When I first started tracking climate science denial on this blog six years ago, rebutting denier arguments had a Catcher in the Rye feel to it - you had to try to grab the worst ones and let some go by. Fueled by polluter money, front groups burned the midnight oil trying to come up with new ways to make it seem like carbon pollution wasn't cooking the planet.
But in 2013, denier arguments are so silly, so self-defeating, I'd rather bring attention to them than rebut them. This week, George Will and Fox News are ignorantly cherry-picking numbers to try to claim 2012's wildfire season wasn't so bad.
Really? After Colorado's terrifying, record-breaking 2012 Waldo Canyon fire, you're going to sit in your comfy Washington office or New York City studio and tell Coloradoans to quit whining? Please, proceed.
Here's Stephen Colbert attacking President Obama's radical, pro-survival agenda:
Showing posts with label Stephen Colbert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stephen Colbert. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Stephen Colbert Blows Away "Wind Turbine Syndrome"
The New Bedford Standard-Times splashed a study on its front page this weekend claiming to find evidence of health effects from wind turbines ... from as far as 4,500 feet away! Wind turbines are barely audible at 900 feet and at 1,500 feet they fall below the background noise of a populated area. But somehow people three times that distance are blaming a variety of hard-to-disprove problems - trouble sleeping, general anxiety - on wind turbines.The study itself compares wind turbine noise to "road, rail & aircraft noise," all of which we all agree can be annoying, but no one is blaming trains for making them sick or talking about tearing up all roads near houses. When the study leads off with the mind-blowing statement, "Environmental noise is emerging as one of the major public health concerns of the twenty-first century" ... well, you have to wonder if the authors might not be completely objective.
A Massachusetts effort to look at all available studies found no evidence for so-called "Wind Turbine Syndrome," while other studies have noted that giving cash to its alleged victims seems to be a miracle cure. As Stephen Colbert points out, one study that did claim to find evidence for this "syndrome" not only blamed wind turbines for weight loss and weight gain but ... herpes:
Monday, April 16, 2012
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Earth Day Can't Solve Our Biggest Challenges - But We Can
That's right, new AOL subsidiary Huffington Post declares, "There's no better way to celebrate the planet than with free goodies!" Because nothing says conservation like using more than you need.
Shameless corporate co-opting aside, I'm cynical about Earth Day for one reason: No major environmental problem has ever been solved through voluntary individual action. Voluntary individual actions didn't solve DDT, water pollution, air pollution, ozone destruction, or acid rain - federal government action did.
Right now, our biggest environmental challenge is our addiction to dirty fuels and all its destructive effects - a climate in crisis, polluted air and water, destruction of communities & habitats thanks to oil drilling & mountaintop removal, the list goes on. But on EarthDay.org, you have to make two clicks to get to anything about legislative action, and that's only an ask to sign a petition ... which feels more like it's about collecting your email address than driving action.
What Earth Day CAN do is raise awareness, especially among Earth's newest residents, about our environmental challenges. You can join an event in Arlington on Saturday, or find an event near you at EarthDay.org. And there is one giveaway worth checking out - Capital Bikeshare is giving out bike maps & membership coupons in Rosslyn today.
But none of that is a substitute for the concerted action needed to change our national policies and keep energy & environmental issues at the top of the political agenda.
If you too find yourself feeling a bit cynical this morning and are in need of an Earth Day laugh, you can watch last year's NWF Climate Capsule Earth Day flashback. Or join Stephen Colbert some Earth Day jingoism by yelling SUCK IT, OTHER PLANETS:
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Earth Is Awesome | ||||
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Friday, January 22, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Man vs. Wild vs. Plastic
The Green Miles loves those reality shows where they drop some poor bastard in the middle of nowhere and expect him to survive. I think this is in large part because if you dropped me in the middle of nowhere, I couldn't survive more than 20 minutes before starving to death, being eaten by a lion, going into shock from lack of internet access, etc. So Man vs. Wild, Survivorman, whatever -- if there's a haggard dude looking at a bug and wondering how it tastes, COUNT ME IN.
I was watching Man vs. Wild the other day and they tossed Bear Grylls out of a helicopter somewhere near Panama. He swam to an island and immediately went looking not for food or water, but for plastic. "No matter where you go in the world, you can always find plastic washed up on shore," Grylls told viewers. He then used the plastic to collect water.
Out in the Pacific, currents collect the plastic in one area of ocean now known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation talked about it on an episode of The Colbert Report last week:
Via Twitter's Kajjajja
I was watching Man vs. Wild the other day and they tossed Bear Grylls out of a helicopter somewhere near Panama. He swam to an island and immediately went looking not for food or water, but for plastic. "No matter where you go in the world, you can always find plastic washed up on shore," Grylls told viewers. He then used the plastic to collect water.
