UPDATE: Uproariously laughable now, the White House state climate impact report claims there are 31 counties in Hawaii, when there are actually 5, see below – Anthony
This is verbatim from the White House Blog today, see my comments below:
==========================================================
State-by-State Reports: President Obama’s Plan to Cut Carbon Pollution and Prepare for Consequences of Climate Change
On Tuesday, President Obama laid out his comprehensive plan to cut carbon pollution, prepare our country for the impacts of climate change, and lead global efforts to fight it.
Climate change impacts — ranging from more frequent and severe storms, floods, heat waves, and wildfires, to increased risk of asthma attacks and longer allergy seasons — are already affecting our security, our economy, and our communities. In 2012 alone, the cost of weather disasters exceeded $110 billion in the United States, and climate change will only increase the frequency and intensity of these events. Today, we already set limits for arsenic, mercury and lead, but we impose no limits on how much carbon pollution our power plants release– despite the fact carbon pollution is one of the largest drivers of climate change.
As the President explained yesterday, we have a moral obligation to leave our children a planet that’s not polluted or damaged, and by taking an all-of-the-above approach to develop homegrown energy and steady, responsible steps to cut carbon pollution, we can begin to slow the effects of climate change so we leave a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations. The President’s plan is a comprehensive approach to cutting the pollution that causes climate change and threatens public health, setting us on a path to make our communities healthier, safer, and more resilient.
The state-by-state reports below detail some of the impacts of extreme weather and pollution across the country, and underscore the importance of acting now to cut carbon pollution and protect the health of our communities.
============================================================
OK here is the laughable part. I decided to click on my state, California, and was presented with this:
The Threat of Carbon Pollution: California
We have a moral obligation to leave our children a planet that’s not polluted or damaged, and by takingan all-of-the-above approach to develop homegrown energy and steady, responsible steps to cut carbon pollution, we can protect our kids’ health and begin to slow the effects of climate change so we leave a cleaner, more stable environment for future generations.
Climate change impacts including severe weather, asthma attacks, prolonged allergy seasons, and sea-level rise are affecting our security, our economy, and our communities. In 2012 alone, the cost of weather disasters exceeded $110 billion in the United States, and climate change will only increase the frequency and intensity of these events. Today, we already set limits for arsenic, mercury and lead, but we impose no limits on how much carbon pollution our power plants release. Carbon pollution is contributing to a higher risk of asthma attacks and more frequent and severe storms, floods, heat waves, and wildfires, driving up food prices and threatening our communities. The President’s plan is a comprehensive approach to cutting the pollution that causes climate change and threatens public health, setting us on a path to make our communities healthier, safer, and more resilient.
THE IMPACT OF POLLUTION AND EXTREME WEATHER IN CALIFORNIA
In 2011, power plants and major industrial facilities in California emitted more than 100 million metric tons of carbon pollution metric tons of carbon pollution—that’s equal to the yearly pollution from more than 21 million cars.
Recent incidents provide a reminder of the impacts to our public health and costs due to extreme weather in California. Although we cannot say that climate change is responsible for any individual event, climate change is already increasing our risks from these events.
- A dry winter in 2011-12 meant that the snow pack, which provides critical drinking water and water to irrigate farmland, was the third lowest on record in the West.
- In California, there were over 32,700 hospital admissions for asthma in 2011, with an average charge of over $35,800 for each stay.
- In 2009, there were 4,073 emergency room visits in California due to heat stress.
- Changing temperature and precipitation patterns can affect the life cycle and distribution of insects, many of which transmit disease that already pose problems to public health in California. In 2010, there were 126 cases of Lyme disease in the state.
====================================================
Really, “carbon pollution” causes asthma and Lyme disease? This is the best they can do?
I don’t know of any credible study (or incredible for that matter) that suggests large scale impacts of asthma and Lyme disease for California. And look at the numbers, compared to the most recent census data. Infoplease says the 2010 resident population of California is: 37,253,956 people.
126 cases of Lyme disease in the state. – thats 0.000338% % of the population
4,073 emergency room visits in California due to heat stress – thats 0.011% of the population
32,700 hospital admissions for asthma in 2011 – thats 0.087% of the population
For these small numbers, we need to apply a draconian policy that affects EVERYONE in the state?
And, the section of the California impact report titled: ANTICIPATED CLIMATE-RELATED RISKS IN THE SOUTHWEST, doesn’t even mention California. It mentions Phoenix and Las Vegas. Where’s the Beef?
These aren’t even remotely worthwhile justifications.
And, get this comparison:
In 2011, power plants and major industrial facilities in California emitted more than 100 million metric tons of carbon pollution metric tons of carbon pollution—that’s equal to the yearly pollution from more than 21 million cars.
