This just in from The Daily Climate, Kerry tells us we are winning, but the blames the usual suspects rather than the message itself. I love the part about where we “made up our own science“, which is sort of like when Kerry swiftboated the weather back in 2008, except there was really no support for his position in science. Of course that lack of basic understanding couldn’t be the reason “people just turn off” when he’s talking about climate, could it?
Kerry: ‘We have lost the notion of responsible capitalism’
Venting frustration at the lack of progress on environmental issues, U.S. Sen. John Kerry voices the exasperation of a core constituency in President Obama’s re-election bid.
By Doug Struck For the Daily Climate
BOSTON – Massachusetts Democrat Sen. John Kerry, exasperated at what he called “the flat-earth caucus,” on Sunday described the frustrations of working on environmental issues in the U.S. Senate.
Even amid the “Tuesday Group” – a bi-partisan bloc of lawmakers, mostly Democrats, who are interested in energy issues – “you can’t talk about climate now,” Kerry said. “People just turn off. It’s extraordinary. Only for national security and jobs will they open their minds.”
Kerry, in a dinner speech at Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, voiced the exasperation of an environmental movement that had high hopes with the election of President Obama in 2008 but has been disappointed by the administration and largely shut out after the Republican takeover of the House in 2010.
“The irony is that we used to be a nation that valued science. We have become a nation that is now discarding science,” Kerry said. He spoke at a conference on the challenges facing the Arctic, attended by Iceland’s president, Olafur Grimsson.
…
Opponents to the legislation “made up their own science. They made up their own arguments,” Kerry said. “The Republicans created this idea of (carbon credit) trading because it avoided command and control by the federal government.” Then, “they just decided to pick up and brand this a negative.”
Kerry blamed brothers David and Charles Koch, oil billionaires who have bankrolled attempts to discredit climate change, as well as opposition from energy companies. “You have Peabody Coal. You have MidAmerican. They have these big old cash cows, these old coal-powered plants. It’s just cash coming in, and they want to keep it that way.
Full story here
“The irony is that we used to be a nation that valued science. ”
Actually, we still do, thus why so many people are skeptical because the real science says this is far from a settled issue.
The real irony is that he thinks if you don’t support left-wing psuedo-science that you somehow don’t support science.
Kerry clearly doesn’t know the difference between science & politics.
Follow the Money says:
March 27, 2012 at 2:56 pm
“…if Hansen wants a new income stream, do what L. Ron Hubbard did, start a religion! The 350.org group of kooks is basically a Hansen-cult already, he can take it over easy…”
Who would play the role of Xenu?
The Thetans await…
Kerry lecturing us on governmental power is reminiscent of Genghis Khan. To coin a phrase.
Sen. Kerry:
When you ground the Flying Squirrel- the Gulfstream V- not your wife, and
Remove the D-Sail from your expensive sailboat(that you tried to escape taxes on)
I might listen..
Kerry is a life long political hack who , AFIK , didn’t give a rat’s ass about cap and trade until it became a hot button issue in ’09 .
Follow the Money says:
March 27, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Now now, everyone knows that Enron was a bunch of Republicans. Why, the most famous advisor to Enron was that horrible Republican Paul Krugman, who still works for that dreadful, right-wing New York Times.
cancellation of a CAGW event in Melbourne Australia is a “disaster”….
28 March: SMH: Vince Chadwick: Event disaster as Weaver pulls out
ACTRESS Sigourney Weaver has pulled out of a $995-a-head sustainable business conference to be held in Melbourne next month, prompting organisers to cancel the event and consult their lawyers…
The Corporations, People & the Planet conference at the Melbourne Exhibition centre was billed as ”a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Sigourney Weaver, Bob Geldof, Dr David Suzuki and Prof L. Hunter Lovins in one day of keynote presentations, case studies and discussion exploring a sustainable future”….
Tickets ranged from $175 for students, to $9500 for a Diamond Table of 10 tickets, including VIP entry to a cocktail party attended by the keynote speakers…
A potential replacement was former US vice-president Al Gore, but Mr Brazil said extra costs for security and poor timing meant that he was unavailable…
Samantha Gavin of PR firm Red Agency, which was promoting the conference, said organisers were all disappointed. ”They are telling David Suzuki today,” Ms Gavin said yesterday, adding that the prominent Canadian scientist had already booked his flight…
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/event-disaster-as-weaver-pulls-out-20120327-1vwm6.html
I love that bit where he says: “made up our own science“, as if it was a sort of home craft industry and then goes on to complain that: “people just turn off” when he’s talking about climate!
