Guest essay by Eric Worrall
According to Former Irish President and UN Apparatchik Mary Robinson, President Trump’s refusal to hand over loads of money for clean energy research is hurting people’s feelings.
Mary Robinson on climate change: ‘Feeling “This is too big for me” is no use to anybody’
The former president of Ireland has a new raison d’être: saving the planet. Yet, despite the dire warnings of this week’s IPCC report, she is surprisingly upbeat.
by Rory Carroll
Sat 13 Oct 2018On the morning that the world’s leading climate scientists warn that the planet has until 2030 to avert a global warming catastrophe, Mary Robinson appears suitably sombre. She wears black shoes, black trousers and a black sweater and perches at the end of a long table at her climate justice foundation, headquartered in an austere, imposing Georgian building opposite Trinity College Dublin. The only dash of brightness is a multicoloured brooch on her lapel. “It symbolises the sustainable development goals,” she says. “It’s the one good emblem that the United Nations has produced, so I like to wear it.”
There seems little reason for cheer on this Monday. The landmark report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has just warned that urgent, unprecedented changes are needed to keep global warming to a maximum of 1.5C; even half a degree beyond this will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people. Donald Trump, rejecter of the Paris climate agreement, is riding high on the back of Brett Kavanaugh’s elevation to the US supreme court. Britain and the EU are consumed by Brexit. Brazil is on course to elect a president who wants to open the Amazon to agribusiness. Closer to home, the Irish government is flunking its climate policy goals. Now, climate scientists warn that the clock ticks ever closer to midnight.
“Governments are not responding at all adequately to the stark reality that the IPCC is pointing to: that we have about 11 years to make really significant change,” says Robinson, sitting ramrod straight, all business. “This report is extraordinarily important, because it’s telling us that 2 degrees is not safe. It’s beyond safe. Therefore, we have to work much, much harder to stay at 1.5 degrees. I’ve seen what 1 degree is doing in more vulnerable countries … villages are having to move, there’s slippage, there’s seawater incursion.”
…
So, while the Trump administration withholds leadership and money from the global effort for clean energy – “That’s where it hurts” – the US may yet meet Paris emissions targets, thanks to efforts by We Are Still In, a coalition of mayors, governors, tribal leaders, colleges, businesses, faith groups and investors that is continuing to follow the terms of the agreement. The movement to divestment from fossil fuels is also making progress. “They’ve now moved to trillions being divested. That’s very significant.”
…
Just a few hundred billion per year would put a smile back on Mary Robinson’s face. Perhaps she would dress in happy colors, rather than “sustainable development goal” sombre black.
You do care, don’t you?
Have any of these climate predictions come true?
Just one?
Has Al Gore been correct on any of his predictions?
Paul Ehrlich?
Yet people still listen to them. Or perhaps they don’t and the media outlets just crank it out.
They say 11 years. Why not 10 years and 11 months? 9 years and 3 months? In school, I had to show my work. Where’s their work, calculations, assumptions, etc?
Could I, on behalf of the minority sane segment of the Irish population, apologise for this ‘ladys’ comments.
We have a leprechaun for a President at the moment.
Michael O’Higgins who is an extreme left wing type is likely to get re-elected.
We have a prime minister who is half Indian (the Asian branch) and is fully queer.
We have another ex president Mary McAlees who is even more disillusional than Mary Robinson.
Ireland was once renowned as the island of saints and scholars from which an estimated 40% of the free worlds population can claim inheritance from.
Sadly it can now be described as the island of Soros dollars, as his largess has legalised so called marriage
between same sex persons, vast sums to global warming zealots, the importation of an unending stream of members of the ‘religion of peace’ and most recently abortion on demand.
So basically anyone who is old enough to remember what old Ireland was once like are in for a shock if they are unwise enough to go ancestor hunting.
I think the headline is wrong. She wants her kleptocrat payoff money too.
I think there should be no money made available for climate research given how out of touch it is with reality. Let’s level the playing field.
the Trump administration withholds leadership and money from the global effort for clean energy – “That’s where it hurts”
The USA is the world’s biggest debtor nation. China is the world’s biggest economy. Why doesn’t Europe provide leadership, and money, if they think this is so important.
Has the UN ever had even 1 program that was a success? Maybe the Cypress peace between Turkey and Greece. I can’t think of any others.
The Korean war kept South Korea free from Communism. The United States (and, of course the South Koreans) did the large majority of the fighting, but other countries did provide significant help in that and sacrificed some of their best.
Of course, it took the Soviet Union walking out of the proceedings so they couldn’t vote against it.
No, that is yet another unending “war” courtesy of the UN. Look at the population distribution on Cyprus. Does that look like a success for the UN? Perhaps it is! This may actually have been their goal. Seems to have worked for UN in Korea.
‘They have now moved to trillions being divested.’
Wow, the divestors will have a serious hangover once they realise that they have been told porkies. And then they will want to recoup all their losses that entailed. They may knock on the lady’s door.
“I totally divested from sex trade shares. (I’m not wood, obviously I pay for sex every single day.) Please admire me.” said nobody ever.
But people could. Makes at least as much sense.
A) Why would Ireland care? Is this nutcase, Mary Robinson, afraid of a warm day or three in ireland?
B) “a coalition”; really!?
I don’t think Bloomberg’s $4.5 million dollars will cover much of EU’s parasitic corrupt climate tyranny. Nor will looney bloomeyberg’s original promise of $15 million dollars cover much. Then there is the very demanding third world expecting trillions, that bloomeyberg’s paltry billions can cover.
