Jim Inhofe Spends $300,000 of Your Tax Money On His Latest Climate Chewbacca Defense

The first rule of climate science denial is that you do not talk about the temperature record or human influence on it. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) follows this rule perfectly in his latest attack on climate action.

Inhofe demanded the EPA's Inspector General investigate the Obama administration's explanation for regulating carbon pollution. Why did the Obama administration have to act? Even the conservative Supreme Court told the Bush administration its explanation for not regulating carbon pollution under the Clean Air Act was indefensible.

The EPA IG report cost $300,000 of your tax dollars to produce. What did it find?

A federal investigation, requested by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) in an April 7, 2010 letter, finds that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) endangerment finding for greenhouse gases “met statutory requirements for rulemaking and generally followed requirements and guidance related to ensuring the quality of the supporting technical information.”

Wasn't that exciting? Not exactly. But to Inhofe, it's scandalous! It has to be, because to Inhofe, anything that validates climate science must not be true because he's well-compensated by the oil & coal industries to say so. And Inhofe will prove it to you by saying things that are borderline incomprehensible:

In our opinion, the endangerment finding TSD is a highly influential scientific assessment that should have been peer reviewed as outlined in Section III of OMB’s Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review.

To avoid talking about the temperature record and human influence on it, Inhofe is once again resorting to The Chewbacca Defense:


The data showing our planet is warming and man-made carbon pollution just keeps rolling in. But Sen. Inhofe doesn't want to talk to you about that. He wants to talk to you about how the EPA should actually have formally peer-reviewed the major reviews of the peer reviewed literature.

/head explodes

It's Not Illegal Dumping If It's At The Recycling Center, Right?

I've seen piles of non-recyclables left next to the trash at the recycling center, but this takes the cake. Someone left what looks to be most of a home or office at the recycling center on N. Quincy between Wilson and Glebe: It wouldn't be nearly so comical if it wasn't so carefully constructed. I can almost picture the late great Johnnie Cochran making his Chewbacca Defense-style closing argument now:

Note that the items on the right are meticulously leaned up against the trash can -- because as everyone knows, it's not illegal dumping if it's in contact with the trash can. That giant chair is no different than the gum wrapper at the bottom of the can!

And then since everything else is in physical contact with the first items in a chain, everything counts as trash! Clearly not illegal dumping! Am I right, people? Who's with me? Here, look at the monkey. Look at the silly monkey!

To learn more about proper recycling, visit the site of Arlington County's recycling programs.

Manchester Schools Can Expect to Hear from My Attorneys

They're totally infringing on my imaginary copyright. Doesn't matter if it's imaginary - I'll just instruct my legal team to use The Chewbacca Defense. Works every time.

From the UK's Fleetwood Weekly News:

Children in Manchester are being offered the chance to train with a Premiership football club as an incentive to get them walking to school.

City council bosses have teamed up with Manchester City in a bid to get 19,000 pupils to make greener journeys by walking, cycling or using public transport.

Children will collect 'green miles' - special stickers handed out by teachers - recording how many environmentally friendly trips they have made.

The winning class from each school will receive a free training session from the club's City In The Community programme.

Councillor Neil Swannick said: "The Green Miles competition encourages children and their parents to consider the impact that transport choices make on their lives and to explore healthier and more enjoyable ways of travelling to school.

"Equally important is the very real and positive influence youngsters can have in persuading parents and carers to leave their cars at home."

It's enough to turn me into a Man U fan! OK, that's a lie. As a Red Sox fan, The Green Miles could never root for England's version of the Yankees.