“The irony is that we used to be a nation that valued science.” . Well, it’s probably because most people, apart from him, still do, that so many people are skeptical, as the real science says that this is far from a settled issue. Increasingly clouds gather!
johnwschwartz says:
March 27, 2012 at 11:50 am
“Republicans created carbon credits??”
He means the folks who imploded Enron. Cap and Trade is a scheme for creating an indefinitely large number of Enrons.
nc says:
March 27, 2012 at 2:06 pm
In response to philincalifornia’s very interesting link,
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I think a critique from Bob Tisdale would be wonderful …… Bob ?
[Sorry mods, didn’t mean to do a mini thread hijack. Just thought it might not get seen widely if I put it in tips and notes. Plus, I thought it might offer some slight relief from the depressing subject matter under discussion]
To keep it more on-topic, maybe someone could put a star on the globe where the swiftboat incident happened, and another one where the attempted tax evasion boat is moored. Heh heh heh.
I have made it a habit of ignoring Kerry until he pays the state he nominally represents (MA) the 5% use tax on the $7,000,000 yacht he had constructed in NZ. He is dodging it by technically not bringing it into the state by having it operate out of a marina in RI. The man and his wife (rich compliments of her husband Mr. Heinz dropping dead) appear to be most deficient in the morals department. And to think we could have had either him or Mr. Gore as our present dunce. Say what you wish, God smiled on America.
Rachelle Young says:
March 27, 2012 at 12:21 pm
“TRUE! But there is no denying we got it between the eyes with the current President.”
We got it, all right. But it wasn’t between the eyes!
Senator Kerry again trots out the Koch Brothers, the favorite bugaboo of the leftists. The brothers are indeed active in promoting their political point of view, but in the big picture they don’t even rise to a drop in a bucket. Check this list
http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php?order=A
HEAVY HITTERS
Top All-Time Donors, 1989-2012
Koch Industries comes in at no. 76, outspent 5 to1 by just the single organization at no.1(ActBlue) which is entirely Democrat. As are almost all of the Top 20 which collectively account for almost a billion dollars with the Dems being favored by approx 9 to 1, The Top 20 is dominated by unions, notably public employee and teacher unions and since it covers only cash donations misses the nearly as vast in kind contributions in manpower and other efforts they supply.
The CAGW message has had an edge in support versus the skeptic community that is more than a million to 1, even if the Koch brothers were ladling out money as lavishly as they are accused of doing. They have enjoyed nearly complete support from news media, entertainment sources, academia, large scientific organizations, if not their members, and most significantly governments at every level from local to international, as well as a teeming horde of NGOs. In addition most major corporate PR efforts have adopted the “green” message, mostly from fear of the public backlash if they didn’t. Despite all that they have never been able to close the deal. They’ve been thwarted by skeptics whose support has been almost Lilliputian in comparison.
The obvious lesson seems to be that, if you want to maximize the efficiency of your communications, it helps almost immeasurably if you start out with the Truth.
Owen in Ga says:
March 27, 2012 at 2:29 pm
@johanna:
Incumbents in office are almost always returned to office (it is the biggest problem in American politics) so I am afraid that so long as he has a pulse, we are stuck with this plank headed politician. He represents the same state that sent Edward Kennedy back to the senate for 45+ years, so no worries about them turning him out.
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Depressing news, Owen. What is it with Massachusetts voters and dissolute aristocrats anyway? Do they secretly wish for a return to the monarchy?
Still no cheque! Can somebody please arrange an introduction.
Seriously does anybody really get any real money from the oil billionaires and coal barons?
Where did this idea come from or is the AGW movement so arrogant that they cannot believe that the others might figure it out for themselves.
Also, where does this ditherhead politician get off talking about science? Who let him in out of the rain? Personally, I have three science degrees, all relevant to this topic, two from a world top ten university and I studied the hard way like most real scientists, poor and eating cheese sandwiches!
The real question is where’s he going to get him a hunting license?
johanna says: @ur momisugly March 27, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Depressing news, Owen. What is it with Massachusetts voters and dissolute aristocrats anyway? Do they secretly wish for a return to the monarchy?
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I lived in MA for twenty four years and I could never figure it out.
Ted K. got caught buying a coach class airline ticket and sitting in first class when all first class were filled. First he pulled the “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?” stunt and refused to show his ticket. The stewardess got the co-pilot and finally the pilot to request his ticket and the pilot finally refused to take off unless he sat in his assigned seat. In retaliation he got the entire crew fired.
