Colleges Create Climate (scam) Programs Or Something

By William Teach May 25, 2024 – 3:00 pm

The question not being asked in this article or any others is whether the programs and degrees will allow those who take the classes to earn money after graduation. Or, are they just creating little activists?

More universities are creating climate change programs to meet student demand

At 16, Katya Kondragunta has already lived through two disasters amped by climate change. First came wildfires in California in 2020. Ash and smoke forced her family to stay inside their home in the Bay Area city of Fremont, for weeks.

Then they moved to Prosper, Texas, where she dealt with record-setting heat last summer.

“We’ve had horrible heat waves and they’ve impacted my everyday life,” the high school junior said. “I’m in cross country. . . . I’m supposed to go outside and run every single day to get my mileage in.”

Wait, it gets hot in Texas in the summer? Who would have thought? And those wildfires? Mostly caused by arson, vehicles, power lines, campfires, and few lightning strikes. And incompetent and even malicious forestry methods. Not anthropogenic climate change.

Increasingly, U.S. colleges are creating climate change programs to meet demand from students who want to apply their firsthand experience to what they do after high school, and help find solutions.

It’s called “weather.”

“Lots of centers and departments have renamed themselves or been created around these climate issues, in part because they think it will attract students and faculty,” said Kathy Jacobs, director of the University of Arizona Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions. It launched a decade ago and connects several climate programs at the school in Tucson.

Other early movers that created programs, majors, minors, and certificates dedicated to climate change include the University of Washington, Yale University, Utah State University, the University of Montana, Northern Vermont University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. Columbia, the private university in New York City, opened its Climate School in 2020 with a graduate degree in climate and society, and has related undergraduate programs in the works. (snip)

They dive into how to communicate about climate with the public, ethical and environmental justice aspects of climate solutions, and the roles lawmakers and businesses play in cutting greenhouse gases.

Students also cover disaster response and ways communities can prepare and adapt before climate change worsens. The offerings require biology, chemistry, physics, and social sciences faculty, among others.

So, they learn to be nags, all while living a high CO2 lifestyle, jetting around, going to climate conferences on the other side of the world. But, does the cult grift pay? Is there a long term career, or, will they graduate with a huge student loan debt which they cannot pay and demand that Other People wipe out their debt?

For Lucia Everist, a senior at Edina High School in Minnesota who is frustrated at her own lack of climate education so far, schools need to go deeper on the human impact of climate change. She cited disproportionate impact on Black, Latino, Indigenous, and low-income neighborhoods.

Funny how they always think that “minorities” are unable to take care of themselves, eh?

Read: Colleges Create Climate (scam) Programs Or Something »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Global Warming | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach May 25, 2024 – 1:00 pm

…is a horrible carbon pollution infused drink causing flooding, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Pacific Pundit, with a post on Nintendo introducing a gender confused character in a Mario game.

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Bidenflation Causing Your Memorial Day Cookout To Be Even Higher

By William Teach May 25, 2024 – 10:30 am

Not for Fox Business: Barbecue (BBQ) is a noun. It is what you cook. It is not a verb or a description of cooking out all sorts of meats and having sides and a party

Memorial Day cookouts cost more this year as price of one BBQ staple jumps a staggering 50 percent in one year

Your Memorial Day barbecue will cost upward of 10 percent more than it did this time last year according to Datasembly.

Datasembly follows the cost of groceries across the country every week. Its recently released data points to this year’s Memorial Day festivities costing the average American family about $30.18 or 10.19% more than 2023.

Here is a breakdown of Memorial Day cookout costs, according to Datasembly:

Burgers jumped from $7.04 in 2023 to $8.07 in 2024, or a change of 14.63% in cost. Hamburger buns cost two cents more, from $3.04 on average to $3.06.

Ketchup costs 10 cents more from 2023 prices, increasing from $5.43 to $5.53, and mustard increased from $2.53 to $2.61.

Most surprisingly, pickle relish is nearly 50% more expensive than in 2023, with a cost change from $3.14 to $4.67.

I wonder if the Biden regime will be trotting out a tweet and Talking Points that Americans are paying less, like they have in other years, or, just wait till Independence Day for that? Overall, we’re paying 20% more than we did since Biden assumed office.

The number of Americans who say they’re ‘doing OK financially’ drops to 4-year low—here’s why

The worst of inflation might be in the rear-view mirror, but the share of Americans who say they’re “doing OK financially” has hit a four-year low.

Among all U.S. adults, 72% say they were “doing OK” in 2023 — the lowest percentage since April 2020, according to an annual Federal Reserve survey released Tuesday. The sentiment has been trending down since 2021, when it was 78%.

