Going Mad Over Coal

Coal is now the Official Rock of West Virginia.

Who would've seen that coming?

But the Greenies aren't happy about it.

David Roberts of Grist.com goes into a litany of the evils of West Virginia, set off by his ire at the "official rock" pronouncement.

For instance, West Virginia has the lowest median household income in the U.S., and offers the least low-income weatherization assistance of any state, so perhaps Manchin could declare Sweltering in a Shack the official state pastime.

WV has the most casual and heavy drinkers, so it only makes sense to declare bourbon the official state beverage.

Manchin’s state comes in dead last in educational services and social assistance, but leads in citizens with disabilities, which suggests an official state motto: You’re On Your Own. And with the lowest number of college graduates of any state, and among the lowest adult literacy rates, WV definitely needs a short motto.

The state is winning the race in tooth loss and obesity, so it’s a no-brainer for Manchin to declare milkshakes the official state dessert.

Wow. This guy is really unhappy.

I hope for his sake he doesn't live in West Virginia.

Jail or Execute Those Global Warming Deniers!

There was a disturbing post early today at Talking Points Memo, an influential blog of the left, which was quickly taken down, entitled, "At what point do we jail or execute global warming deniers?"

Fortunately, Climate Depot managed to capture the post before it was "disappeared." I say fortunately because those of us "global warming deniers" really need to know what the Enviro-Nuts are saying to one another.

Here's a portion. If you want to read the un-censored version, follow the link above.

So when the right wing f---t---- have caused it to be too late to fix the problem, and we start seeing the devastating consequences and we start seeing end of the World type events - how will we punish those responsible. It will be too late. So shouldn't we start punishing them now?

Sweet guy. As Climate Depot points out, the sentiment isn't exactly unique.

NASA's James Hansen has called for trials of climate skeptics in 2008 for "high crimes against humanity.” Environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lashed out at skeptics of 2007 declaring “This is treason. And we need to start treating them as traitors” In 2009, RFK, Jr. also called coal companies "criminal enterprises" and declared CEO's 'should be in jail... for all of eternity."

In 2006, the eco-magazine Grist called for Nuremberg-Style trials for skeptics. In 2008, Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki called for government leaders skeptical of global warming to be thrown “into jail.” In 2007, The Weather Channel's climate expert called for withholding certification of skeptical meteorologists.

A 2008 report found that 'climate blasphemy' is replacing traditional religious blasphemy.

There's more.

Pelosi: A Safe Environment is a Human Right

Look out, here comes tomorrow.

"We have so much room for improvement. Every aspect of our lives must be subjected to an inventory ... of how we are taking responsibility" for solving climate change and creating healthy environments.

"I do see this opportunity for climate change to be ... a game-changer. It's a place where human rights — looking out for the needs of the poor in terms of climate change and healthy environment — are a human right."

"We are all in this together. The impact of climate change is a tremendous risk to the security and well-being of our countries."

All of these quotes from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to Chinese school children and to Chinese officials, this week.

The Associated Press noted that the trip was long on environmental policy and very, very skimpy on "her usual criticism of human rights" violations.

Instead, she proclaimed that "the right to a clean environment is a human right."

Once again this demonstrates how dangerous the concept of "positive rights" are to individual liberty.

"The right to a clean environment" becomes a human right, and governments consider themselves empowered to subject "every aspect of our lives" to regulation -- "inventory" is Mizz Pelosi's code word.

"People have a right to housing." Suddenly governments consider themselves empowered to jigger with real estate financing and markets. (What could possibly go wrong there?)

"People have a right to health care." Well, if you don't work to make money or to qualify for employer-provided health insurance, then the government must provide your health care -- after all, it's a right, isn't it?

But the more powers a government assumes to grant all these "positive" rights, the less room there is for individuals to assert their "unalienable" rights granted to them by Nature's God. There is an inherent conflict between a government trying to provide all the "positive" stuff it has declared, in its omnipotence, that people have a right to, and individuals merely trying to retain a sliver of their independence. It is an irreconcilable conflict. It can't be done.

That doesn't bother today's progressive leaders.

But it should bother you.

Obama's EPA to America: Don't Breathe

This should come as no surprise to anyone.

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to act for the first time to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that scientists blame for the warming of the planet, according to top Obama administration officials.

The decision, which most likely would play out in stages over a period of months, would have a profound impact on transportation, manufacturing costs and how utilities generate power.
...
The environmental agency is under order from the Supreme Court to make a determination whether carbon dioxide is a pollutant that endangers public health and welfare, an order that the Bush administration essentially ignored despite near-unanimous belief among agency experts that research points inexorably to such a finding.
...
... she said that the agency would reconsider a Bush administration decision not to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from new coal-burning power plants. In announcing the reversal, Ms. Jackson suggested that the E.P.A. was considering additional measures to regulate heat-trapping gases. The White House signaled that it fully supported Ms. Jackson’s approach ...

Nevermind that CO2 is the natural exhalation of all animal life on planet Earth, and the natural byproduct of all combustion that involves oxygen. Candidate Obama said that he was planning on bankrupting the coal-fired generating plants of America. President Obama's administration seems to be poised to do just that.

We are now ruled by ideologues and mental children. So unless you've got a nuclear generating plant hidden in your basement, or plan on getting a $50,000 federal grant to install solar panels on your home, plan on reducing your standard of living big time and soon.