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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If only sunglasses was all it took………
MactK, I’d have to actually investigate the case about 2nd hand smoke before committing to an opinion on it.
@Annie
You can substitute “Prius” for “Subaru”. 🙂
@Janice Moore says:
January 10, 2014 at 11:03 am
Good one; very entertaining.
re: Janice Moore says January 10, 2014 at 2:53 pm
. . THIS, is a car:
Not bad … but to *see*/experience what those babies can REALLY do you need to take it over to one of our famed ‘Texas Toll roads’ where we don’t have any speed limits.
The sound you hear on the opening scene … think that’s a chopper? Guess again!!
Also – on the interior shot, watch the driver’s left hand at about the 150 MPH point … that last 50 MPH is your Nitrous oxide in action!
.
Being a former third generation Californian, now living in Nevada, I know how this will be done.
The label will be published not just in English but also in Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian, Russian, Finnish, French, German, and possibly Polish, but also in sign symbols for the deaf, and those little bumps for the blind. Perhaps some internationally recognized symbols for the illiterate stupid as well. It should be orange and cover the entire from of the pump. It will be a target for derision by grafiti artists.It may become a treasured and much sought after bit of memorabilia resulting in pump vandalization. Imagine getting an Al Gore autograph across the face of one of these. In the mean time another 10 or 20 million cars will be added to the states highways
Anthony writes:
I shudder to think what sort of influence Alley’s rantings might have on the people of California via Brown.
Not just the people of California.
R.B. Alley was once a rational person, who has had papers published showing the Little Ice Age and the Medieval Warm Period. Then, they got to him…
Climate activists got to Alley the same way they have corrupted many other scientists: by using grant money [or the withholding of grants] to control him. As we see, they succeeded.
Now, Alley has flipped. He rides the grant gravy train, and it is amusing to watch how he tries to tap dance around his previous peer reviewed papers, charts, and graphs, which show clear evidence of the LIA and the MWP.
Well, it would be amusing — if what he was doing was harmless. But it isn’t. Alley is part of the pseudo-science contingent that pushes for the UN’s immense “carbon” taxes. As if that would help the average person, or the millions of poor folks in emerging economies. Alley is part of the corrupt cabal that would keep the standard of living low, and life expectancy short. Just another type of Eugenicist. And just as evil.
My, Oh My! That’s quite a stream of vomitus from you guys against California! I hope your “science” is better researched and devoid of bilious generalizations.
I’m a proud Californian and I value our courage for independent thought.
But then again, I’d like to know what all you commenters have been smoking, and where I could score some.
Sheesh.
Hmmm … picture painted here looks kinda bleak, D. If you have deep pockets, CA is looking for you to contribute via the various organizations that can ‘tax’ you via tickets and fines to keep pension funds liquid:
Another sample of the bleak outlook for CA:
.
Oh great, 150 posts directed at the troll, coming right up.
the saying “stupid is as stupid does” comes to mind… these folks couldn’t find their butts with both hands and would wonder what the brown excrement was no their hands to boot.
Dave says:
January 10, 2014 at 11:19 am
As Foghorn Leghorn would say, “Bill, ah say Bill McKibben is about as sharp as a bowling ball.”
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“….ah say, ……ah say …..That boy there (Bill M.) is strictly GI ……..Gibberin’ Idiot , that is”
The air we breathe contains heaps of germs and bacteria, we should all stop breathing.
The irony is that gasoline really is a nasty, albeit necessary substance. It contains approximately a dozen carcinogenic chemicals, and is a chronic poison when inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Not to mention it’s extremely flammable to the point of being explosive.
And these clowns want to warn us about is it’s influence on mythical anthropogenic global warming.
Hey, Annie, yes, indeed, I know some intelligent, well-informed, people who drive Subarus (mainly for the fuel economy and the reasonable sticker price), and now, I know you are one of that category of S. owners, too (I must say, though, they usually are NOT well-informed about cars…). I hope that yours never lets you down. Yeah, what Frank said, and ANY hybrid would do: the Enviroguilt Cult’s “holy car.”
Re: “I hope there are still some sensible Californians around … .” Well…. there are a few…. (smile), An-th-ony, D. B. Stealey, Mario Lento, Phil (in California), Leif Svalgaard, Eric Simpson, Roger Hedgecock, my friend Marlena and her family, and…., well, you get the idea — there really are a LOT of cool Californians, but, they find it pretty sickening to have to put up with all the Cult of Climastrology junk etc….
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Thanks, Frank! It is such a treat to have someone enjoy what I write — and say so!
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@ur momisugly Sasja L — Glad all is well and, yes, as with last time, I suspected you’d just been very busy. Be careful on that super-slick ice/snow. Thanks for responding! (and thanks for the thumbs up on the PERMANENTLY NEGATIVE R.O.I. (sans tax subsidies) windmill kills post) #(:))
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blank Jim! WOW! “Don’t try this at home.” lol, if only! That was THRILLING. Finest car in the world, imo (C7 is not my favorite generation, though). And V for VICTORY of course! Heh, and I’ll just bet that when the ‘vette passed the police officer’s radar gun, it was only doing 175. (smile) I love our wonderful law enforcement — just wish I could have a gently curving, nearly empty, 50 miles of highway (straight would be waaaay too boring) where I knew none of them would be …. until I was long gone. Heaven! That’s what I’ll be doing in heaven, driving!!! No, Jim, no. Texas is cool an’ all, but, no I do not consider it “heaven,” heh.