Notably, the share of parents with kids who say they are doing OK dropped from 69% in 2022 to 64% in 2023.

We’re Americans: we should be doing better than “OK”.

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Alabama Sues Over California’s Power Plan

By William Teach May 25, 2024 – 7:05 am

Alabama figures if the People’s Republik Of California wants to destroy their power production, fine, but, it shouldn’t affect other states, including when states, counties, and towns which haven’t given up their own use of fossil fuels sue national and international fossil fuels companies (non-paywalled here)

Alabama Sues to Stop California’s Climate-Change Power Grab

Justice Louis Brandeis described states as laboratories of democracy that “can try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.” But what happens when a state tries to experiment on its neighbors? That’s the question presented to the U.S. Supreme Court in Alabama v. California, a case filed this week by 19 states challenging the attempts of California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey and Rhode Island to regulate out-of-state carbon emissions under the guise of state tort and consumer-protection lawsuits.

This blue-state experiment arises from policy makers’ frustrations with the national democratic process. Oil and gas account for two-thirds of U.S. primary energy consumption; they are critical to economic prosperity and geopolitical power. Despite decades of effort, progressive climate activists haven’t persuaded Congress to ban fossil fuels.

In recent years, certain blue states have tried a different approach. They now assert that regulating emissions from oil and gas use isn’t a federal matter but a state-law issue for their own courts to decide. Under the pretext of “climate nuisance” and deceptive marketing claims, these states have sought to impose a de facto carbon tax on the American oil and gas industry, potentially creating trillions of dollars in supposed liability.

This strategy—backed by a powerful, activist-funded influence operation aimed at judges—has a serious constitutional problem. While the Constitution preserves an expansive realm of state sovereignty, that authority ends at each state’s borders. Alabama doesn’t get to say what law applies in California, and Hawaii can’t regulate conduct in Indiana. Only the federal government can do that, and only when acting within the Constitution’s limited delegations of power. State climate suits violate this arrangement because they claim authority to regulate out-of-state emissions, which would effectively make a small cadre of blue states a junior-varsity federal government, unchecked by voters.

Hmm, that is an interesting, and a wholely Constitutional take. We have a system of Federalism, and states can do things but cannot force it on other states. If the PRC wants to do ‘climate change’ things, have at it. The results shouldn’t infringe on the other states, and that far left wing judges can’t rule on state lawsuits and make them affect other states.

But, it’s not just Alabama

Republican AGs ask Supreme Court to block climate change lawsuits brought by several states

Republican attorneys general in 19 states have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block several Democratic-led states from pursuing climate change lawsuits against the oil and gas industry in their own state courts.

The unusual request comes as dozens of states and local governments have filed lawsuits alleging that fossil fuel companies deceived the public about the risks of their products contributing to climate change. The lawsuits claim billions of dollars of damage from such things as severe storms, wildfires and rising sea levels.

The Republican action specifically seeks to stop lawsuits brought by California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey and Rhode Island, though lawsuits also have been filed by other states, tribes, counties and cities.

The GOP attorneys contend only the federal government can regulate interstate gas emissions, and states have no power to apply their own laws to a global atmosphere that reaches well beyond their borders. The court filing also contends the climate-related lawsuits could drive up energy costs in other states, including for electricity generated from natural gas.

“They do not have authority to dictate our national energy policy,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in statement Thursday announcing the 19-state lawsuit. “If the Supreme Court lets them continue, California and its allies will imperil access to affordable energy for every American.”

If the PRC and the other states are upset over fossil fuels, ban them in their own states. Stop using them at the state level. Lawsuits are just shady shakedowns.

Read: Alabama Sues Over California’s Power Plan »

Posted in Constitution, Global Warming | 13 Comments | Trackback URL

WWIII Watch: Biden May Allow Ukraine To Use American Weapons To Strike Russian Territory

By William Teach May 25, 2024 – 6:45 am

Well, let’s just hope Biden and his people aren’t that stupid

Mike Johnson-Backed Plan to Allow Ukraine to Strike Russia with U.S.-Provided Weapons Gains Support in Biden Admin

The Biden administration is now weighing adopting a plan backed by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) that would allow Ukraine to strike Russia with U.S.-provided weapons.

The New York Times reported this week that the State Department, led by Secretary Antony Blinken, is pushing the Biden administration to allow Ukraine to strike missile and artillery sites within Russia that America provided for the state’s protracted conflict with Russia.

Victoria Nuland, who left her job as the number three position at the State Department, said, “I think if the attacks are coming directly from over the line in Russia, that those bases ought to be fair game.”

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said, “This is part of our defense. How can we protect ourselves from these attacks? This is the only way.”

