Swiss Parliament Refuses To Comply With EU Ruling On Global Boiling

By William Teach June 13, 2024 – 7:00 am

It would have been more fun if the Parliament had simply said “hey, you Believe, so, why don’t you practice what you preach? Better, yet, let’s pass a law stating that everyone who sued must have a net zero footprint”. Perhaps take a survey and require all who want government to Do Something to have live a carbon neutral lifestyle. No fossil fuels, no cars, no flying. As a start

Swiss parliament defies ECHR on climate women’s case

Swiss women who won a historic ruling on climate change at the European Court of Human Rights say they feel shocked and betrayed by their parliament’s decision not to comply with it.

The women, known as “climate seniors”, previously took their case to the court in Strasbourg, France, arguing the Swiss government’s inadequate response to climate change – and in particular extreme heat events linked to global warming – was damaging their right to health and life.

The court agreed in April and ordered Switzerland, which has so far failed to meet is targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to do more.

The court’s rulings are binding for member states, and this decision was unprecedented.

I wonder if the Swiss rulers and those who do not want this EU ruling foist on them are starting to regret joining the EU, which was supposed to simply be about travel and common economics to make things easier, and morphed into the massive, domineering behemoth which is usurping sovereignty

Climate activists had hoped it would send a signal to other governments that human rights law could be used to defend citizens who believe their health is being harmed by worsening environmental factors.

However Switzerland’s parliament voted on Wednesday to reject the ECHR’s ruling, suggesting it was not “ignoring” it, as some critics have claimed, but rather that Switzerland did not need to react as it already had an effective climate change strategy.

Yeah, well, supposedly it’s plan won’t align with the Paris climate accords non-binding need to hold the world to 1.5C. Seriously, how does a court rule when Paris was non-binding?

But the Swiss are also very proud of their system of direct democracy. They are used to making decisions themselves, and the “foreign judges” jibe resonates with them.

Well, hey, you bought into the EU thing. What are you going to do about it? They aren’t part of NATO, being neutral. How do they stay in the EU? They could simply say we will abide by the original idea, which made it easier to travel through European nations, and made economics and commerce easier, but, beyond that? Nope.

Read: Swiss Parliament Refuses To Comply With EU Ruling On Global Boiling »

Posted in Collapsing Science, Global Warming | 7 Comments | Trackback URL

How’s Biden’s Border Order Doing After A Week?

By William Teach June 13, 2024 – 6:45 am

Well, NBC News tries to provide cover

After a week, has Biden’s border order had an effect? Migrant numbers are down, but there are glitches

A week after President Joe Biden signed an executive action to “suspend the entry” of immigrants who cross the border illegally, the number of migrants has fallen by 25%, but officials are still releasing some illegal border crossers inside the U.S., several Department of Homeland Security officials said.

In some areas, border agents are pushing migrants from Central America back into Mexico instead of deporting them to their home countries, as the executive action detailed, according to immigration advocates and an internal memo seen by NBC News.

Well, that’s good. Why the hell should Americans pay to send them home, especially when that home could be in China, Africa, or the Middle East?

A senior DHS official said that early numbers indicate the executive action has deterred some migrants from crossing the southern border. Illegal crossings were down from 4,000 per day last week to 3,000 per day as of Tuesday, according to Customs and Border Protection data obtained by NBC News. Biden’s executive action limiting which migrants can claim asylum went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, June 5.

But…..

But even though the action bars migrants from seeking asylum if they crossed the border illegally, the administration is still releasing illegal crossers inside the U.S. to live while they pursue asylum claims in immigration court, the DHS official said.The senior DHS official said that some migrants who have crossed illegally since last Wednesday and been released into the U.S. may be found ineligible at their asylum hearings and sent home for violating the executive action.

So, not really forcing them back. Seriously, aren’t they supposed to be sent packing immediately if their asylum claims are denied? Shouldn’t they be held till their claims are adjudicated if that’s what the law says? According to Biden’s EO they’re supposed to be put right back across the border and told to apply in another country. We’re being told that’s not happening.

The senior DHS official said it is still too early to judge the effectiveness of Biden’s new policy.

A representative of the Border Patrol union expects the decline in illegal border crossings after the executive action went into effect to be short-lived.

Can the illegals read English? Are they being notified of Brandon’s EO as they trek from other countries?

Read: How’s Biden’s Border Order Doing After A Week? »

Posted in Illegal Immigration, Joe Biden | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

EU Elections See Greens Beaten Like Rented (Green) Mules

By William Teach June 12, 2024 – 3:28 pm

Could this be coming to the U.S.? (via Watts Up With That?)

