Is Patagonia’s “Effective Altruism” For Climate Crisis The End Game Of Business Models?

By William Teach November 21, 2022 – 3:00 pm

Well, hey, if a company wants to give away all it’s profits, feel free. What could possibly go wrong?

Is Patagonia the end game for profits in a world of climate change?

Many brands are aligning profits with purpose, but Patagonia’s decision in September to convert its for-profit business to one under which all the profits flow through to fighting climate change is the most complex move yet by a U.S.-based company in the realm of sustainable capitalism. Is it a model for other companies to pursue in the future?

For the family founded firm, it’s in some ways a natural evolution. Patagonia has long been on the vanguard of responsible business practices. As far back as 1985, Patagonia deployed portions of its profits to the environment, via an “Earth tax.”

It’s far from the only well-known U.S. brand to be structured in a way that allows profits to be donated to charitable causes. Newman’s Own, the food brand founded by Hollywood icon Paul Newman, is perhaps the most familiar. Since 1982, Newman’s Own has given 100% of profits to charity, now totaling half a billion dollars in contributions. But that business, with a pure non-profit structure, was more of a “first generation” model for sustainable business, says Tensie Whelan, founding director of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business. “The Patagonia model is a little more sophisticated.”

Yet while Patagonia made headlines in the U.S. for being a novel marriage of capitalism and charity, similar corporate structures are already in use with several large family-controlled European companies, from Carlsberg to Ikea and Novo Nordisk. “Nothing new in this model,” said Morten Bennedsen, professor of family enterprise at INSEAD and the academic director of the Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise.

It’s all well and good until the sh*t hits the fan and they have no backend money to cover it. And lots of these “effective altruism” companies have a lot of issues with controlling where that money goes. Consider crypotcurrency company FTX, though, admittedly, that is an extreme case.

There are less extreme options for values-driven founders than the paths chosen by Yvon Chouinard and Paul Newman. “Most founders like to maintain control and have for-profit (less altruistic) sensibilities,” Whelan said.

B-Corp status, employee-ownership, and mutual organizations and cooperatives are all models that allow more focus on creating stakeholder value, in addition to shareholder value.

“We are seeing significant growth in these alternative models,” Whelan said.

We’ll see how long it lasts. And, how much of this altruistic money gets pissed away. Who’s going to audit them?

“The tension between growth and environmental impact is one we know well,” Curtis said. “We would be ignoring our commitment to responsible growth if we just maxed out sales for the purpose of giving away more money.  Further, it is important to resist the assumption that our value comes from the money we give away. We don’t think about it like that,” he said. “Our value comes from being a for-profit business and a Benefit Corporation.”

Yet, interestingly, they still have a lot of operations that use a lot of oil. Weird, right?

Yes, that’s North Face, but, Patagonia is the same.

Read: Is Patagonia’s “Effective Altruism” For Climate Crisis The End Game Of Business Models? »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Global Warming | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach November 21, 2022 – 1:00 pm

…is a desert flooded by carbon pollution Bad Weather, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Weasel Zippers, with a post on the UN chief calling for more online censorship.

Read: If All You See… »

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Trudeau To Attempt To Justify His Anti-Freedom Truckers Emergency Orders

By William Teach November 21, 2022 – 10:30 am

What, if any, consequences are there if the hearing finds that Trudeau over-stepped his use of powers?

Trudeau went all in against the Freedom Convoy. This week, it’s on him to explain why.

In a rare showing this week, Canada’s prime minister will publicly defend his decision to invoke never-before-used emergency powers to end a weekslong occupation of the nation’s capital last winter.

Justin Trudeau’s highly anticipated testimony will cap six weeks of hearings at a public inquiry that has witnessed extraordinary disclosures of the inner workings of police and government during the protest, which culminated in the Feb. 14 invocation of the Emergencies Act.

