news about the Beijing Olympics and ask why it is that international athletes are staying away from the city as long as they can. Could it possibly be the toxic air that is degrading the health of everyone In the area? This goes for India too. Hmmmm…..
REPLY: Julius wrote: “The other, almost unspoken idea underlying this whole non-debate is the notion that one might have to give up one of your SUVs…”
Sir, I used to drive an SUV, now I drive an electric car to/from work each day.
See this:
http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/what-ive-been-up-to-electrifying-my-ride/
I just bought a SECOND electric car. So please, don’t label people you know nothing about.
– Anthony Watts, site owner
Here is a good post summarizing why this is offensive:
http://umbrellog.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?p=69709#p69709
“Firstly, the designation of certain lawful actions – desirable or not – as “crimes” is an unwholesome distortion of our moral code. It confers moral equivalency between not turning off a light and, say, shoplifting or vandalism. It seeks to impose a moral judgement on a normal activity, blurring the line between something which is lawful and something which is not.”
Google “temperature rise precedes carbon dioxide ice core” for a few dozen examples.
Also, conflating real air pollution with hypothetical Global Warming is not a relevant discussion.
And there are hundreds of other threads here where it is much more appropriate to discuss this topic.
Wait a sec…… [we are not going to get into a taunting and teasing session~charles the moderator]
You are quite funny, Julius. This is just one thread. Why don’t you go to the right side of the page under the list of categories and click on “solar” and “climate_change” for debate about global warm-I mean climate change(see? we’re hip!)? You will find compelling arguments against your profit prophet, Al Gore. That is, of course, if you are open to debate and listening to alternative arguments. If you continue to call those like me deniers (those who deny) and denialists (those who specialize in denying, like a profession), than “we” will continue to call your “side” [snip, point made without going there~charles the moderator?]
Also, Julius, why do you say “Al Gore’s data”? Do you have any idea Al Gore has no science degree whatsoever? The least you could have done is mention Hansen.
Lol you’re right, I was out of line. My apologies.
Julius as a point of information, I did not edit your post, but the word “denier” as a pejorative is prohibited as this site, as well as some of the words I just edited out of someone else’s response to you.
I’m going out now everyone, so please let’s not get into a taunting match. Please answer with respectful solid arguments so Anthony doesn’t have to do a lot of work while I’m gone.
charles the moderator:
I greatly appreaciate your push for a clean board, but why is Julius being let off for calling everyone here a denier? Has he not heard of the Holocaust? Why don’t you warn him, or just give him some advice?
[Reply: We are of the same mind, I posted as you wrote this~charles the moderator]
[snip, adds nothing to this discussion~charles the moderator]
This might change a few minds.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/07/26/eawind126.xml
(I wonder if the Stern Review included this in his costs of mitigation?)
Is this the site where all the climate change deniers gather?
We have to gather somewhere and the Ritz was booked.
See, you can all take a cue from Evan. Respectful, clear, concise, and full of relevant information.
as the saying goes: ‘hook ’em while their young…’ heh.
Evan Jones (21:47:35) said: This might change a few minds.
Evan, I only looked at the title of the piece. ( It’s late, I’ve been reading all day and I’m kinda watching a movie right now ) It made me think of the folks along Boone Pickens water pipeline right of way.
in this thread is bothering to discuss any of the FACTS regarding climate change.
If anyone has a rational argument to dispute Al Gore’s data showing the most rapid rise in temperature in geological history correlated with the continuous increase in atmospheric CO2 – well, if anyone does have such an argument I’d be anxious to hear it.
Many such rational (and detailed) arguments. On that particular subject among many others.
See other threads.
Could it possibly be the toxic air that is degrading the health of everyone In the area? This goes for India too. Hmmmm…..
Discussed (by me and others) from both environmental and demographic perspectives.
See other threads. Rational debate elsewhere.
This is the outrage thread.
This is basically happening already in our US Schools. Middle School (Grades 6-8) teachers require, for a significant grade, that students document in essay or research paper how their families are “harming the earth” with certain practices at home. The lack of producing any harmful crimes in their project produces a failing grade. — Tim Rueb
The target audience is getting younger & younger. Take a look at Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Winston-Churchill-Battle-Against-Warming/dp/1570615438/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217219731&sr=8-1
Reading level: Ages 4-8
At age 4, I was too busy watching Wile E. Coyote (ignoramus stupidus magnus) take a dive off a cliff. Kids that age shouldn’t be subjected to this kind of stuff, and yet that’s exactly what’s happening.
My wife & I just had our 2nd daughter this past week. I know full well I’m not going to be facing this in 10 years when my oldest hits 6th grade – at the rate this is going, I’m going to be facing it in 3, when she’s in kindergarten.
Some people here would tell their kids to just nod their heads in approval and then teach them otherwise at home, but that’s not my style. On the other hand, do I teach my kids to be confrontational at such a young age and risk them having no respect whatsoever for any of their teachers in any subject?
Heck, I don’t know what I’m going to do. Guess I’ve got 3 years to figure it out before the Climate Crime Cops Project (CCCP) comes to a school near me and performs their presentation for the whole school, and my kid comes home with a green Sherlock Holmes hat & a magnifying glass.
It made me think of the folks along Boone Pickens water pipeline right of way.
I am a proud early adopter of T. Boone Pickens distaste. (I took it up around 1984.)
We deny
the sky is falling.
We deny
big government’s calling.
We deny
Al’s piece of the pie.