Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Michael Mann seems to think only a strong green President with the will to override Congress with “bold” executive orders can save the world from catastrophe.
Yes—Donald Trump Is a Threat to the Planet
In just a matter of weeks, we will be confronted with a critical decision. It is not mere hyperbole to assert that we are facing a make-or-break election as far as climate change is concerned.
My co-author Tom Toles (the Pulitzer-winning editorial cartoonist for the Washington Post) and I put it this way in the concluding chapter of our new book, The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial Is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics and Driving Us Crazy.
In the current presidential contest, we could not have a more stark choice before us, between a candidate who rejects the overwhelming evidence that climate change is happening and a candidate who embraces the role of a price on carbon and incentives for renewable energy.
If you care about the planet, the choice would seem clear.
…
In this next election, we need to decide whether we are going to build on the successes of the Obama administration — which has used a combination of bold executive actions and international diplomacy to achieve action on climate change even in the presence of intransigence, denial and outright hostility from congressional republicans—or whether we are going to retreat back into the energy-equivalent of the stone age, continuing to degrade our planet through the profligate burning of increasingly dangerous fossil carbon even as the rest of the world moves forward, embracing the renewable energy revolution destined to be the hallmark of the 21st century.
…
Read more: http://www.ecowatch.com/michael-mann-climate-change-2028789080.html
Leaving aside Mann’s overhyping of the importance of the US contribution to global greenhouse emissions, I find Mann’s apparent insistence that a strong president can pretty much ignore the will of Congress rather disturbing.
Is this really the true state of affairs in modern America?
Putting a green zealot in charge, with a mission to save the world, and the authority and will to “boldly” override the wishes of other branches of government – what could possibly go wrong?
I am pretty sure our planet will survive – it has coped with worse disasters in the past, I believe!
It is amazing that the luvvie left actors, scientivists and pollies don’t seem to be able to get past their over inflated egos to realise that every assertion from them just adds a few more votes to their opponents campaign. They kept jumping up and waving their willies at us in the UK Independence vote and where did it get them? … Out of the EU gravy train. Now they are willy waving in the US election. Somebody said the mark of a fool is to keep repeating the same behaviour and expecting a different result. At the moment Hilary is repeating the same personal attacks on Trump that have failed to have an impact for two years. Now Kaine has tried the same strategy and had a negative impact. With no change of course it appears that Trump will be the next US President. There does not seem to be any thing that he can say or do to prevent that. So it is up to Hilary to stop thinking that everyone should vote for her because she is female and called Hilary and start expounding a few policies that might be beneficial to the actual American voters in the heartlands. Calling them deplorable was not a good move.
Personally I think Trump will make a good President if he follows the business practice of putting the best managers into the Departments and learns to play golf. If he spends his time with his head inserted into his own firmament like Obama he will be as much of a failure.
Then, I am not an American voter. But I will have to duck under the nukes as they go over if Hilary is left in charge.
It takes one to know one.
“…I find Mann’s apparent insistence that a strong president can pretty much ignore the will of Congress rather disturbing.
Is this really the true state of affairs in modern America?”
Yes. Congress has slowly been ceding it’s power to the President for years. Past Presidents were just more discrete about it than Obama has been. One of the things that a Trump presidency will do will be to unite Congress (against Trump). I think a Trump will go a long way to Congress reassuming the powers it has given up while it was creating our wonderful imperial presidency.
I’m sure that Hillary is champing at the bit in her mouth to wield the unconstitutional powers that Obama did, and which Congress sat silently for. Obama got away with it because he’s black and because Congress is corrupt. If elected, will Hillary get away with anything because she’s a woman?
What this world doesn’t need is power being concentrated into the hands of people who consider themselves to be entitled to it and above the laws.
By the way, a federal judge recently added his voice to leftist in government who say the Constitution is meaningless. Someone needs to educated these people that it’s the Constitution that gives them their titles, power and authority. Without it these people are nobodies who are simply using violence to enrich themselves by oppressing everyone else.
It is strange that all these leftists in government and this judge always say the Constitution is meaningless, but then ‘claim the 5th’ at the first opportunity. If the 1st and 2nd are meaningless so are the 4th and 5th.
“..always say the Constitution is meaningless, but then ‘claim the 5th’ at the first opportunity.”
Ian, that’s brilliant.