Europe’s Greens take a beating at the polls. Is the US next?

Climate action on the other side of the Atlantic flourished after the “green wave” and “quiet revolution” of the 2019 elections elevated the Green Party into a force in the European Parliament.

Five years later, a reversal of political fortunes in Europe could upend the move to zero-carbon energy and a hard shift toward electric cars by 2035.

In a continent-wide election that ended Sunday and left Europe’s political establishment in tatters, political support for green policies was undercut by the rightward tide. The center-right European People’s Party will have the highest number of seats in the European Parliament, while far-right parties gained significant ground. Green parties lost almost a quarter of their seats, and support cratered in France and Germany.

Our reporting team in Brussels noted it marked a reversal after climate activists marched in the streets before the last election.

Parties on the left are sure to come to the defense of climate policies. But a fight among factions on the right could also be on the horizon if far-right politicians attack the European Green Deal and its goal of zeroing out climate pollution by 2050.

So, all those wackos in the streets, gluing themselves to roads, paintings, doing crazy things, acting like a doomsday cult, had the effect of turning people off? Huh.

In November, American voters face a similar choice: Endorse four more years of a clean energy-driven U.S. industrial policy that took shape under President Joe Biden that aims for a zero-carbon economy in 2050, or return Donald Trump to the White House. If Trump is elected and the federal government takes a far more skeptical viewpoint of the climate problem, hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies for clean energy technology could wither on the vine.

You mean his push that has resulted in higher energy prices which leads to a higher cost of living? How he’s trying to force the peasants into EVs and buses while he takes a massive fossil fueled trip from D.C., usually to Delaware, almost every weekend? IMO, if Biden tries to run with his climate crisis (scam) record and wanting to do more, that will hurt Biden if the GOP and Trump address it correctly, showing that this fast push is hurting middle and working class Americans. It could turn the “no way am I voting for Trump” folks into “I’ll hold my nose. A bad choice is better than a worse choice, being Biden.” It could very well hurt a lot of down ballot positions, if GOPers running for the House and Senate, and even in the states, address it correctly.

But, I do not think Hotcoldwetdry will play that much of a part in the election here: it really never does. It will be on the economy, crime, immigration. If the GOP is smart, they should get ahead of clean energy by saying things like “we’re for it, we just do not think it should be government mandating it, especially when it is not ready for prime time. Let’s do more research.”

Read: EU Elections See Greens Beaten Like Rented (Green) Mules »

Posted in Elections, Global Warming, Joe Biden | 8 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach June 12, 2024 – 1:00 pm

…is a Gulf Stream that will soon shut down due to carbon pollution, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Flopping Aces, with a post on how long Biden will last.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

Hamas Mulling Over Ceasefire Plan, Wants Some Amendments

By William Teach June 12, 2024 – 10:30 am

Release the hostages immediately, surrender. That should be the ceasefire plan

Hamas responds to Gaza cease-fire plan, seeking ‘amendments’

Hamas said Tuesday that it gave mediators its reply to the U.S.-backed proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza, seeking some “amendments” on the deal. It appeared the reply was short of an outright acceptance that the United States has been pushing for but kept negotiations alive over an elusive halt to the eight-month war.

The foreign ministries of Qatar and Egypt — who have been key mediators alongside the U.S. — confirmed they had received Hamas’ response and said mediators were studying it.

“We’re in receipt of this reply that Hamas delivered to Qatar and to Egypt, and we are evaluating it right now,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters in Washington.

Hamas spokesperson Jihad Taha said the response included “amendments that confirm the cease-fire, withdrawal, reconstruction and [prisoner] exchange.” Taha did not elaborate.

But while supporting the broad outlines of the deal, Hamas officials have expressed wariness over whether Israel would implement its terms, particularly provisions for an eventual permanent end to fighting and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in return for the release of all hostages held by the militants.

If Hamas stops attacking Israel and Jews, they have little to worry about. If the Palestinian people would stop supporting a terrorist organization, stop being violent, there will be no problem. Anyhow, phase 2 is supposed to bring a permanent ceasefire. Politico, like many news outlets, fails to mention rather important information

Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal from the Rafah crossing, no permanent ceasefire

In Hamas’s response to the Israeli outline for the hostage deal, it demanded, among other things, a full Israeli withdrawal from the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor, Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday. (snip)

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Hezbollah-aligned channel Al Mayadeen that they had amended the ceasefire proposal to specify that it would not be permanent, in contravention of President Biden’s proposal.

