If All You See…

…is a horrible fossil fueled vehicle, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Ace Of Spades HQ, with a post on Vox whining about companies abandoning Woke.

Read: If All You See… »

Biden’s Abrams Tanks To Ukraine Are Failing

This is what Brandon said when announcing the U.S. was sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine at a cost of about $310 million

(NBC News) Sending the tanks will “enhance Ukraine’s capacity to defend its territory and achieve its strategic objectives” because they are “the most capable tanks in the world,” Biden said.

“That’s what this is about — helping Ukraine defend and protect Ukrainian land. It is not an offensive threat to Russia, there is no offensive threat to Russia,” the president said.

Yes, they can be used for defense. They should be used for charging in and destroying Russian assets that are attacking Ukraine. Zelensky was demanding them. He lauded when they were allocated and arrived. How’s that working out?

US Abrams tanks failing in Ukraine as Russia mocks them as ‘empty tin cans’

Biden Brain SuckerAmerica’s Abrams tanks are failing on the battlefield in Ukraine as Russia has labelled them “empty tin cans”.

The US donated 31 Abrams to Ukraine last year in a move heralded as a potential game changer for Kyiv in its fight against Russia.

Ukraine had been complaining that its old soviet-era tanks were getting stuck in mud, not firing and constantly breaking down. But the superior US models appear to be faring little better in practice.

Speaking to CNN, Ukrainian crews working on the tanks say the Abram M1s are not as robust as touted. “Its armour is not sufficient for this moment,” said one crew member with the callsign Joker.

“It doesn’t protect the crew. For real, today this is the war of drones. So now, when the tank rolls out, they always try to hit them.”

So, we just pissed away at least $310 million for the tanks, plus training, shipping, and rounds. One problem is that the normal armor is removed

The tanks usually come equipped with “secret” uranium armour, but the US donated modified versions with Chobham armour, the composite ceramic and steel protective material developed in Britain in the 1960s. The move was likely made out of fears the uranium armour could end up in Russian hands.

But, they would still be in danger from above even with the uranium armour, due to the use of drones.

Even CNN has noticed that the tanks, which Biden was so excited to send over due to Zelensky’s demands, are mostly useless. As one of the people in the comments say

I am also an ex-tanker on the M1A1. The warfare in Ukraine really isn’t for the tank. Tanks are built more for open land spearheading with air support. When we did training in Hohenfels which is probably similar to Ukraine. When we went against OP4 seldom did tank units did well. When tanks are confined to trails or roads and not in open areas such as big fields and deserts, they are easy prey to be picked off by anti-tank units or in Ukraine by drones. The Abrahams is a good tank but like any tank vulnerable in these conditions. The same is for the Russian army as they don’t do combined arms maneuvering well and they are being picked off as well very easily including their top tanks such at the T-90.

So, wrong weapons systems for the fight.

Ex tanker here. This is what many of us in the U.S. Armor community said would be a likely issue for Ukraine. A tank by itself, while fearsome, relies on combined arms tactics for maximum effectiveness. That means coordination with air support, artillery, infantry, etc. Don’t blame the tank for having a counter that you were ill prepared for.

Which Ukraine doesn’t have. Ukraine is supposed to be getting F-16s in the coming months. Will those also be a waste of money?

Read: Biden’s Abrams Tanks To Ukraine Are Failing »

Vermont Law Charging Fossil Fuels Companies For ‘Climate Change’ Enacted

So glad we elect Republicans to let this kind of thing go into effect, but, hey, maybe he wanted to teach some people about the Law Of Consequences

Vermont becomes 1st state to enact law requiring oil companies pay for damage from climate change

Vermont has become the first state to enact a law requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a share of the damage caused by climate change after the state suffered catastrophic summer flooding and damage from other extreme weather.

Republican Gov. Phil Scott allowed the bill to become law without his signature late Thursday, saying he is very concerned about the costs and outcome of the small state taking on “Big Oil” alone in what will likely be a grueling legal fight. But he acknowledged that he understands something has to be done to address the toll of climate change.

“I understand the desire to seek funding to mitigate the effects of climate change that has hurt our state in so many ways,” Scott, a moderate Republican in the largely blue state of Vermont, wrote in a letter to lawmakers.

