(no subject)

[ebonlock]

In an earlier post I prophesied that the right wing would go all poo flingy on the whole Al Gore won a Nobel thing and damned if I wasn't right. Perhaps I should play the lottery today...

TBogg sums it all up nicely:

...maybe someone can explain the rightwings aversion to the facts of global warming other than because "Al Gore said so".

Better yet, maybe Gore will make a major speech telling people to not stick their tongues in wall sockets in an effort to save electricity. Afterward, expect lots of flickering lights in your neighborhood and fewer rightwing bloggers on the internets.

And speaking of wingnuts I'm fighting the strong urge to *headdesk* over this article:

The Mexican flag flies no more over the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum — and the U.S. flag is gone, too.

The museum's board of trustees voted to remove the flags — which had flown side-by-side since 1954 — after receiving complaints and threats about flying the Mexican flag.

Questions from visitors about why the Mexican flag was being flown on U.S. soil escalated in the past couple of years, said board chairwoman Sophia Kaluzniacki.

An anonymous death threat against the museum's animals made earlier this year by a phone caller also factored into the board's decision, but to a lesser degree, she said. The desire to avoid controversy on border-related issues was the main thrust, she said.

Ok so some righty off his meds took offense to the Mexican flag being flown at a museum and threatened to kill the museum's animals over it?! Words abso-fucking-lutely fail. Though Lesley came up with a great response in comments:

These so-called patriots need their own flag, one with a skull and cross bones the colour of vomit.

Comments

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

I would really appreciate you not using the word "hysteria" in responses to my posts or in conversation with me in general. If you don't understand why I'd object to the word please look up it's etymology and I think it will become clear.

Now regarding Gore, I think what's important to remember here is that he didn't win the prize for presenting the world with a solution to climate change. He won it for actually bringing the problem to a lot of peoples' attention and making it all but impossible for governments to ignore it. Even governments as backwards and environmentally unfriendly as our own. Whether you agree with all of the science he presented or with his suggestions for what we should do to alleviate the problem, you must admit that at least now even Bush has been dragged kicking and screaming into the discussion.

[h0h0.livejournal.com]

I wasn't referring to you at all when I said hysteria. I was referring to the Sierra Club.

Like I said at the beginning, I understood why he won it and that he has done a lot in communicating the public relations aspects of the issue. I must admit that he was instrumental in convincing many Americans that the problem is real. Few people listen to scientists.

That said, all of my previous points stand. And it isn't whether *I* believe the science he presented. Any respectable scientist has the same concerns as I. It's plain physics.

Again, I'm sorry if it sounded like I was coming down on you. That was not my intention! I was providing sound counterpoints that need to be brought to the foreground if there is any chance of playing more than lip service to the issue.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

The problem is that the majority of the public aren't well versed in science in general or physics specifically. What Gore managed to do was to explain a really complex problem to a lot of people in a way that got their attention and caused them to pause and think about the environment. Again, nobody is suggesting that he's got all the answers where climate change is concerned by attempting to denigrate his contribution to the discussion is basically just giving the anti-climate change crackpots more fuel for their fire.

[h0h0.livejournal.com]

We're on the same side, here! Maybe my responses appear to be a bit aggressive, but I thought you knew me better than that.

I am, in no way, denigrating his contribution and to suggest so is a misinterpretation of my arguments, even though I have explicitly said this has nothing to do with his contribution to awareness. This is about solutions. Why don't you believe me and insist on arguing?

The majority of the public cannot be educated? I should more or less shut up? This is troublesome and leads me to believe you don't think the problem is as urgent as proposed (it is urgent, IMO). Why stoop to the opposition's level? I don't get it.

*sigh*

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Uh you responded to my congratulatory post about Gore winning the Nobel by saying he was a hypocrite then kinda launched into a series of attacks on the guy. So if I'm coming off as defensive it's because I perceived your original comment as an attack. But I think if you re-read it you'll see why I might have done that.

[(Anonymous)]

...and treating him like a Messiah does what?

His proposed solutions are hipocritic at best. :-( My attacks aren't about him. They're about his policies. Two entirely different subjects.

After watching the morning TV shows Sunday, I see your point. I didn't realize the political machine was so virulent with their idiotic ideology attacks. And it's worked. Instead of talking about solutions, everyone wants to argue pointless politics.