They clarified that they would not accept any deal that did not include a total withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Hamas also told Al Mayadeen that they considered disagreements between Israel and the US over the ceasefire proposal as “only tactical.”

In other words, the terrorist organization which runs Gaza, and seems to be in position to continue to run Gaza once hostilities (meaning Israel bombing the shit out of them) end, wants to be able to continue to attack Israel and Jews. Really, any ceasefire should include there being anyone other than Hamas in charge of Gaza, and international monitors (not the UN) to make sure they aren’t using infrastructure like water pipes to make rockets, that they aren’t storing weapons in mosques, schools, and hospitals.

Meanwhile, their terrorist comrades to the north aren’t having fun, either

Read: Hamas Mulling Over Ceasefire Plan, Wants Some Amendments »

Posted in Israel, RoP | 7 Comments | Trackback URL

Good News: New AC Units Will Use Flammable Refrigerants

By William Teach June 12, 2024 – 7:15 am

Sounds like a great idea, eh? Something catching on fire right next to your house. All for a fake issue

Air conditioners to start using slightly flammable refrigerant soon

Big changes are coming to the way you keep your house cool. The type of refrigerant currently used in HVAC systems is being phased out.

The 2020 American Innovation and Manufacturing Act directed manufacturers to make air conditioners that use A2L refrigerant starting January 1, 2025.

Because of that, air conditioners had to be redesigned to accept the new refrigerant, which is considered slightly flammable.

If your first question is “flammable?” and your second question is, “What does this mean for my current HVAC system?” 5 On Your Side has you covered.

“The current refrigerant, 410A, has a high global warming potential,” Jenna McClintock, of McClintock Heating & Cooling, said of the reason for the change.

A2L is more flammable than the refrigerant currently being used, so air conditioning units had to be overhauled for safety.

Fortunately, there will be new detectors in the units, which surely won’t add to cost, right? Because you’re already paying more for using A2L in AC units vs the old 410A standard. In fairness, it was already in use for many automobiles and small AC units, but, we’re talking large home units which have already gone up a couple thousand due to more stringent federal standards. And, certainly, the feds wouldn’t do something like ban the manufacture of 410A, meaning repairs cannot be done, right? All for a scam.

It should be mentioned that A2L is almost a good a refrigerant as 410A, the difference is miniscule, so, not exchanging a really good one for a so-so.

Read: Good News: New AC Units Will Use Flammable Refrigerants »

Posted in Global Warming | 5 Comments | Trackback URL

Bidenconomy: Credit Card Debt Rising Fast

By William Teach June 12, 2024 – 7:00 am

I’ve been reliably told that the economy is great and everyone is making a ton of money

Credit card delinquencies are rising. Here’s what to do if you’re at risk

 Seriously overdue credit card debt is at the highest level in more than a decade, and people 35 and under are struggling more than other age groups to pay their bills.

The share of credit card debt that’s severely delinquent, defined as being more than 90 days overdue, rose to 10.7% during the first quarter of 2024, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. A year ago, just 8.2% of credit card debt was severely delinquent.

Who was VP the last time this happened?

The average annual interest rate on a new credit card is 24.71%, according to LendingTree, the highest since the company began tracking in 2019. That’s in part because the Federal Reserve has raised its key interest rate rate to a 23-year high to combat the highest inflation in four decades, which peaked at 9.1% in June 2022.

Simultaneously, pandemic-era aid such as stimulus payments, the child tax credit, increased unemployment benefits, and a moratorium on student loan payments has ended. Wage gains haven’t all kept up with inflation, which hits lower-income consumers harder, and rent increases have eaten into savings some consumers may have built up during the early years of the pandemic.

Silvio Tavares, CEO of VantageScore, a credit score modeling and analytics company, said that delinquencies have now exceeded their pre-pandemic levels, and that renters are especially vulnerable to falling behind.

And all this debt and the late payments will effect people’s credit score, making it harder to get a loan and get an apartment.

Credit cards only make up about 6.5% of consumer debt, according to a Bank of America Global Research report, but the increase in delinquencies appears to be outpacing income growth.

Pretty much everything is outpacing income growth. Weirdly, the word “Biden” is not mentioned once. Can you imagine if this happened while Trump was president?

Read: Bidenconomy: Credit Card Debt Rising Fast »

Posted in Economy, Joe Biden | 8 Comments | Trackback URL

California Looks To Seize Profits From Oil Companies

By William Teach June 11, 2024 – 4:33 pm

Might this be the point where gas and oil companies just say “OK, bye” and end operations in the People’s Republik Of California? Or, at least, refuse to sell to the state for their numerous operations, like for the governor’s limo and jet?