Obviously, Russia is the bad guy, but, seriously, is Ukraine that important that we have to move towards WWII? What’s so important about Ukraine? It wasn’t that important when the Obama admin, with Biden as VP, did nothing when Putin took Crimea. So, why do we care that much, and, by we, I mean Biden, Democrats, and some Republicans?

(The Economist) Nato secretaries-general do not normally attack the policies of the alliance’s biggest and most important member country. But Jens Stoltenberg, whose ten-year stint in charge is coming to an end, has done just that. In an interview with The Economist on May 24th, he called on nato allies supplying weapons to Ukraine to end their prohibition on using them to strike military targets in Russia. Mr Stoltenberg’s clear, if unnamed, target was the policy maintained by Joe Biden, America’s president, of controlling what Ukraine can and cannot attack with American-supplied systems.

Will other NATO members allow this, especially the EU ones who are right on the front-lines of Russia?

(AP) Russia’s military has begun drills involving tactical nuclear weapons that were announced by Russian authorities earlier this month in an apparent warning to senior Western officials who had spoken about the possibility of deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine.

It was the first time Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, although its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises.

Yes, the West must stand up to Putin and Russia. But, is Ukraine worth it?

Fortunately, Biden blew out of D.C. for Delaware yet again. How much damage can he do?

Read: WWIII Watch: Biden May Allow Ukraine To Use American Weapons To Strike Russian Territory »

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Your Fault: Piracy Is Rising Africa Due To Global Boiling

By William Teach May 24, 2024 – 8:59 pm

If you would have just given up your fossil fueled vehicles and stopped buying products this could have been avoided

Climate change may be fuelling a resurgence of piracy across Africa

In the churning waters off Nigeria, armed pirates in small skiffs speed towards a cargo ship. They clamber aboard, seizing control of the vessel and its valuable cargo. This isn’t a scene from a swashbuckling film; it’s a stark reality for seafarers in many parts of the world.

Piracy poses a threat to global shipping, trade and the safety of seafarers. In 2020 alone, there were 135 maritime kidnappings, with the Gulf of Guinea off the west African coast accounting for over 95% of abductions. Pirates often subject hostages to violence, torture and even execution.

What’s more concerning is that climate change seems to be making the problem worse. In regions like east Africa, climate change is devastating the coastal fisheries that people have depended on for generations.

Climate change is causing fish stocks to decline as some species migrate out of the reach of local fishermen. And prolonged drought and extreme weather have exacerbated food insecurity and poverty on land. Some former fishermen, in collaboration with militias and unemployed youth, have turned to piracy as a means of survival.

Was it ‘climate change’ that caused the massive outbreak of piracy during the 1600’s and 1700’s? How about during the golden age of piracy, 1650-1730, or during the massive, giant outbreak of 0f around 1715-1726, which brought the majority of the big pirate names to to the forefront, made them household names? It was during the Little Ice Age. Even if a warming Earth is helping to increase the current piracy, there’s no true scientific evidence that it is mostly/solely caused by Mankind.

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If All You See…

By William Teach May 24, 2024 – 1:00 pm

…is a horrible, water intensive yard which should be banned, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Right Scoop, with a post on a Fauci top advisor deleting emails on COVID origins.

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Scientists Say They Know Why Killer Whales Keep Sinking Boats. They’re Wrong

By William Teach May 24, 2024 – 10:30 am

Scientists get close, but, not quite

Killer whales keep attacking and sinking boats. Scientists now know why, study says.

For the last five years, killer whales have been ramming – and in some cases sinking – expensive yachts, fishing boats and motorboats in the crystalline waters off the coast of Spain, Portugal, France and Morocco.

Why has been a mystery – until recently.

A multinational group of orca experts that met in February and were sponsored by the governments of Spain and Portugal has released a report outlining why they think it’s happening and what can be done to stop it.

What originally appeared to be attacks on more than 673 boats since 2020 now seem more likely to be a bunch of bored teenage orcas looking for something to do, said cetacean expert Alexandre Zerbini. Essentially, the whales started a fad of playing with boat rudders. (snip)

This group of orcas interacts with the the vessels because they are being enriched by the experience, said Renaud de Stephanis, president of CIRCE (Conservación, Información y Estudio sobre Cetáceos), an organization dedicated to preserving marine life. De Stephanis has been studying orca behavior for over 25 years and was also at the gathering of scientists in Madrid.

“The sea is a very boring place for an animal,” said de Stephanis. “Imagine if you’re a dog or some other mammal, you can interact with objects around you. But in the sea there’s not much for the orcas to interact with, so they play with the rudders.”

This is not a satire piece, like you’d get from Hard Times or The Babylon Bee (or The Onion years ago). This is real. There are real articles about an orca named Gladis leading a gang who beat up on ships.

