Photo courtesy of flickr, tarsandsaction.org stream Link
Excerpt from Bloomberg:
James Hansen, head of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, was arrested outside the White House as he joined protesters in urging President Barack Obama to reject TransCanada Corp. (TRP)’s $7 billion pipeline. Before he was taken into custody today, Hansen took a megaphone and implored Obama to act “for the sake of your children and grandchildren.”
In the following video, Dr. Hansen is plain spoken, coherent, and obviously quite convincing. His manner of delivery and calmness is actually something that Al Gore could learn from. Also, why isn’t Al Gore showing solidarity with these protestors?
“If Obama chooses the dirty needle it will confirm that the president was just green-washing all along,” Hansen, 70, who took a vacation day from his job at the New York based institute to participate in the protest, said in an e-mailed statement.
I wonder if NASA has a three strikes policy, this is arrest #3 from Dr. Hansen.
Hansen is just a poor, senile, old man and should not be held up to ridicule like this. He’s only trying to set things right, if only in his own twisted mind, before he moves on to the mystery beyond the veil. The ones who should be tarred and feathered and blasted off the planet with a rail gun, are the profiteers, the Wall Street manipulateers like Gore and Soros. They use people like Hansen to make a bundle from idiots, children, and little old ladies. Hansen is just an idiot, leave him alone. Keel haul and hang Gore and Soros from the yardarm. Let’s be fair. If you want to do something to Hansen, give him a nice gold Timex watch for his many years of faithhealing service to whoever it was he thought he was working for and lock him in a rubber room somewhere for his own protection. Be kind to him, he’s beyond help and doesn’t make too many pennys from passerby off his outbursts. Go for the gold! Go for the Real Fat Cats!
R. Gates says:
August 29, 2011 at 8:37 pm
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A man should be fired for standing up for what he believes in…right or wrong? Nice country Amerika has become…
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R. Gates,
Fired due to professional incompetence.
The scientific integrity question notwithstanding scrutiny either.
History may only mention him in a footnote for being Al Gore’s scientific mentor. That WILL BE justice.
John
Isn’t there any U.S. Law agains demagoguery?
The President, waking up to reallity at last, but Hansen still talking b#####ks.
What excellent questions! And by three different Toms. Bravo! And to Tom_R, sorry I missed it the first time you asked it but you really have boiled the issue right down to the core:
I truly believe the answer is yes.
TBear (Warm Cave in Cold-as-Snow-Sydney) says:
August 30, 2011 at 3:15 am
What is it with all the postings on this article looking for ways to stop Hansen from expressing his views?
Who cares if he a NASA employee?
Yes, he is wrong and over the top, but that is no reason to stop him from speaking.
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I don’t think anyone here cares if he speaks out or not (he does this all the time anyhow), or that he makes a six figure government salary with yearly increases/bonuses and generous benefits (even though we’re in economic hard times). They DO care that he is (1) abusing his position as a NASA director/employee, (2) wasting millions of taxpayer’s dollars on useless and unnecessary “climate products”. Actually, I am more concerned about (2)…
He briefly touched upon the issue while talking with Bill McKibben – Founder, 350.org. I believe he was trying to set the low bar for CO2 level activism, why they shouldn’t demand too much …
You are likely sitting in a room with those CO2 levels right now, and you most likely see levels twice that in enclosed spaces like a car or bus.
You really should buy yourself a good quality air monitor, one that shows CO2 in ppm. You’ll get a kick out of walking around testing the air quality and scaring yourself to death. Meanwhile, all the green plants around you will be laughing at you when you’re not looking.
🙂
What are you complaining about Gates? In Amerika (your word) this man is NOT fired. You must be complaining about something else entirely. I got it, you are complaining that a commenter used his free speech to wish this public employee was fired for cause. This causes you grief? You are okay with this public servant flaunting his taxpayer financed employment but upset by a commenter using free speech. Got it.
Hansen should be fired for a variety of reasons of cause, none that you will understand apparently. So to make it simple, how would you like active military to show up at protests *against* AGW or DADT repeal or Obama? You would be among the first to cry about it. If that scenario doesn’t suit you, we can construct many others to highlight your leftist hypocrisy.
Jer0me says:
August 30, 2011 at 3:07 am
R. Gates says:
August 29, 2011 at 8:37 pm
A man should be fired for standing up for what he believes in…right or wrong? Nice country Amerika has become…
Wrong. Both your example and your conclusion. Nobody should have the right to break the law just because the believe what others are doing lawfully is wrong. If you suggest they should be able to break the law with impunity (from the law or their employers), you start down a dangerous road that leads to people killing those who disagree with them. Is that ‘right’ do you think?
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An absurd example. We’re talking about free speech here, and the right to speak freely without fear of losing your job. How you go from there to killing people is a matter of the fiction in your own mind.
Mr Green Genes says: August 30, 2011 at 1:52 am
Zappa’s’ Brown Shoes’ came to mind very quickly, thanks for mentioning it.