C) Divestment from “fossil fuels“!? Trillions divested from fossil fuels!?
Apparently, Mary Robinson has been drinking McKibben kooll-aid.
I doubt there are trillions of dollars, that is not dependent upon fossil fuel, available. Playing shell games pretending certain funds are not dependent upon fossil fuels to be viable is all delusion.
* Agriculture and food companies? Depend upon fossil fuels.
* Mining, refining, forming, even recycling!? Depends upon fossil fuels.
* Energy production!? Depends upon fossil fuels, even renewables!
* Lumber and construction!? Depends upon fossil fuels.
* Mining, refining, forming, even recycling!? Depends upon fossil fuels.
* Infrastructure and transportation!? Depends upon fossil fuels.
* Technology and communications!? Depends upon fossil fuels.
* Financial!? Depends upon fossil fuels.
* Government!? Depends upon fossil fuels.
* Climate alarmism!? Depends upon fossil fuels.
The sanctimonious reactionary ignorance of the climate committed is annoying.
Where is the data showing that he’s withholding money from climate research?
For a long time, keeping warming below the dangerous 2 degrees level was the mantra. What’s changed to warrant reducing this to 1.5? I would suggest nothing. Nothing apart from the fact that the climate is not co-oprating with the alarmists and 2 degrees is a far off pipedream. Here’s not to you, Mrs Robinson.
What’s changed is that it has become obvious to even them, that the earth isn’t going to warm 2.0C.
“I’ve seen what 1 degree is doing in more vulnerable countries … villages are having to move, there’s slippage, there’s seawater incursion.”
Yes but the real question is, can she feel it when she’s flying? On her broomstick, of course.
Your title is in error, the actual quote is “So, while the Trump administration withholds leadership and money from the global effort for clean energy” there is nothing about climate research.
As others have pointed out, Trump is providing leadership, he is just not leading in the direction Mary Robinson wants.
He is also providing money for the best form of clean energy, nuclear.
How many people in the US trust the EPA about the alleged risk of radon in houses? Is there widespread radiophobia?
Why in the world does anyone believe anything the IPCC says. I doubt the politicians really do (most of them). It’s just another excuse to steal money and usurp power.
“Yet, despite the dire warnings of this week’s IPCC report, she is surprisingly upbeat.”
Guinness, mmmm.
Mary Robinson is a propagandist pure and simple. She and the IPCC apparently believe that the big lie works. It’s not that simple.
There is the danger that people will begin to discount what they are being told. An example is trying to scare teenagers away from drugs. link Once the teens learn that part of what they’re being told is exaggerated, they will disbelieve all of what they’re being told about drugs.
The population in general does not think CAGW is a problem. Doubling down on the alarmism, which is what Robinson et al are doing, isn’t going to work. It just annoys a lot of people.
Save your breath Mary.
Hey Mar, you are a hoodwinked leftists pig. I listen to NOTHING you have to say. Buh by now.
Shoot, when I read the headline, I thought Trump had instructed the NSF and DoE to no longer fund climate modeling. Now *that* would be a revolutionary and wonderful development. And so richly deserved.
After that, he should withdraw funding from universities with thoroughly politicized cultural studies departments. No public money for partisan politics.
The abuses would dry up in a heart-beat. And the caterwauling would be so, well, heart-warming.
It’s nice to see Mary Robinson in a position of self-righteous complaint. But that’s her standard attitude anyway. I look for the day Trump gives her something that causes her an acute upset.
Nothing stopping her from dipping into her own pocket to help make up the difference
Sweetness, people have been doing Climate Research since absolutely forever.
The results are in and exemplified by the people preferring to live beside the sea-side, in large cities and in sheltered valleys beside large rivers. Not in deserts. Not in icy wastelands. Not on mountain tops.
The People, by voting with their feet, their backsides and their bedchambers have given the proverbial 2-finger salute to the GHGE and thus, any further research with that as a starting point.
What hurts you dear, is the termination of a free-money supply.
In which case, really must ask what agenda you are on. As an experienced politician you really should be aware that giving away free money does nothing but increase the demand for same.
Also applies to free anything. The Victorians in England worked that one out.
OK chook, I’m ready when you are and you know the rules.
Face to face. A public place.
No hesitation. No repetition.
No auto-cue. No pre-written questions or answers from either of us.
No appeals to consensus or authority. No name-calling or personal slander
This is sooooooooo going to happen.
Oh, dear. What can I do ? Baby’s in black and I’m feeling blue…
Koo koo kachoo, Mrs. Robinson.
“Just a few hundred billion per year would put a smile back on Mary Robinson’s face.”
Hold on, let me check my penny jar…
I’m cheap. A billion a year would put quite a smile on my face.
Ah c’mon now…97% of that would be more correct.
Why do we need to keep funding a field of science when it’s “settled” and there is a scientific “consensus” on it?
If I had to guess, probably to better understand “attribution” so then lawyers can start winning “catastrophic climate change chaos” lawsuits against the US and our fossil fuel companies.
“You do care, don’t you?” No. we don’t! We have noticed that every 12-years the target of Armeggedon is automatically moved on 12 years, so we are never going to get there, no matter what we do about CO2.
This reminds me a little bit of my Urologist (Proctologist).
I said “hey Doc that feels like two fingers”.
He said “well I thought I would get a second opinion”.
Trump refused more US funding to the IPCC which does no research.