But, are they right? Or, could it be something more nefarious

Did you see that in the paper the other day about those carp in the Mississippi River jumping into boats and bonking fisherman in the head? It’s true. They’re called big head carp, they’re from Asia and they’re attacking and severely injuring many fisherman.

Biologists claim the roar of boat motors agitates and excites these carp and they jump towards the sound but I think these biologists are naively missing an obvious connection. Fish are attacking fisherman. For the fish it’s get them before they get you, kill or be killed. Even if these fisherman are practicing catch and release, that’s a very painful, embarrassing experience for any fish and apparently they have had it.

What about the increase in mountain lion attacks? Great White sharks moving closer to shore? Moose have been showing up in towns and stomping on people. A squirrel was in my living room last spring. Am I the only one that sees a pattern here? People, wise up! The other animals are against us. It doesn’t take a genius to see there’s an inter-species conspiracy to thwart the urban expansion of man……. (read the whole thing)

They hate us. Squirrels are involved in surveillance. Animals bite, sting, and scratch us. They damage our homes. How do killer whales fit in? Well, they’re involved in direct action, vandalism, scaring us from the high seas.

Read: Scientists Say They Know Why Killer Whales Keep Sinking Boats. They’re Wrong »

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Oops: EVs Hitting Pedestrians At Twice The Normal Rate Of Other Vehicles

By William Teach May 24, 2024 – 7:00 am

But, hey, we’re saving the planet, right?

Silent but Deadly: Study Shows EVs ‘Hit Pedestrians at Twice the Rate of Petrol or Diesel Vehicles’

Electric vehicles collide with pedestrians at twice the rate of their petrol or diesel counterparts, particularly in crowded towns and cities, a British Medical Journal (BMJ) survey released Wednesday shows.

The report details how electric vehicles (EVs) are statistically much more dangerous than vehicles with an internal combustion engine on urban roads due to being quieter.

Data from 32bn miles of battery-powered car travel and 3tn miles of petrol and diesel car trips showed that mile-for-mile electric and hybrid cars were twice as likely to hit pedestrians than fossil fuel-powered cars, and three times more likely to do so in urban areas.

Researchers suspect a number of factors are to blame as electric vehicles continue to confront acceptance problems in the market place:

Some of those reasons are having younger, less experienced drivers and the vehicles being quieter (however, In the EU and the US, they make artificial noise at low speed in forward and reverse). There’s no mention of a lot of EV drivers just being obnoxious jerks. The vehicles are much heavier, and inattention could cause braking issues. You’re going to tend to have a lot more in urban and near urban areas with lots more pedestrians.

Now, this is statistical, and does include hybrids. There are certainly more petrol vehicles on the road in the UK, so, what they are saying is that EVs and hybrids are hitting pedestrians at a higher per capita rate. It’s always something.

Read: Oops: EVs Hitting Pedestrians At Twice The Normal Rate Of Other Vehicles »

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Who’s Up For Tulsi Gabbard As Trump’s VP Pick?

By William Teach May 24, 2024 – 6:45 am

Apparently, she is playing well in New Hampshire

You’ll never believe who tops the list of Trump running mates in a new swing state poll

The politician who tops the list of preferred running mates for former President Donald Trump in a new poll in a key Northeastern swing state is not even a Republican.

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination but left her party two years later to become an independent, stands atop the list in a new University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll.

Nearly a quarter (24%) of voters who indicated they are not supporting President Biden in New Hampshire named Gabbard when asked their preference for whom Trump should choose as his running mate. (snip)

Gabbard, an officer in the Hawaii National Guard, is a veteran of the Iraq War. She made history as the first Samoan-American elected to Congress. She was once a member of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and endorsed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.

She mounted a long-shot White House bid of her own in 2020. But since leaving the Democratic Party, she has started appealing to conservatives.

At a Fox News town hall in South Carolina in February ahead of that state’s GOP presidential primary, Trump indicated that at least a half dozen contenders — including Gabbard — were on his short list for running mate.

Is New Hampshire really a swing state? I’m doubting it, but, hey, you never know. Regardless, would Republicans stand for Gabbard? She seems like a nice person, she’s stood up to the moonbats in the Democratic Party, and certainly does seem to have a real love of America, unlike so many Democrats. However, she is still left of center, and big supporter of abortion, spending, taxing, and many Democratic initiatives.

But, what if picking her was a good thing electorally? What if bringing her on as his VP pick could make darned sure that Trump gets 270 electoral votes? At the end of the day, it’s about winning. And beating Biden right now is huge. Can the U.S. take another four years of Biden and his policies?

Read: Who’s Up For Tulsi Gabbard As Trump’s VP Pick? »

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