Thanks for sharing that. Pure JOY.
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@ur momisugly Mike from Carson Valley… — LOL. And, smart move. Keep warm, O Stolid Climate Ally.
“fresh lunacy”
I thought a Traffic Wave was what California was built on…now, that’s when someone waves as they go by,only to run right into the stopped vehicle in front of them.
Thanks for the interesting articles and comments.
_Jim says:
January 10, 2014 at 6:12 pm
re: Janice Moore says January 10, 2014 at 2:53 pm
. . THIS, is a car:
_Jim and Janice,
That sounds sooooooooo schweeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!!
NO2 can put a smile on my face THAT way – any time!
Mac
PS: Now, why did that make me think of this? Friday Funny, I guess – Enjoy!
John Prine – Illegal Smile
http://youtu.be/5eccz7D0QK0
Anthony is there an answer to this I can give the alarmists?
In over 2,200 peer-reviewed articles about climate change by over 9,000 authors, published between November 2012 and December 2013, just one author and paper rejected human actions as the cause. DeSmogBlog
http://www.popsci.com/article/science/infographic-scientists-who-doubt-human-caused-climate-change?src=SOC&dom=fb
D Ashcart says the comments are…
“…devoid of bilious generalizations.”
Um, speaking of generalizations: care to be specific, D?
Hey now. You could at least put a warning label as a header on your comments, D. MAybe something like,
@ur momisugly Mac — My dear Mac, I am afraid (given that my car knowledge is largely second-hand via my brothers and a few other guys), I got that NO2 thing wrong — I just looked it up and it’s: N2O (sorry) and commonly referred to as “NOS.”
Well, that song is definitely not about ME, but, I have gotten an “illegal smile” from my (or another’s) breaking the speed limit… . My policy: drive safe for conditions (and that can be mighty fast, sometimes — wheeeeeeee!).
#(:))
Meanwhile, life expectancy just keeps going up thanks in large part to cheap fossil fuel energy.
CarolinaCowboy says:
“Anthony is there an answer to this I can give the alarmists?”
There are plenty of answers, one of which is that the DeSmog comment is simply an Appeal to Authority fallacy. And ‘Consensus’ is not science.
Or, if you want to play their game: the OISM Petition to the government, to reject the Kyoto agreement, was co-signed by more than 31,000 credentialed scientists and engineers, including more than 9,000 PhD’s. They stated in writing that CO2 is harmless, and beneficial to the biosphere. Those numbers certainly trump anything the alarmist crowd has been able to come up with.
So, either consensus is irrelevant and DeSmog is tilting at windmills, or consensus matters — in which case scientific skeptics far outnumber the alarmist clique. Either way, the alarmist crowd loses the argument.
McKibben may get hoisted on his own petard. If common sense ever carries the day, there will be a mandatory warning label on E85, a motor fuel that’s popular in the Corn Belt, for obvious reasons.
Warning: This motor fuel contains 85% corn-based ethanol. Using food for fuel in the USA is contributing to malnutrition and infant mortality in the developing countries.
_Jim and Janice,
My favorite production corvette is the original 1990 – 1995 ZR1, with the LT5 aluminum block, double overhead cam, 375hp, 375 ft lb torque, sweetest V8 small block mill ever built! In 1993, they increased the horsepower to 405 hp…. The ZR1 included a greatly refined suspension, a new 6 speed manual transmission, a 4 inch wider aft body to cover the wider tires, and many other refinements.
From http://www.corvettemuseum.org/specs/2009zr1/history.shtml
Rumor became fact at the 1989 Geneva Auto Show, when the ZR-1 officially debuted. It was a time when performance cars were only beginning to regain some of the performance enjoyed during the heyday of the muscle car, and the ZR-1’s 375-horespower (280 kW) LT5 V-8 engine – with its DOHC configuration and four-valve heads – was an intoxicating breath of high-octane excitement.
The all-aluminum LT5 engine’s design was a collaboration of GM and Lotus Engineering, sharing only a 5.7-liter displacement with other small-block engines. The engine was built by Mercury Marine, which was renowned for its aluminum machining capability. Engineers were justifiably proud of the LT5’s refinement and smoothness; so much so that it was claimed a nickel placed on its end on top of the engine wouldn’t fall over when the engine was started. The challenge was immediately taken up – and the LT5 roared to life while the nickel remained standing.
The ZR-1 was more than merely a more powerful Corvette – it was a complete performance package that included wider rear bodywork to accommodate humongous rear tires and a unique, convex rear fascia with rectangular taillamps that made the car recognizable at a glance. The distinctive exterior elements contributed to the car’s mythical status among enthusiasts and auto critics. At its launch, the ZR-1 was found on the cover of just about every automotive publication around the globe, with Car and Driver dubbing it the “Corvette from Hell.”
Proving the ZR-1’s performance lived up to its instant legend status, a production model was sent to a high-speed test track at Fort Stockton, Texas, and set seven world speed records – the most notable being a 24-hour endurance run that averaged 175.8 mph (283 km/h) and recorded more than 4,200 miles.
THAT was done with a production car – no nitrous…. and the +175 mph average speed included stops for fuel and to change drivers! (Please Santa – I’ve been a good boy..again. I’d really like one of these shiny toys for next Christmas!)