The act gave authorities broad new powers they used to freeze the bank accounts of protesters, ban travel to protest sites, prohibit people from bringing children to protests and compel tow trucks to clear out vehicles blocking Ottawa streets. Officials have said those measures, especially the ability to freeze accounts, also helped deter blockades at Canada-U.S. border crossings.

The public inquiry must determine whether Trudeau was justified in using the act. To date, it has heard and seen considerable evidence casting doubt on the Liberal government’s decision.

Police agencies have testified the emergency powers weren’t necessary to end the protest of pandemic public health measures. Senior government officials were shown to have harbored doubts. And perhaps most damaging to the government’s case was a revelation last week that Canada’s national intelligence agency did not find the protests posed a threat to Canada’s security.

In the final week of hearings, it will fall to Trudeau and several of his ministers and senior staff to prove their case: that they needed unprecedented measures to deal with an unprecedented situation.

Everyone pretty much knew that what Trudeau did was unnecessary, and was pretty much authoritarian, measures enacted because those darned peasants dared to defy Trudeau and his vaccine mandates. Sure, the hard-left media tried to morph it into more, but, it really wasn’t, except some others demanding that all the COVID-tyranny rules get dumped.

The border blockades raised concerns about Canada’s reputation as a reliable trading partner, and Trudeau spoke with President Joe Biden about the situation on Feb. 11. Three days later, with the Ottawa protests entering their third week, Trudeau employed the Emergencies Act.

The act, passed in 1988, had never been used and is intended only for national emergencies that can’t be resolved by other means. Its predecessor, the War Measures Act, was most recently used by Trudeau’s father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, in response to a series of terrorist attacks by a militant Quebec independence movement in 1970.

Progressives (nice Fascists) will use anything to enforce their Beliefs.

The public inquiry to scrutinize the government’s decision was triggered by use of the act, but it’s unclear what consequences Trudeau will face if the commission finds he didn’t meet the requirements for its invocation. The inquiry is a fact-finding mission rather than a legal trial. (snip)

One recent poll found a majority of Canadians are paying at least some attention to the hearings. But it also found most people’s minds were already made up about the Emergencies Act, and a majority believe the government “made the best choice it could” in deciding to use it.

After all the spin, and time since, yes, perhaps people are feeling different. They should remember that the next person shut down could be themselves. It wasn’t that long ago that Canada was using emergency powers to keep them home, shut down their businesses, and force them to get the vaccine, and it wouldn’t take much to get the power mad leaders to do it again. Once they get power and use it with nary a pushback, well, they’ll feel free to do it again. Most COVID tyrants have paid no price at all. People just accept that government is dominant.

Read: Trudeau To Attempt To Justify His Anti-Freedom Truckers Emergency Orders »

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U.S. Is On The Hook To Pay For Its “Carbon Pollution” Or Something

By William Teach November 21, 2022 – 7:15 am

Yeah, that only works if the relevant documents are submitted to the United States Senate and ratified, and the Carolina Panthers have a better chance of winning the Super Bowl this year then of getting two-thirds votes for it

COP27 wins and losses: U.S. on the hook to pay for its pollution; natural gas gets nod as transition fuel

For the first time ever, rich nations, including a top-polluting U.S., will pay for the climate-change damage inflicted upon poorer nations.

These smaller economies are often the source of the fossil fuels, minerals and other raw materials behind the developed world’s modern conveniences and technologicial advancement, including many practices responsible for the Earth-warming emisisons. And yet the developing world shoulders the worst of the droughts, deadly heat, ruined crops and eroding coastlines that take lives and eat into economic growth.

The deal, called “loss and damage” in summit shorthand, was struck as the U.N.’s Conference of Parties, or COP27, gaveled to a close near dawn Sunday in Egypt. Official talks ended Friday, but negotiations extended into the weekend.

Should have charged the 40,000+ in attendance a huge fee for loss and damage, what with all their fossil fuels usage

It was a big win for poorer nations which have long sought money — sometimes viewed as reparations — because they are often the victims of climate-worsened floods, famines and storms despite contributing little directly to the pollution that heats up the globe. It took last-minute, pre-summit negotiations to even get the topic on the official agenda.