The story made the news (radio) in the early 1990’s on a talk show. Numerous people called in relating similar stories of the utter contempt Ted K had for waitresses, sales clerks and other working people. Right after the show aired I asked my neighbor if he had heard it and he said yes. I then asked if he was going to vote for Kennedy and he said yes of course. When I asked why he said because he does so much for MA. When I asked for examples all he could do was repeat “Well, He does so much for MA.” At the time Kennedy’s voting record was 3% votes. The rest of the time (97%) he never even bothered to vote on the bill.
Complete brain washing is the only thing I can think of that would make an otherwise intelligent, college educated human so brain dead.
Goldie says:
March 27, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Still no cheque! Can somebody please arrange an introduction.
Seriously does anybody really get any real money from the oil billionaires and coal barons?…
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Cons and thieves are always quick to assign other people the attributes they themselves possess as a way of diverting attention. If your property goes missing and Joe is quick to blame Billy the chances are really good it was Joe who did the stealing. ( Based on a lot of personal experience unfortunately.)
Gail, I have always suspected your Joe and Billy example was true. but after the last the last three years, I know that it is so.
Massachusetts Democrat Sen. John Kerry, exasperated at what he called “the flat-earth caucus,”
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Calling people stupid must be some political tactic………………/snark
Gail Combs said (of Sen. Edward Kennedy):
…the pilot finally refused to take off unless he sat in his assigned seat. In retaliation he got the entire crew fired.
The story made the news (radio) in the early 1990′s on a talk show. Numerous people called in relating similar stories of the utter contempt Ted K had for waitresses, sales clerks and other working people. Right after the show aired I asked my neighbor if he had heard it and he said yes. I then asked if he was going to vote for Kennedy and he said yes of course.
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Holy crap. He got the whole crew fired? Why wasn’t it national news? The Kennedy teflon effect must have been awesome. And, people in his home State who had to deal with him over decades must have known what a jerk he was. Amazing. They probably think Kerry is Ghandi in comparison – in which case, as Owen said, he is probably there for as long as he wants to be.
johanna says:
March 27, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Owen in Ga says:
March 27, 2012 at 2:29 pm
Depressing news, Owen. What is it with Massachusetts voters and dissolute aristocrats anyway? Do they secretly wish for a return to the monarchy?
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I’ve long held the belief that “neomonarchist” is the best one-word descriptor for these freaks – that and a few others that would not survive moderation.
It’s hardly surprising, since the human genetic make-up hasn’t changed since medieval times. If you look at Kerry and Prince Charles, what do you see ?? Two tall, dumbo, wannabe-king buffoons, who spout pseudo-scientific waffle as if they’re anything other than F- grade scientists.
philincalifornia says:
March 27, 2012 at 11:28 am
Smokey – worse than Gore even. Difficult to believe that could even be possible. I think that this guy is so out of touch with reality that he actually believes the crap he spouts. Could someone tap him on the shoulder and mention Australia and “carbon”. Let him know how well that’s going? On second thoughts, don’t bother.
Anyone mind if I change the subject for a moment? Definitely a pleasant watch:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/26/ocean-currents-time-lapse-nasa-video_n_1380778.html?ref=science&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk1%26pLid%3D146888
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Great video. It’s NASA so I can only hope it’s good science but, what an interesting watch.
They don’t need the congress to pass cap and trade when the Administration has an EPA that will do the damage.
“(Reuters) – The Obama administration proposed on Tuesday the first rules to cut carbon dioxide emissions from new U.S. power plants, a move hotly contested by Republicans and industry in an election year.”
“The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal would effectively stop the building of most new coal-fired plants in an industry that is moving rapidly to more natural gas. But the rules will not regulate existing power plants, the source of one third of U.S. emissions, and will not apply to any plants that start construction over the next 12 months.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/27/us-usa-carbon-idUSBRE82Q0W120120327
I declare that I’m a Brit so please feel free to tell me to take my nose out of a domestic political dispute but…
“The irony is that we used to be a nation that valued science. We have become a nation that is now discarding science,”. This is a common thread on both sides of the Atlantic. It needs to be addressed, not because it’s true, but because it redefines scientific argumets in a static and partisan way.
Science needs debate. Science without challenge is something other than science. “Making up their own science” is perfectly acceptabole. Observation and logic will throw out the loonies in the furnace of debate.
Your Senator seems to think that scientiifc orthodoxy cannot be challenged. This is heard over here too (listen to the BBC Radio 4). This is bad for science. Yet it’s becoming normal to talk of unchanging science.
It should not be normal.