By the way, I read that Hillary’s IT guy was given immunity, which legally forces him to talk, but he still took the 5th. And some arms dealer just successfully publicly blackmailed Obama and Hillary. And the mainstream media hasn’t noticed.
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” Marcellus to Horatio, Hamlet
Unfortunately, that education will only come from the business end of a gun, millions of them.
“I read that Hillary’s IT guy was given immunity, which legally forces him to talk, but he still took the 5th.”
So would I. People who cross the Clintons have a remarkable habit of ending up dead.
I wouldn’t want to agree to testify and then feel a sudden, uncontrollable urge to kill myself.
The core of the corruption is Senate Democrats. They have enabled Obama to behave as he has, that is contempt toward anyone who disagrees with his policies and corrupting the DOJ to enable the systemic corruption of all the agencies and depts in the Executive branch. Obama knew from day one he was un-removable, but he still had to get re-elected by a naive electorate. So he put his corrupted IRS to work on his opponents in 2010 and they haven’t stopped since. After the 2012 re-election, he just threw off any pretense of following the constitution.
That’s all true, but Republicans promised to oppose Obama’s illegal actions if we gave them the House, so we gave them the House. Then they claimed they couldn’t do anything without the Senate, too. If they had that they’d oppose Obama and defund Obamacare. So we gave them that.
But on election night, as soon as the historic results were assured, they went on the news and announced that they’d been elected to help Obama implement his agenda and would personally fix Obamacare.
People used to believe that the Republican Party was the opposition to socialist tyranny, but they are in fact simply another faction within the Democratic Party whose purpose is to soak up opposition votes and destroy conservatives. This is why Trump beat a room full of Republicans, even though they out-organized and outspent him by hundreds of millions of dollars.
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” — Matthew 5:13
All career politicians do not want to rock the boat and endanger their gravy train. Both sides of the aisle are guilty as hell. What they fear the most is a population that will elect an outsider who will expose them all.
@ur momisugly joelobryan and LarryFine, ,,,,, great commentary and 100% correct you both were.
I have been saying, ….. since shortly after Trump announced his POTUS run, ,,,,,, that he would “awaken a sleeping giant within the eligible US voting populace”.
And me thinks I was correct ……. and I also think/believe that NONE of the Poll #’s reflect that “awakening of a sleeping giant”. …… (sleeping giant = 100 million eligible voters)
You’re right that Obama has ignored the constitution. And you can bet that Hillary will continue that legacy – who’s going to stop her once she puts her shills on the Supreme Court?
Note to Dr. Hockey Stick Brain: The planet won’t even notice the election.
The Green radicals in the audience wanted to shut him down for expressing a diverse opinion.
I’ve got some advice for Trump on science in general – climate science in particular. For any position related to science, the job is given to anyone who can prove the incumbent is wrong on any stance within their portfolio. Say that the earth is flat – you’re outta there. Claim a direct and immediate correlation between CO2 and global temperature – gone. Have such a loose stance that nothing can be tested, bye bye… Have theories that sound more like story telling than science – go back to Hollywood. Let’s value being right (and able to prove it) more than being popular. Surely the current climate gurus could not object – they are right with a good head start in funding after all aren’t they?
How do we prove someone wrong? Same as always – design an experiment to test the two competing theories – loser walks. Hey stuff Trump, this could be a new TV show… Science gladiator – two scientists enter, only one leaves – could be fun, and very entertaining!
‘Climate Death Match’ ?
I’m underwhelmed with Nature’s review of Mann’s book.
Using Mann’s analysis of why he was criticised is as disingenuous as exonerating O. J. Simpson on the basis of his “If I did it”.
If he doesn’t step it up in this next debate, his candidacy is likely doomed, unfortunately.
Whatever happened to Mann’s lawsuit against Mark Steyn? That thing has dragged on for so long without any progress that I think the court will throw it out, allowing Mann to truthfully say he didn’t.
By the way, Steyn’s keynote speech at ICCC 10 is one of the best and funniest keynotes ever.
https://youtu.be/6bARjABDqok
Congress might put a brake on a republican President but at least the President cab put a brake on the Congress!
be aware of yourself.
says a guy who wants to set world policy based on readings from 1 tree
+1
As an aside, if Trump wants to guarantee his election he simple must come out in strong favor of pushing for term limits on Congress and make that a focal point. I would imagine that the entire body of both Houses would scream against it but that will only prove the need for those term limits.