Or, maybe he’s just an idiot squish.

Under the legislation, the Vermont state treasurer, in consultation with the Agency of Natural Resources, would provide a report by Jan. 15, 2026, on the total cost to Vermonters and the state from the emission of greenhouse gases from Jan. 1, 1995, to Dec. 31, 2024. The assessment would look at the effects on public health, natural resources, agriculture, economic development, housing and other areas. The state would use federal data to determine the amount of covered greenhouse gas emissions attributed to a fossil fuel company.

It’s a polluter-pays model affecting companies engaged in the trade or business of extracting fossil fuel or refining crude oil attributable to more than 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions during the time period. The funds could be used by the state for such things as upgrading stormwater drainage systems; upgrading roads, bridges and railroads; relocating, elevating or retrofitting sewage treatment plants; and making energy efficient weatherization upgrades to public and private buildings. It’s modeled after the federal Superfund pollution cleanup program.

“For too long, giant fossil fuel companies have knowingly lit the match of climate disruption without being required to do a thing to put out the fire,” Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, said in a statement. “Finally, maybe for the first time anywhere, Vermont is going to hold the companies most responsible for climate-driven floods, fires and heat waves financially accountable for a fair share of the damages they’ve caused.”

I’m seriously looking forward to the Unintended Consequences of this. What could they be? Will any companies pull out? Will they refuse to sell to the Vermont state government? Will the cost of energy skyrocket, which would cause the cost of food and other goods to skyrocket?

Read: Vermont Law Charging Fossil Fuels Companies For ‘Climate Change’ Enacted »

Biden’s $320 Million Gaza Pier May Well Be Dead

This has give The New Republic, a hyper-left outlet which has always had a hate-on for Israel, a big sad

Pentagon Admits Biden’s Pathetic Gaza Pier Is Dead

Less than two weeks after its installation, the pier constructed by the United States to facilitate aid into Gaza has been completely removed after it broke apart in the water.

The Pentagon admitted Thursday that the remaining parts of the $320 million boondoggle were dismantled after the pier was damaged in rough waters off the coast of Gaza on May 28, rendering it unusable. Israel has closed several land crossings, preventing aid from getting into the Gaza Strip, and the Israel Defense Forces have fired on food convoys and looked the other way as settlers have blocked aid from entering the remaining open land crossings. The U.S. has thus far resorted to aerial aid drops and, more recently, the manmade pier to facilitate aid, rather than demand Israel open up crossings and crack down on settler obstruction of aid delivery.

Now, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh, the pier is going offline for at least the next week as it is repaired and rebuilt in Ashkelon. Since its construction, the pier had allowed for only 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza. According to United Nations World Food Programme chief economist Arif Husain, northern Gaza alone requires 4,500 tons of food a month.

Will it come back on line? Will it be repaired and replaced? What little aid actually flowed via the pier was stolen by Hamas

Heck, the thing could barely take a little bit of wave action. Great construction. I wonder if Biden and the rest of his family got a cut from the contractor?

Read: Biden’s $320 Million Gaza Pier May Well Be Dead »

Canadians Shunning EVs For Fossil Fueled Vehicles

It’s like they do not want vehicles that perform poorly in snow and cold weather, especially when the Elites attempting to force them to buy EVs do not drive in them

More Canadian car buyers shunning EVs in 2024: J.D. Power

More Canadian car buyers are shunning electric vehicles (EVs) due to tighter household budgets and higher borrowing costs, according to J.D. Power Canada. A new survey by the market research firm says nearly three-quarters are unlikely to consider one for their next purchase.

J.D. Power Canada collected nearly 3,000 responses from consumers in March and April for its third annual Electric Vehicle Consideration study. The results show 72 per cent of automobile shoppers are either “very unlikely” or “somewhat unlikely” to consider an EV for their next purchase. That’s up from 67 per cent last year, and 53 per cent in 2022.

Limited driving distance per charge, or so-called “range anxiety,” was the top concern among those choosing not to buy electric (68 per cent), followed by purchase price (61 per cent), and charging infrastructure (60 per cent). (snip)

J.D. Power Canada found Canadian car buyers remain far less interested in EVs than their American neighbours. This year’s survey found 11 per cent of Canadian new vehicle shoppers are “very likely” to consider an EV. That’s less than half of the 24 per cent of U.S. buyers who said the same.