California looks to seize profits from Big Oil in climate change lawsuit

California will attempt to use consumer protection laws to seize some of the world’s biggest oil companies’ profits as part of a lawsuit accusing them of deceiving the public for decades over their role in climate change.

State attorney-general Rob Bonta invoked a new state law on Monday that allows claimants to target company profits that can be identified from the violation of consumer protection and advertising laws.

In an updated filing, it lists recent examples of alleged “false advertising and misleading environmental marketing by some of the defendants” and seeks profits they have generated to be deposited into a victims’ restitution fund.

The effort is part of a lawsuit that was launched by California against ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP and ConocoPhillips last September, and broadly accuses fossil fuel companies of spreading misinformation, sowing doubt about climate science and claiming that some of their products are “clean”.

So, what happens? Sadly, none of them will say “see ya”. This will be bound up in lawsuits for a long time, and, let’s say the PRC wins: the cost of fossil fuels will skyrocket. It will all be passed on. Which means the cost of consumer goods will go up. Food, homes, clothes, you name it. I just wish companies would play hardball. Start pointing out that people are using the hell out of fossil fuels as they drive around, take the bus, take flights, go on boats? That 50% of every barrel goes to other than fuels? Explain how well government services will work if there is no fossil fuels. What happens with police, fire, emergency. With maintaining roads.

This is just a typical shady Democrat shakedown.

Read: California Looks To Seize Profits From Oil Companies »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Global Warming | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach June 11, 2024 – 1:00 pm

…is marshland being inundated by a fast rising sea, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is 357 Magnum, with a post noting crimes in Oakland are keeping roads from being paved.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 19 Comments | Trackback URL

Weird: Colorado’s Legal Pot Market Is Crashing

By William Teach June 11, 2024 – 10:30 am

I’ll not again that I am not against legalized marijuana. I don’t do it, but, if others want to, have at it. It’s certainly not as bad a drug as alcohol, though people do seem to be using it in some form or fashion way more throughout the day, kinda like an alcoholic sneaking sips. But, that’s their problem. But, what happens when government gets too heavily involved?

Colorado’s Weed Market Is Coming Down Hard and It’s Making Other States Nervous

On Jan. 1, 2014, Iraq War veteran Sean Azzariti made headlines worldwide as the first person in the U.S. to buy legal weed.

More than 10 years later, 3D Cannabis, the dispensary in Denver’s Elyria-Swansea neighborhood where the historic purchase was made, displays a makeshift sign announcing it is “temporarily closed.” The windows and doors on the side of the building have been boarded up. Plastic bags, discarded coffee cups and other trash collect in the corners of the abandoned parking lot.

The dismal state of the historic site is a fitting symbol of the plight of Colorado’s cannabis market. What once was a success story has now left a trail of failed businesses and cash-strapped entrepreneurs in its wake. Regulatory burdens, an oversaturated market and increasing competition from nearby states have all landed major blows, leaving other states with newer marijuana markets scrambling to avoid the same mistakes.

In 2020, the market soared to $2.2 billion. But just three years later, sales had plummeted to $1.5 billion, leading to layoffs, closures and downsizing. The market downturn has spelled trouble for state finances too: Colorado took in just $282 million in cannabis tax revenues in the last fiscal year, down more than 30 percent from two years earlier.

There are lots of issues, but, this is all a cautionary tale of how government doesn’t know how to run business. They artificially jacked the price up too high, placed too many burdens on companies, and failed to adapt. There are lots of reports that roughly 50% of the weed in states is illegally grown and sold. You have citizens allowed to grow small amounts for their own use. Why wouldn’t they? They counted on people coming from other states even with the knowledge that other states were going to pass their own legalization laws. They slapped on so many taxes that it was cheaper to buy from the black market. They gave out too many licenses, over-saturating the market.

Marijuana’s continued federal illegality is another added cost.

“280E is the biggest problem with the industry by far,” Gamet says, citing a federal tax code that prevents cannabis businesses from taking typical business deductions. “I’m very familiar with that because I’ve been audited every year since 2014. It’s a lot of lawyer expenses.”

Well, there is that. It’s still illegal federally, and Los Federales will treat it as such. It’s also a federal offense to cross state borders with marijuana.

Read: Weird: Colorado’s Legal Pot Market Is Crashing »

Posted in Current Affairs, Economy | 7 Comments | Trackback URL
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