Mikey and his friends live in an imaginary world of their own making, which they like to call “the planet”. Trouble is, it is dependent on money from the real world. It’s very existence is continually threatened by reality itself. And Trump threatens that, so in a way he is correct. Just not in the way he thinks he is.
How’s Mikey’s legal case against Mark Steyn going? You know, the one where Mann is stalling for time and hoping Steyn’s money runs out? I wonder why that is so? Can’t imagine….
PS Didn’t see LarryFine’s post just above. Great minds and all that. 🙂
Isn’t just about everything created and/or used by humans a “threat to the planet” the the eyes of the Green Blob?
“Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
That applies to all of them!
I’ve always thought that the main disqualifier for being president, would be, wanting to be president.
We should give the job to the person who wants it the least.
I always thought that that was the original aim of the constitution – calling the most able but reluctant from Colomby les deux eglises.
I’m sure that when Donald gets into the Whitehouse there will be checks and balances with the civil service helping with decision making and making clear what he can and cannot do. Both candidates if successful should be strongly advised to leave their respective spouses back at the homestead in Arkansas or Trump tower.
I’m pretty sure the Clinton homestead is now in New York. Arkansas doesn’t want him back.
I’m pretty sure he is too; just being facetious and reminding myself how a rogue from Arkansas can become protus.
Donald in the Whitehouse would also save billions by having no climate change advisers; he wouldn’t even have to sack the one’s already there saving further billions in severance pay.
On another point you can sign their petition of ‘scientists’ at:
https://act.notwhoweare.us/petitions/members-of-the-scientific-community-say-donald-trump-is-not-who-we-are
I have it on good authority that none other than ‘Oliver Closoff’ of Simpson’s fame just signed it. Word has it that Hugh Jass and Al Coholic are still on the fence.
“a strong green President with the will to override Congress with “bold” executive orders” Sounds like Hillary’s vision:
Carol Browner is in “Hillary Clinton’s climate army”, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/hillary-clinton-climate-team-226930
“Like Obama, Clinton is prepared to rely on her executive powers to make progress on climate change, rather than waiting on Congress to send her legislation.”
“Browner, Obama’s first-term climate adviser and Bill Clinton’s former EPA chief, and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm have also played a major role in shaping the campaign’s energy and environmental agenda”
“The Clinton campaign’s policy bench starts at the very top with Chairman John Podesta, who was a leading architect of Obama’s second-term climate strategy and remains involved in developing the campaign’s climate and energy agenda. Podesta is also leading a separate effort aimed at planning for Clinton’s transition that could draw from the energy and climate policy recommendations.”
Podesta is the “Man Behind Hillary Clinton’s Campaign”, http://time.com/4308369/hillary-clinton-john-podesta/
Browner is a member of the Board of Directors of John Podesta’s Center for American Progress, where Climate Progress Joe Romm resides as a “Senior Fellow”.
https://www.americanprogress.org/about/c3-board/ Check out the other members.
https://www.americanprogress.org/about/staff/romm-joseph/bio/
Browner was a former vice-president at Socialist International, prior to becoming “Climate Czar” in Obama’s 1st administration:
http://www.socialistinternational.org/viewArticle.cfm?ArticleID=1915&ArticleImageID=1743&ModuleID=18
And look where Michigan is today. Facing a power shortfall by the middle of 2017 or the beginning of 2018. Michigan and also seeking power from Ontario, Canada to cover power shortfalls.
Not good news for Michigan manufacturing companies unless they can provide their own back-up power.
Granholm is a former Michigan governor. During her two terms in office the Michigan Renewable Energy Mandate was brought in.
Mikey Mann as a disgusting POS. Dang I detest his ilk.
It’s very telling that alarmists imagine that ONLY the state can force people into using less fossil fuels. Alarmists have resigned themselves to the fact that not enough people believe their shrill warnings and are voluntarily consuming less.
If a majority of people believed them and acted on their beliefs, they wouldn’t need the state to force these changes on people. The casual acceptance of tyranny as the only means to solve their problem is deeply disturbing. It boggles my mind that the left-leaning electorate can imagine they have a monopoly on sensitivity, empathy and a desire for justice, and yet be so willing to adopt the most anti-human kind of force to achieve their desired outcomes.
Brilliant comment! +1000
I suppose Mann’s Earth System Science Center gets funding from the federal government? then from a certain point of view, the planet is doomed if Trump is elected if one’s point of view is that ESSC is the planet