Ney says part of this comes down to a Canadian preference for all-wheel drive vehicles with longer range.

Very likely doesn’t mean they will actually purchase, though. Even hybrids and plugin-hybrids are not doing that well in Canada.

The federal government aims to phase out sales of new internal combustion vehicles by 2035, with interim targets of 20 per cent zero-emissions sales by 2026, and 60 per cent by 2030. (The government’s ZEV classification includes both EVs and PHEVs.)

Yet, how many of these government officials are actually driving one now? Too bad the Credentialed Media folks never ask.

https://x.com/TPostMillennial/status/1796275689974300878

Is he driving one?

Read: Canadians Shunning EVs For Fossil Fueled Vehicles »

If All You See…

…are tropical plants growing in Canada due to carbon pollution, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is 357 Magnum, with a post on good guys 1, bad guys 0/

Read: If All You See… »

Biden Is Supposedly Coming Up With A Border Clampdown

Why couldn’t he have done this years ago? Is this something mean to be permanent, or, simply an election year stunt?

Biden is said to be finalizing plans for migrant limits as part of a US-Mexico border clampdown

Americans before illegalsThe White House is finalizing plans for a U.S.-Mexico border clampdown that would shut off asylum requests and automatically deny entrance to migrants once the number of people encountered by American border officials exceeded a new daily threshold, with President Joe Biden expected to sign an executive order as early as Tuesday, according to four people familiar with the matter.

The president has been weighing additional executive action since the collapse of a bipartisan border bill earlier this year. The number of illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border has declined for months, partly because of a stepped-up effort by Mexico. Still, immigration remains a top concern heading into the U.S. presidential election in November and Republicans are eager to hammer Biden on the issue.

The Democratic administration’s effort would aim to head off any potential spike in crossings that could occur later in the year, as the fall election draws closer, when the weather cools and numbers tend to rise, two of the people. They were not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing discussions and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

So, this is purely an election year stunt, which will most likely end immediately if Biden wins re-election in November

The move would allow Biden, whose administration has taken smaller steps in recent weeks to discourage migration and speed up asylum processing, to say he has done all he can do to control the border numbers without help from Congress.

I love how the AP is putting this so matter-of-factly, when they would be blasting a Republican for such a blatant election year stunt.

The restrictions being considered are an aggressive attempt to ease the nation’s overwhelmed asylum system, along with a new effort to speed up the cases of migrants already in America and another meant to quicken processing for migrants with criminal records or those who would otherwise be eventually deemed ineligible for asylum in the United States.

This means people are already in the US, and, they should be allowed to deport criminals immediately already.

The people told the AP that the administration was weighing some of the policies directly from a stalled bipartisan Senate border deal, including capping the number of encounters at an average of 4,000 per day over a week and whether that limit would include asylum-seekers coming to the border with appointments through U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s CBP One app. Right now, there are roughly 1,450 such appointments per day.

That would be 1,460,000 illegals per year. Is that supposed to make Americans feel better?

Read: Biden Is Supposedly Coming Up With A Border Clampdown »

Democrat In Charge Of NY Assembly Comes Out Against ‘Climate Change’ Superfund Act

Is this a case of Carl Heastie introducing common sense, or, is he reading polls which show this will be really unpopular with voters who will turn around and blame Democrats?

NY Assembly speaker throws cold water on Climate Change Superfund Act

New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie threw cold water on a bill that would require major energy companies to pay for climate change remediation, saying the measure could ultimately result in higher costs for utility ratepayers.

The Climate Change Superfund Act would require companies that contributed significantly to the buildup of greenhouse gases to pay for part of the mitigation efforts to offset climate change, including major infrastructure projects like water barriers.

The measure was approved in the state Senate, but has stalled in the Assembly.

Heastie says he’s concerned that it would result in higher utility prices, as the energy companies pass down the costs of the new requirements to ratepayers.

“I’ve never in my life seen corporations choose the ratepayer over the stockholder,” Heastie said. “Asking these companies to pay more, it’s going to be, of course, taken out on the ratepayer.”