First, proofreading anyone? There’s a repeated phrase in the PDF issued by the WH:
in California emitted more than 100 million metric tons of carbon pollution metric tons of carbon pollution
Embarrassing sloppiness.
Plus, California DMV says there are 22,083,049 cars in California, and the fact that power plants and industry emitted less than the number of car-equivalents…this is a concern… how?
This is the best justification research they can offer? What the hell are they smoking there in the White House?
I’m sure readers can find more silly examples in the state links above.
UPDATE: Hawaiian born Obama seems to think there are 31 counties in the state of Hawaii. From the White House Hawaii state impacts report:
The US Department of Agriculture designated 31 counties in Hawaii as primary natural disaster areas due to damages and losses from drought in 2012.
Screencap from the PDF:
10 seconds with a search engine can clear that up, from the University of Hawaii, there’s 5 counties in Hawaii (though some say each island is a county, as there is confusion by due to small Kalawao County):
It is sometimes said that each of the five major islands of Hawaii are counties. This is not true. Kauai is Kauai county. The Big Island [Hawaii] is Hawaii county. Oahu is Honolulu County. But both Molokai and Maui are Maui county.
The inhabited islands relate to counties as follows:
- Hawaii County comprises Hawaii.
- Honolulu County, officially the City and County of Honolulu, comprises Oahu and the small islands northwest of Kauai and Niihau extending from Nihoa to Kure except for Midway. Prior to 1959 Palmyra, located about 1000 miles south of the Hawaiian chain, also was included.
- Kauai County comprises Kauai and Niihau.
- Maui County comprises Kahoolawe, Lanai, Maui, and Molokai, except that Kalawao County occupies a small portion of Molokai.
Here are the FIPS codes, showing five:
Of course I’m sure its pretty hard for Obama to keep track of when he’s there for the beach or the golf course. 😉
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Ryan says:
June 26, 2013 at 9:38 pm
Unless you’re regularly feeding on coal or other ancient carbon I’m pretty sure the CO2 from breathing is fine.
Wrong. If CO2 is to be considered a “pollutant”, then the source of said “pollutant” shouldn’t matter. Humans, therefore, by the act of breathing are in fact polluting.
Furthermore, using the “logic” of the prez and the EPA, cows “pollute” with their methane, since methane is considered a potent ghg, and, while we’re at it, why not declare water vapor itself, the most significant ghg by far, a “pollutant”?
Politics has become a pendulum in this country. This extreme leftism is only going to lead to extreme right policies on the next go-around. There aren’t enough moderates left to balance this thing, we are screwed. If BHO wants to see someone with their head in the sand he should look in the mirror, then he may want to look at that national debt of ours that will eventually rue the day. But perhaps a collapsed economy is exactly what the extreme left wants? It would be the quickest way to cut carbon emissions after all.
RT says:
June 27, 2013 at 12:30 pm
“Politics has become a pendulum in this country. This extreme leftism is only going to lead to extreme right policies on the next go-around. There aren’t enough moderates left to balance this thing, we are screwed.”
That’s funny. The wars go on, the NSA spying goes on, the deficit spending goes on, and you can discern a difference? Here in Germany all parties are Green parties. Over in the US, there’s no difference between Dems and Repubs. It’s called a Hegelian dialectic. Get over it. The game is rigged. They squabble over pseudo differences.
And that’s how it has been planned:
““The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to the doctrinaire and academic thinkers.
Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so the the American people can ‘throw the rascals out’ at any election without leading to any profound or extreme shifts in policy.””
[Carrol Quigley, professor of Bill Clinton]
http://www.newsofinterest.tv/video_pages_flash/politics/misc_neocon_globalist/caroll_quigley_trag_hope.php
” Perfect is the enemy of good ” ?
or is it:
” Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. ”
or as some have said:
” Secret of Adulthood: Don’t Let the Perfect Be the Enemy of the Good. ” ?
.AKA “Nitpicking” (A pastime of pointing out minor flaws or mistakes. Credit: wiki)
Enjoy the balance of the evening steveta_uk, it looks to be about 10 minutes til 7 PM on my GMT clock.
.
Oh so WRONG DirkH.
The 2nd group you mention is the battered ‘wife’ who just wants to be liked and will bend over and acquiesce to the demands of the former (when beaten up enough in the ‘press’ don’t you see).
Your ‘powers of observations’ I thought were “aptus,” (meaning suited, fitted) enough to have made that observation. It is very difficult to make ‘peace’ and compromise with a wild-eyed group bent on self destruction and self-immolation as the first group seems ever so predisposed to do.
