Pirate's Cove

Remember, folks, this is all about Science! Here we have CNN publishing Jeffrey Sachs, professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia Universit, losing his mind

Trump’s failure to fight climate change is a crime against humanity

President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and others who oppose action to address human-induced climate change should be held accountable for climate crimes against humanity. They are the authors and agents of systematic policies that deny basic human rights to their own citizens and people around the world, including the rights to life, health, and property. These politicians have blood on their hands, and the death toll continues to rise.

As the Earth warms due to the continued burning of coal, oil, and gas, climate-related disasters that include high-intensity hurricanes, floods, droughts, extreme precipitation, forest fires, and heat waves, pose rising dangers to life and property. Hurricanes become more destructive as warmer ocean waters feed more energy to the storms. Warmer air also carries more moisture for devastating rainfalls, while rising sea levels lead to more flooding.

Trump remains in willful denial of the thousands of deaths caused by his government’s inept, under-funded, and under-motivated response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico last year. The image that will remain in history is of the President gleefully throwing paper towels for a photo op as the people of Puerto Rico around him suffered and died of neglect. Last month, Hurricane Florence claimed at least 48 deaths, with more likely to come in its aftermath. This past week Hurricane Michael has claimed at least 32 lives, with more than a thousand people reportedly still missing. The final death toll will likely soar in the months ahead as the residual consequences of the storm become more clear.

Yet Trump and his minions are the loyal servants of the fossil-fuel industry, which fill Republican party campaign coffers. Trump has also stalled the fight against climate change by pulling out of the Paris Agreement. The politicians thereby deprive the people of their lives and property out of profound cynicism, greed, and willful scientific ignorance.

The first job of government is to protect the public. Real protection requires climate action on several fronts: educating the public about the growing dire risks of human-induced climate change; enacting legislation and regulations to ensure that families and businesses are kept out of harm’s way, for example by stopping construction in flood plains, and investing in sustainable infrastructure to counteract rising sea levels; anticipating the rising frequency of high-intensity climate-related disasters through science-based preparedness following through on properly scaled disaster-response during and after storm events; and most importantly for the future, spearheading the rapid transition to zero-carbon energy to prevent much greater calamities in the years ahead.

This unhinged screed goes on for a while, but, really, if we want to talk about those who have committed crimes against humanity, wouldn’t that involve all those who say they believe the climatic changes are mostly/solely caused by Mankind refusing to give up their own use of fossil fuels and make their lives carbon neutral?

While dozens died during the storm, thousands more died as a result of the residual effects of the storm. Maria downed electricity and wreaked havoc on the ability of Puerto Ricans to meet their life-sustaining needs by disrupting access to health services, safe water, and transportation. They died, in short, from the storm, and ultimately from inadequate disaster prevention, preparedness and response.

Well, really, wouldn’t all those deaths from the hurricanes (which have always happened) be Obama’s fault? He had eight years to “stop” climate change, yet, really did nothing. I mean, the Democrats and their media were blaming things on Bush 4 years into Obama’s first term. So, this would be considered an “inherited problem”, would it not? Not that this is real. Anywhere between 6,000 and 12,000 lost their lives during the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900. Back when CO2 levels were well under the “safe” level of 350ppm, and fossil fueled vehicles weren’t widespread.

And let’s not forget that the Democrats who run Puerto Rico were completely incompetent. And that Obama left Trump with a FEMA that wasn’t up to the job!!!!!! Except they were. They did the job as they are supposed to. Management. That’s what they do. They aren’t there to rescue, and they can’t make governments do anything.

The huge bills for Hurricanes Florence and Michael will now start rolling in: funerals, suffering, sorting through debris, and perhaps $30 billion in losses that could have been reduced dramatically through science-based planning and foresight. The American people are paying a heavy cost for the cynicism and cruelty of politicians in the pocket of the fossil-fuel industry. It is time to hold these reckless politicians to account.

What does he mean by that? Sounds violent.