If a right wing org had posted a sign like the Tarzan Tar sands, the media would have construed it as racist saying what was really meant was Tar baby or something. Oh wait, Al Gore is already on the racist thing. Typical number one fallback from the left’s playbook when the main message doesn’t work start accusing the other side of racism.
According to the NASA Code of Ethics book, he should be avoiding these types of ‘situations’ and be impartial. ‘Shall’ in government speak is equivalent to ‘will’.
When he goes and writes a joint letter for the protest he just got arrested for,
he is not supposed to be using his official title to wrongly convey NASA endorses his activities, and he most certainly is not impartial. He used ‘NASA Climate Scientist’ as his title, not just ‘Climate Scientist’.
It’s good to see that ATI is looking into the ‘gifts’ he has received amounting to over a million dollars. Hansen needs to be removed from his position at NASA. He has clearly become more of an advocate than a scientist.
Hansen and Mann were quite adequately described many years ago:
He’s a real Nowhere Man
Sitting in his Nowhere Land
Making all his nowhere plans for nobody – Beatles
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvLj72apGLI&w=420&h=345%5D
Hansen supports dictatorships, countries where women are oppressed, cannot drive, are stoned to death, are mutilated at a young age so as not to enjoy you know what, where oil revenues flow to ruling families and bloated Swiss bank accounts, where workers are paid a pittance and where safety standards are non- existent.
Thanks to people like Hansen (if he has his way), there will be less available Canadian oil, less jobs for Americans and more expensive oil from places that regularly commit atrocities and actively fund terrorism.
People like Hansen and the trolls who support him are sick and vile. Anyone with an ounce of morality and ethics should support the idea of more oil from Canada and other democracies where everyone (including women) have rights and less dependence on blood oil from dictatorships.
Although I am disgusted by these traitors to Western values, I respect their right to protest and to free speech. I do not think we should arrest any of these protestors even if by their own actions they are advocates for cruel dictatorships with no freedom of speech and few rights. Ironically, Hansen campaigns against the very things that he values: the right to free speech and to protest!
JPeden said and attn, Gates:
“But then at the same time he’s not really doing much in the way “standing up” against Obama’s new status quo by merely participating in another “show arrest” while he protests fossil fuel and tries to make prices “skyrocket”, just like Obama wants, is he?”
I should mention another one of the Obama Adm.’s transformational suggestions regarding the question of some speech being more “protected” than other speech: along with Gore’s and Kerry’s recent attempts to get the MSM to promote “correct speech” per se, and to censor “incorrect speech” per se, but not what they just got through saying – and Obama’s warnings against getting too much info from the Internet, Fox, Rush Limbaugh, etc. – a high placed Gov’t [FCC?] official has recently advocated the establishment of a Central Gov’t entity for determining ‘fact’ or correct info, modeled, of course, after ~”the Post Office”. I heard him do it as transmitted via…shudder…talk radio. What could possibly go wrong?
Likewise, Gates, I support your right to be paid to support Totalitarianism via the presentation here of the results of your provenly disordered thought capacity, which Obama and company also support and “protect”, even materially…so far. So there’s no need to get nervous about that right itself. On the other hand, you should perhaps fear becoming one of the “homeless”, which would seem to be the natural progression, especially for all those now “succeeding” by being solely parasitic upon the Producers of wealth to the point of destroyingt it. Communism, a.k.a. “wealth redistribution” never works, Gates! How long do you think you personally will be able to survive by merely supporting Communism?
Gates, I don’t think you are one of the “managers” yet, a member of the Party, right?
His shoes don’t match his suit, either.
BTW: I think he should start wearing leather jackets with tweed elbow patches, or vice-versa, to show his academic credentials. The suit makes him look like a corporate stooge, doesn’t it? Are those Birkenstocks he’s wearing?
Oh, to live in a world where freedom of speech means no responsibility for one’s actions!
Gates, please try and follow what’s happening. Hansen is not being sacked. He has been arrested because he participated in a rally in an area where such rallys are prohibited by law. He could quite lawfully have moved his rally a few hundred metres and have expressed himself without fear of arrest. But of course, getting arrested was all part of the plan.
jim hogg says:
I didn’t see anyone answer this direct question.
These “protesters” are “protesting” in a location that they were specifically prohibited from “protesting” in. It is unlawful to do what they are doing, where they are doing it. They were all informed of this fact prior to any arrests. There are other areas nearby where their “protest” would be lawful, they chose to remain where their activities subject them to arrest.
The point of the arrests is not punative, they are not being arrested as part of some sort of campaign to criminalize or silence them. No, each and every one of those being arrested CHOSE to be arrested, the act of being arrested was their goal. The publicity factor of a public figure being arrested for their “cause” has significant value, especially for the people who make their living from publicising “causes”.
Therefore, this is not even remotely a “free speech” issue, nobody is being “silenced”, and no rights are being trampled on.