Again, it’s 1st world money transferred to 3rd world nations with zero strings, so those 3rd world nations can continue building coal fired power plants, airports, and enriching the lives of the elites. How much will all those who flew in on private jets paying?

According to many conference participants, the U.S. was a late-stage roadblock to establishing this official payout language, though it signed off in the end. U.S. participation was also impacted once chief climate negotiator John Kerry tested positive for COVID-19, although he continued to work from his hotel.

What are China and India paying?

According to the agreement, the fund would initially draw on contributions from developed countries and other private and public sources such as international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

And where is the authorization from the duly elected Legislative Branch to give this money away?

While major emerging economies such as China wouldn’t automatically have to contribute, that option remains on the table. This is a key demand by the European Union and the U.S., who argue that China and other large polluters currently classified as “developing” countries have the financial clout and responsibility to pay their way.

Oh, there’s China. Pretty much not going to have to give anything, all while they build coal power plants, both in China and in African nations.

Read: U.S. Is On The Hook To Pay For Its “Carbon Pollution” Or Something »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Global Warming | 18 Comments | Trackback URL

Surprise: Senator Warner Says Trump Was Right About TikTok

By William Teach November 21, 2022 – 7:00 am

This had to hurt to say

Dem Sen. Warner says ‘Trump was right’ about banning China’s TikTok, warns parents against letting kids on app

surprise surprise surpriseSen. Mark Warner, D-Va., says former President Donald Trump “was right” to go after the China-owned video-sharing app TikTok.

Warner made the comments during an appearance on Fox News Sunday, telling host Shannon Bream that the app represents a major threat to Americans’ privacy. He also warned parents against allowing their children to download the app on their phones.

“Well, I think Donald Trump was right. I mean, TikTok is an enormous threat,” Warner told Bream. “So, if you’re a parent, and you’ve got a kid on TikTok, I would be very, very concerned. All of that data that your child is inputting and receiving is being stored somewhere in Beijing.”

Warner is only the most recent in a series of U.S. politicians and officials to call for a crackdown on TikTok. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr called on regulators to ban the app in the U.S., and FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that it contributes to China’s status as the No. 1 thief of U.S. data in the world.

“China’s vast hacking program is the world’s largest, and they have stolen more Americans’ personal and business data than every other nation combined,” Wray told lawmakers last week, adding specifically of TikTok: “[Dangers] include the possibility that the Chinese government could use it to control data collection on millions of users or control the recommendation algorithm, which could be used for influence operations if they so chose or to control software on millions of devices, which gives the opportunity to potentially tactically compromise personal devices.”

For all Trump’s bombastic behavior, he was usually right. And he wasn’t the only one saying it. One of my favorite fun sites, Bored Panda, had a post years ago saying how dangerous it is. But, I’m not going to scroll back to find it, because BP keeps using TikTok posts. Wired says it’s a national security threat. The NY Times said it was dangerous (before taking the opposite view because Trump said it was dangerous). The FCC under Biden says it’s dangerous, especially for kids. Here’s VPN Overview, a site which is all about using VPN, for work, security, and to block

TikTok’s user base mostly consists of children and adolescents, which many consider to be vulnerable groups. This is a main reason for different authorities to express their worries. However, it isn’t just the youth that might be in danger from TikTok. From December 2019 onwards, U.S. military personnel were no longer allowed to use TikTok, as the app was considered a ‘cyber threat’. Privacy regulators from the EU also decided to study TikTok’s privacy policy, and even Reddit’s CEO harshly condemned TikTok’s practices.

VPNOverview took a close look at TikTok and included the most recent research in its analysis. The findings are disturbing. The privacy and security risks that come with TikTok are serious. So, what can you do to limit those risks as much as possible?

That’s right, the US military bans the use of TikTok.