What company decides to take an overall lower profit when the cost of doing business rises, especially when it comes to government taxes? You can damned well bet all those lawyers and other professions working as elected public servants in the NY Assembly wouldn’t take less money if the government raised their taxes. They’d pass the costs on to their clients. That’s the way life works.

There’s actually been talk in the NY assembly about adding in a requirement that companies cannot pass those taxes/fees on to consumers. What happens then? They leave the state, taking their jobs and revenue with them. What happens when energy companies do the same? That would be decidedly ugly.

Read: Democrat In Charge Of NY Assembly Comes Out Against ‘Climate Change’ Superfund Act »

Say, Why Do Food Prices Feel So High When Inflation Is Down?

I’m actually shocked that Axios isn’t trying to spin this

The inflation rate for “food at home,” basically the stuff you buy at the supermarket, is really low these days, with prices rising just 1.1% over the last year. But since January 2021, when President Biden took office, prices are up nearly 21%.

Why it matters: Every time Americans go food shopping they feel the sting of higher prices, making the grocery store the place where consumers are most regularly reminded about inflation.

The intrigue: Dining out is worse — prices rose 4.1% over the last year, far faster than costs at the grocery store or overall inflation.

And prices for “food away from home” are up nearly 22% since 2021.

The bottom line: Finding cheap eats is a challenge.

What does it look like?

Sure, food inflation is below where it was when Brandon took office, but, it rose 21% since he took office. And every cent comes out of your wallet, eroding your paycheck. For most working and middle class Americans, their pay damned sure hasn’t gone up 21%.

Read: Say, Why Do Food Prices Feel So High When Inflation Is Down? »

There’s A Bizarre Link Between Pregnancy And Climate Doom Or Something

Here we have cult science in action: they take something real and link it to their doomsday cult. The only thing bizarre is that these people are more nuts than Scientology, than Jim Jones, than Heaven’s Gate

The bizarre link between rising sea levels and complications in pregnancy

Today, 30-year-old garment factory worker Khadiza Akhter lives in Savar, a suburb of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Her small concrete house is clean and organized. Green shutters frame the windows, and clothes hang on lines outside her front door. A water spigot sticks out of the concrete next to the drying laundry, and the turn of a white plastic knob is all it takes for clear, clean water to rush out. Akhter calls it “a blessing of God.”

Akhter grew up some 180 miles south of Savar, in Satkhira — a district home to 2.2 million people on a river delta where, in recent decades, fresh water has become scarce. As sea levels rise, rivers dry up, and cyclones become more severe, Satkhira and the other low-lying districts that surround it have been among the first in the world to experience the sting of climate change-driven saltwater intrusion — the creep of seawater inland.

The memory of drinking water tainted with salt is burned into Akhter’s mind. “It felt like swallowing needles,” she told Grist and Vox in Bengali. “It doesn’t quench your thirst.” The water was so salty Akhter couldn’t properly clean herself with it. The sodium in the water prevented soap from forming bubbles and left powdery streaks on her skin as it dried. Her hair fell out, and she itched all over.

They always have to have a story of woe, eh? If she lives that far south of Savar, then she’s on the Bay Of Bengal, and, yeah, the seas are slowly rising. That’s what happens during a Holocene warm period. And an Interglacial period.

Studies have shown that saltwater consumption has negative, long-lasting effects on nearly every stage of a woman’s reproductive cycle, from menstruation to birth. Akhter knew that if she stayed in Satkhira and started a family of her own there, she’d be putting herself in real danger. She’s not the only person in her region to leave in search of cleaner water. Millions of Bangladeshis have been internally displaced by flooding in the past decade, and experts say saltwater intrusion is one of the factors driving migration from rural regions of Bangladesh to urban centers.

Yet, roughly 40% of the world’s population lives within 100KM of an ocean. They want to live near the ocean. And no one has whined about it. And people still have babies living near the oceans. In 3rd world nations people try to live near the oceans so they can catch seafood.

As usual, it is a long, long, long, boring Vox piece, which misses that instead of implementing climate cult initiatives, we could help them with desalination.

Read: There’s A Bizarre Link Between Pregnancy And Climate Doom Or Something »

Pirate's Cove