.
I want the EPA to do something about the greenhouse gas pollution in my town. Often the air gets so over saturated with greenhouse gas that it condenses out as a liquid. The city knows about this problem and has installed an underground network of pipes to collect and carry this liquid away. But rather than disposing of this liquid greenhouse gas so it does not reenter the atmosphere the city just dumps it outside the city limits. The resulting pool of liquid greenhouse gas is just enormous. The EPA needs to come and clean up the mess. The least they can do is cover the pool so as to prevent more greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere. Maybe they can find some way of sequestering it underground or destroying the greenhouse gas molecules altogether.
“I want the EPA to do something about the greenhouse gas pollution in my town.” [William Haas 3:43PM 6/27/13]
LOL. Me too! I am SICK of it. The French send us their nuclear reactor waste by product to “store,” ….. let’s send them our liquid sunshine. #[:)]
(BTW I am completely FOR nuclear power — and we have plenty of room for the French waste)
@Janice Moore – Re: “(…and we have plenty of room for the French waste)”
And some of us even become productive citizens. 😉
From the Louisiana sheet:
“After a coastal storm surges from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita blanketed much of St. Tammany Parish in 2005, saltwater intruded into the Parish’s sole-source aquifer that provides most of the fresh water for the Parish.”
First, the “blanketed much”. By land area, maybe 3% of St. Tammany Parish has been flooded by a hurricane in the last 8 years (Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike, Ida, Isaac). The rest of the parish is beyond 30 feet above sea level, some beyond 100 feet above.
Second, I’ve no idea what aquifer they are speaking of. I live in St. Tammany, have a private well, and can say there is no shortage of water. Municipal and private water well systems work just fine and Katrina didn’t impact that in any way that I know of.
Maybe, given the Hawaii counties, they just tried their best to name one Louisiana parish. Wrong one, but hey, they named one.
Oooh look, a squirrel.
Oh, Monsieur Philippe Jourdan, YOU could never be considered “waste.” When France sent us you, they sent their very best. Their loss was our gain. And, BTW, I was so very glad that you mentioned your wife recently. Your “it was for me, too” v. a v. the Meatloaf 2 out of 3 song, had me praying for your healing from that hurt. GLAD TO HEAR that you began a new, happy, chapter. (It’s likely been a few years, but, please accept my belated but wholehearted congratulations!).
*************************
@ur momisugly Atmo Aggie, LOL. They must have been mighty desperate to get Katrina mentioned (you do know that was all Bush’s fault, heh, heh). It’s like Dope (or who-EVER cobbled that document together) forgot that people actually living in the places mentioned might pipe up and say something about it. All I can say is, thank-You-God that the Chicago thugs in D.C. are as dumb as they are… .
“Oooh look, a squirrel.” [Keitho] LOL.
Yeah, the Dopebama Gang’s modus operandi these days…
Congressman Issa: We have a few questions about the lack of protection for our ambassador in Benghazi, Libya…
Dope, et. al.: Ooo, look! A video tape!
Issa: Today, we have some questions about the mirandizing of the Boston bomber suspect…
Dope & Co.: Ooo, look! TSA changed its body scans from lifelike to the cartoon version.
Issa: Now, what about all this I.R.S. harassment of conservatives?
Dope & Co.: Oooo, look! Snowden just did something naughty.
Issa: Sigh. And NOW, what about the N.S.A. spying on people?
Dope & Co.: Oooo, look! Barack’s goin’ to AFRICA!
Issa: Let’s get back to Fast and Furious — WHERE are those documents we requested?
Dope & Co.: Ooooooo, looook!!!! CARBON POLLUTION — everywhere!
I live in WV. Other than being unemployed and paying higher energy bills my state looks pretty golden.
Pure unadulterated propaganda of course, but the scary part is it’s obvious they have been putting mega-hours into this propaganda effort, they didn’t write this over a weekend. We know it’s all lies, but the vast majority of the low info’s will eat this report up as the MSM starts to disseminate it. I have a forecast for America; heavy overcast with a chance of fail…
$35,000 “AVERAGE” cost of treating someone with asthma “per visit”? I’m not saying that’s wrong — though it’s clearly inflated. If true then it points to a problem more serious than the asthma, someone milking the system for all they can. I have known dozens — perhaps hundreds — of people with asthma, including some with very severe, chronic cases. Some take expensive medication that might cost, oh, on the order of $500 per year. Some have been into emergency and treated with over the counter medications and stayed for a day or so for observation. If this sort of thing costs $35,000 on average, then we have a much bigger elephant in the room than asthma.