Read: Surprise: Senator Warner Says Trump Was Right About TikTok »

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If All You See…

By William Teach November 20, 2022 – 1:05 pm

…are horrible fossil fueled vehicles, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Victory Girls Blog, with a post on Marxists saying misgendering kids is an act of violence.

It’s white tops week!

Read: If All You See… »

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Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

By William Teach November 20, 2022 – 9:46 am

Patriotic Pinup Elvgren

Happy Sunday! Another fine day in the Once and Future Nation Of America. The Sun is shining, the squirrels being loud, and the Devils have now won 12 straight. This pinup is by Gil Elvgren, a rather hard once to find, with a wee bit of help.

Wha tis happening in Ye Olde Blogosphere? The Fine 15

  1. Pacific Pundit covers Texas putting National Guard troops on the border
  2. neo-neocon has a simple breakdown of the FTX fiasco
  3. Moonbattery has the moonbat conception of a female singer
  4. Legal Insurrection features yet another fake hate crime, this time in San Diego
  5. Jihad Watch covers witchcraft in Nigeria
  6. Geller Report notes Kevin McCarthy saying he will remove Jew hater Ilhan Omar from committee
  7. GeeeZ has your Sunday faith blog
  8. Flag And Cross notes the GOP already investigating Biden’s foreign ties
  9. Da Techguy’s Blog covers Musk reinstating Trump’s Twitter
  10. Climate Depot discusses the FTX scam also being a green scam
  11. Chicks On The Right covers Michelle Obama and her hair being so Brave
  12. Blazing Cat Fur notes the Army still trying to force out the un-vaxxed
  13. American Greatness isn’t impressed by the Enola Holmes movies
  14. 90Ninety Miles From Tyranny delves into the Trump special prosecutor
  15. And last, but, not least, 357 Magnum discusses yet another male beating women in sports

As always, the full set of pinups can be seen in the Patriotic Pinup category, or over at my Gallery page (nope, that’s gone, the newest Apache killed access, and the program hasn’t been upgraded since 2014). While we are on pinups, since it is that time of year, have you gotten your Pinups for Vets calendar yet? And don’t forget to check out what I declare to be our War on Women Rule 5 and linky luv posts and things that interest me. I’ve also mostly alphabetized them, makes it easier scrolling the feedreader

Don’t forget to check out all the other great material all the linked blogs have!

Anyone else have a link or hotty-fest going on? Let me know so I can add you to the list. And do you have a favorite blog you can recommend be added to the feedreader?

Two great sites for getting news links are Liberty Daily and Whatafinger.

Read: Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup »

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Bummer: Thinking About Thanksgiving, Most Religious People Aren’t Concerned With Hotcoldwetdry

By William Teach November 20, 2022 – 7:00 am

And why should they be, when we see crazy cult stuff like this every time it snows?

Food for thought at Thanksgiving: Most religious people consider the Earth sacred and believe God gave us a duty to protect our oceans, forests and clean air

Most U.S. adults — including a solid majority of those identifying as Christians and large numbers of people who follow other major religious traditions — consider the Earth sacred and believe God gave humans a duty to care for its oceans, forests and breathable air, according to a new survey.

That view doesn’t necessarily translate to an active role in limiting climate change, however. And while politics can explain the bulk of the reason, there are other factors at work.

A Pew Research Center survey out Thursday finds that highly religious Americans (those who say they pray each day, regularly attend religious services and consider religion very important in their lives) are far less likely than other U.S. adults to express concern about warming temperatures around the globe.

Perhaps they just aren’t interested in joining a cult based less on science and more on political power?

The Pew survey reveals several reasons why religious Americans tend to be less concerned about climate change. First and foremost: politics: The main driver of U.S. public opinion about the climate is political party, not religion.

Highly religious Americans are more inclined than others to identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, and Republicans tend to be much less likely than Democrats to believe that human activity (such as burning fossil fuels CL00, +0.19% to heat and cool homes, ship in-demand goods, or take to the country’s vast highway system) is warming the Earth. And, most of these respondents, even those tying humans to climate change, do not necessarily believe that climate change ranks as a serious problem, Pew said.