Out in the Pacific, currents collect the plastic in one area of ocean now known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation talked about it on an episode of The Colbert Report last week:
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c |
| Charles Moore | |
Via Twitter's Kajjajja
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Video: Duke Energy CEO on Colbert Report
CEO Jim Rogers recently made headlines for pulling Duke Energy out of the National Association of Manufacturers over NAM's refusal to address global warming:
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Jim Rogers | ||||
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Thursday, October 2, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
GM Exec Denies Global Warming, Disses Own Car
General Motors Vice Chairman of Global Product Development Bob Lutz was just on The Colbert Report blaming global warming on sunspots and dissing his own Chevrolet Volt as a weak, unattractive car. I'll post the video here as soon as it's online.
UPDATE: Here's the video. Note to Bob for future reference - if you're going to greenwash, it's best not to come right out and deny the scientific consensus on global warming with a made-up number of people who believe in a kooky denial scheme. Kind of undercuts your alleged green credentials.
UPDATE: Here's the video. Note to Bob for future reference - if you're going to greenwash, it's best not to come right out and deny the scientific consensus on global warming with a made-up number of people who believe in a kooky denial scheme. Kind of undercuts your alleged green credentials.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Friday, October 5, 2007
Colbert: Bush Has "Glacier-Sized Balls - PRE-Global Warming!"
"Mr. President, for leading us to a bold commitment to finalize a goal for future possible action to solve global warming, you, sir, are my Alpha Dog of the Week."
Via Dan Froomkin
Via Dan Froomkin
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Virginia's Fightin' 11th
Here's Rep. Tom Davis' appearance on the Colbert Report's "Know Your District," as Stephen profiles Virginia's 11th Congressional district, better known as the Fightin' 11th!
Friday, May 4, 2007
Why All Environmentalists Need to Help Rebuild DC's Eastern Market
If you want to be green, it's important to buy local. The closer a product is made, the less fuel is burned in delivering it to you. When it comes to the products you eat, the concept known as food miles. That's why in the Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment Green Living Challenge, you get 5 points if you, "Eat a locally grown, organic, and/or meatless ingredient meal twice a week."
That's why the fire that destroyed most of DC's Eastern Market is such a loss not just for the business owners and customers impacted, but for all Washington area environmentalists. Eastern Market is one of the last of the neighborhood markets, places where local products could find local buyers. In Arlington, all we have is the Courthouse Farmers Market just one morning a week.
That's why the fire that destroyed most of DC's Eastern Market is such a loss not just for the business owners and customers impacted, but for all Washington area environmentalists. Eastern Market is one of the last of the neighborhood markets, places where local products could find local buyers. In Arlington, all we have is the Courthouse Farmers Market just one morning a week.Fortunately, some of DC's most dedicated citizens are making it easy to help rebuild Eastern Market. Eastern Market Rescue is organizing a citywide fundraiser on Tuesday, May 8th, with the proceeds going to the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.
So far, 14 bars and restaurants have signed up, with more to come, agreeing to donate a percentage of their proceeds towards rebuilding Eastern Market. Go to the Eastern Market Rescue website to learn more, and be sure to visit at a participating establishment next Tuesday!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Friday, January 19, 2007
Rich Little: Too Hot for DC
Thanks to everyone who came out for CRM's Beers with the Board Chair last night! Always fun to have an excuse to hang out at Jay's. On to the news ...
* Progress on transportation as Virginia Republicans have finally agreed to compromise on funding. Let's hope Metro gets its fair share.
* Speaking of Metro, the Express takes a look into the crystal ball and predicts the Orange and
Blue lines will have to stop sharing the Rosslyn tunnel down the road, using last weekend's construction map as a jumping-off point for what the new map could look like. It would be great to ease congestion in the Rosslyn tunnel, especially since it seems silly that 8-car trains on the Orange Line have to wait for 4-car Blue Line trains to pass by, a congestion problem that will only get worse as the Orange Line expands west. And I suppose the new Silver Line (or whatever it gets called) to Tysons/Dulles could run out to Largo to take over the Blue Line's eastern stops. What happens to the Arlington National Cemetary stop? I guess the tourists could just take the bus there.
Blue lines will have to stop sharing the Rosslyn tunnel down the road, using last weekend's construction map as a jumping-off point for what the new map could look like. It would be great to ease congestion in the Rosslyn tunnel, especially since it seems silly that 8-car trains on the Orange Line have to wait for 4-car Blue Line trains to pass by, a congestion problem that will only get worse as the Orange Line expands west. And I suppose the new Silver Line (or whatever it gets called) to Tysons/Dulles could run out to Largo to take over the Blue Line's eastern stops. What happens to the Arlington National Cemetary stop? I guess the tourists could just take the bus there.* How fragile have Washington's egos become that Rich Little has to be warned to tone down his act for President Bush & the White House Correspondents Association? I guess they're still smarting from Stephen Colbert's routine last year.
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