Which makes Hansen’s action reprehensible, irresponsible, and actionable. At the very least, this man should be answerable to SOME level of authority, even if it’s the NASA employment agreement or the President himself. What we are seeing is that he is not answerable or accountable in any way.
JPeden says:
August 30, 2011 at 8:01 am
JPeden said and attn, Gates:
“Likewise, Gates, I support your right to be paid to support Totalitarianism via the presentation here of the results of your provenly disordered thought capacity, which Obama and company also support and “protect”, even materially…so far. So there’s no need to get nervous about that right itself. On the other hand, you should perhaps fear becoming one of the “homeless”, which would seem to be the natural progression, especially for all those now “succeeding” by being solely parasitic upon the Producers of wealth to the point of destroyingt it. Communism, a.k.a. “wealth redistribution” never works, Gates! How long do you think you personally will be able to survive by merely supporting Communism?
Gates, I don’t think you are one of the “managers” yet, a member of the Party, right?”
____
Wow, quite the political diatribe. I am not a member of any party, and consider myself truly Independent. I pretty much have accepted the fact that our democracy has become the rule of the Corporations. Who rules Washington is simply which companies got their man or woman into office. Only 3 things to save our democracy (at least if we really want rule by the People):
1) Campaign finance reform, so that it is not only the rich and well financed people who can become leaders.
2) Term limitations to prevent career politicians
3) A balanced budget amendment
So, you see, whether is is the Koch Bros. or Oprah backing a politician, it matters not, as ultimately we have what is truly the rule of corporations and not the people. With so many (if not the majority) of our laws now being drafted by lobbyists working for corporate interests, what is truly good for the People isn’t at the top of anyone’s agenda…as corporate profits are of paramount concern. Each election cycle, it’s just a matter of which corporate interests get to control the nest for a while.
Ad hominum’s don’t work for me . . . but, I know the nature of publicity . . . even bad news is better than no news . . . Time for this choir to sing a different song other than Ad hominum’s! It did get me to look around . . . for one if it not TransCanada it will be someone . . .
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?t=2y&s=ENB&l=off&z=l&q=b&c=TRP
China Vs. United States: War Of The Oil Sands
http://seekingalpha.com/article/290642-china-vs-united-states-war-of-the-oil-sands?source=yahoo
And . . . . . I like many, that suffered the consequences of the Peter Principal and Murphey’s law in the BP lesson . . . . I would have no problem with taking time for “fail safe” planning and engineering . . . as projects like these are surely group efforts . . . .by one group or another.
Let’s fix Mr Gates’ own diatribe. Because he doesn’t seem to be aware that we have a President who has never created a job, or a business, or worked in the private sector:
There. Fixed it for him.
In reality, corporations and other special interests are all part of the equation, and to try and exclusively lay the blame on the only sector that actually provides jobs for people – while ignoring the special interests that are parasites on productive people and companies – Gates shows that he is a captive of leftist group-think. If he thought for himself, he would understand that no poor person, community organizer or insolvent company ever creates jobs. Only financially successful people and solvent, healthy companies create jobs. The country should encourage wealth-building, instead of demonizing those who provide the jobs. This isn’t rocket science.
And by preaching “Campaign finance reform, so that it is not only the rich and well financed people who can become leaders,” Gates misses the plain fact that if voluntary groups are not allowed to finance campaigns, then only the very rich will have the necessary resources, resulting in government exclusively by plutocrats [and overlooking the 1st Amendment issue that citizens have a right to spend their money on any legal activity, and to support the candidate who best represents their interests].
Leftists always have these fine-sounding ideas of why we should jettison the Constitution and Bill of Rights. But history shows their great new ideas always end in disaster, in loss of personal freedom, and in ever bigger government. No, thanks. America would be much better off without the do-gooders and community organizers.
Smokey,
Funny how your translate the notion of rule by the People and campaign finance reform and term limits into me being a “leftist”. In your twisted world view, Thomas Jefferson would be a leftist as well…very sad worldview Smokey.
He sure likes his protest hats. Is he afraid of the Sun? Or, is his hat lined with foil? NASA’s mad hatter?
See Dr. Jim in his hats:
http://www.wolfenotes.com/2009/11/jim-hansen-takes-on-nrdc-and-bank-of-america/
http://www.wayoutwestnews.com/2010/12/16/top-climate-scientist-says-business-interests-winning-in-climate-change-debate/
http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=09-P13-00010&segmentID=6
http://www.ohvec.org/newsletters/woc_2009_08/article_20.html
http://jcwinnie.biz/wordpress/?p=2672
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/5031880/Kiwi-climate-change-policy-close
http://blog.cleantechies.com/tag/james-hansen/
Photos show no hats on him indoors. Take his hats away, and maybe he’ll just stay inside GSFC and keep working.
Not allowed free speech outside the White House? Not allowed to protest/demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament in the UK either without permission in advance.
Steve