It could be that they see that they see the Democrats loathing the religious, denigrating them, trying to limit their ability to practice their religion, hence, they lean Republican. They see a political party that loves to kill the unborn. And worshiping Doing Something about ‘climate change’, which requires subservience to the State.

Climate change does not seem to be a major area of focus in U.S. congregations. Among all U.S. adults who say they attend religious services at least once or twice a month, just 8% say they hear a great deal or quite a bit about climate change in sermons.

Why would they? They’re there to hear the Word of God, the teachings of Jesus, not a state pushed cult.

(CBS News) Those surveyed who said “they pray each day, regularly attend religious services and consider religion very important in their lives,” were much less likely to be concerned about rising temperatures, in comparison to non-religious Americans, or Americans of non-Christian religions, Pew found. And only 8% of those who identified as highly religious said they were “very concerned” about climate change.

Just 8%. They have other concerns. Homelessness, feeding the hungry, giving shelter, and so much more, things they can do something about, not cult beliefs that require them to give up their Christian beliefs and worship government.

On the other hand, the study found that “members of non-Christian religions and people who do not identify with any religion…consistently express the highest levels of concern about climate change.” Nine in 10 atheists surveyed said the Earth is getting warmer, mostly due to human activity.

Yet, those same atheists tend to do almost nothing in their own lives to reduce their carbon footprints. And little to actually help their fellow man.

Read: Bummer: Thinking About Thanksgiving, Most Religious People Aren’t Concerned With Hotcoldwetdry »

Posted in Christianity, Collapsing Science, Global Warming | 12 Comments | Trackback URL

World Socialists Say Buffalo Blizzard Sign Of Climate Doom

By William Teach November 19, 2022 – 3:00 pm

It’s so strange that it is primarily those on the political left (technically, these people are way to the right on the political scale, putting them in the Authoritarian model) are the ones who push the climate scam the hardest, eh? It’s almost like they have ulterior motives. This comes from the World Socialist Web Site

Massive snowfall fueled by climate change hits Buffalo and Great Lakes region

A massive snowfall is hitting Buffalo, New York, and other parts of the Great Lakes region and is predicted to continue through Sunday.

Already, by Friday afternoon over two feet of snow had hit Buffalo and surrounding towns and continues to come down as of this writing. At times, the snow was falling at a rate of two to three inches per hour.

Total accumulation could reach four to five feet, making it one of the worst storms to hit the region in recorded history.

Lake-effect snow is common in the areas surrounding the Great Lakes. However, the frequency and intensity of these storms is increasing as global temperatures warm, the direct result of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

Such snowfalls are most common in autumn in the Great Lakes region when lake water temperatures are relatively warm, above 40F, and cold air systems blow across them condensing the moisture in the air into snow.

In fact, two studies show that snowfalls have increased around the Great Lakes over the past decades. A 2009 study by K. E. Kunkel published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research restricted itself to verified measurements at weather stations and found that total snowfall along Lake Superior and Lake Michigan increased significantly from 1927 to 2007.

Another study performed by A.W. Burnett in 2003, published in the Journal of Climate and using broader measures, found significant snow increases for the entire Great Lakes region between 1931 and 2001.

Of course they’re going with this, because it is a doomsday cult. With aspirations to force you to pay more taxes/fees and give up your freedom to government

As global warming continues, extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, droughts and lake-effect snowstorms will become more frequent, intense and deadly with no serious response from the capitalist ruling elite.

See? It causes everything.

Good grief

And more

Read More »

Read: World Socialists Say Buffalo Blizzard Sign Of Climate Doom »

Posted in Climate Cult, Global Warming | 17 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach November 19, 2022 – 1:00 pm

…is a symbol used by Evil climate deniers, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is White House Dossier, with a post on Biden banning reporters from his granddaughters wedding, which is taking place at the White House.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 4 Comments | Trackback URL
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