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U.S. Rebuffs Europe at Climate Conference
Early last month, several Republican senators, House members and aides traveled to Milan, Italy, for the ninth round of international global climate negotiations...
| And then the fun began... |
NET handed out fliers depicting Inhofe, Senators Larry Craig (R.-Idaho) and Craig Thomas (R.-Wyo.), who were also part of the U.S. delegation, as the "Three Blind Mice." NET accused the senators of doing the bidding of coal and mining interests while ignoring the scientific "consensus" on global warming. "I want to get this framed," Sen. Thomas joked.
| C'mon, Senator! Don't take it so blasted seriously! |
The senators, along with Representatives Chris Cannon (R.-Utah) and Fred Upton (R.-Mich.), met with several environmental groups, including NET, to discuss energy policy and global warming. Sen. Inhofe asked the groups to explain their energy policy. NET President Phil Clapp avoided the question, providing instead a rambling, confused exposition on U.S. energy policy over the last 30 years.
| If you've got nothin', attack the guys who have somethin'... |
Sen. Thomas asked, "So what is with you people? You donât want coal, you donât want natural gas, you donât want oil, and now I see you donât want wind power. How do you propose to fuel the American economy?" Clapp responded by saying that the American economy can be more efficient through greater use of renewable energy (though, apparently, not wind) and that, in fact, EU countries were four times more efficient than the United States. To which Sen. Jeff Sessions (R.-Ala.), another member of the delegation, responded: "Youâre telling me that France and Germany, which have double-digit unemployment, and stagnating economies, are more efficient than the U.S.? Thatâs insanity. Itâs just plain wrong. America is the world leader in energy technologies."
| Did you ever notice the dearth of people who've ever actually worked for a power company in the environmental organizations who're telling the entire world how to generate power for the next few hundred years? Not knowing something about the subject, one can let one's mind roam through the stars, inventing ideal systems that do wondrous things never seen before. They're not bothered by mundane details like population density, growth patterns, line distances, average usage per hour, peak usage, maintenance requirements... I think of it as the Blavatsky school of technological planning. |
The meeting with environmental groups was tame in comparison to a meeting the following day with the European delegation. As Sen. Inhofe explained the U.S. position on Kyoto, EU officials rudely snickered and laughed aloud. "You can laugh and smirk and continue to ignore scientific facts about global warming," Inhofe said, "but by regulating CO2, youâre putting heavy shackles on your economies. Youâre hurting the poor in your own countries." To their obvious displeasure, Sen. Inhofe reminded the Europeans that, according to their own Environment Ministry, only two EU countries will meet their Kyoto targets. "So youâre burdening your economies, and for what?," he asked. "Sen. Inhofe, weâre not like the U.S.," said an official from the Netherlands. "We have a conscience about how we grow our economies. We realize there are limits."
| "In fact, we're imposing them on ourselves!" |
"Well, that certainly explains why I donât see much growing over there," responded Sen. Thomas. "In America," Sen. Sessions said, "we have the ingenuity to both protect our environment and grow our economy." At one point, Sen. Inhofe asked the EU delegation if they were interested in discussing the latest science of global warming. He was rebuffed, as the official from the Netherlands, with a whiff of disdain, said that the science was settledâhuman beings, through fossil fuel emissions, are causing it. His evidence? "I can only skate on my pond three months out of the year. Years ago, it was 5 and 6 months."
| Years from now it might be 8 or 9 months. Don't forget the prospect of nuclear winter... |
"Excuse me, sir, but thatâs not science," Inhofe said. "Thatâs an anecdote."
| Yeah, but that's all he's got... |
In a panel discussion titled "Beyond Kyoto," a French official said, "Donât worry about precise emissions levels." Itâs important, he said, to "just take into account our ambition to address this problem."
| "Intentions are much more important than results!" |
Perhaps the most interesting viewpoint came from a Swiss panelist, who at one point said global climate policy is really about "promoting social and economic equality."
| "Think of it as a social engineering tool..." |
According to a seminar held later in the day by the UN Development Programme, Kyoto, according to panelists, is really about promoting gender equality. A panelist from Sweden said that gender equality "is good for the environment because men and women have an equal footing in making environmental decisions."
| That statement makes no sense whatsoever. And has nothing to do with the subject purportedly under discussion... |
A gender specialist from the UN called for "paradigm shifts" in global warming policy, and by that she meant that energy policies and technologies "must be responsive to gender" and must be made "from a gender perspective." And further, she stated that gender equality must be "the core organizing principle for energy policy."
| Likewise, if your garage door is stuck halfway down, you've got to be "responsive to gender" while trying to get it unstuck. And I long ago made sure that gender equality was the core organizing principle for broiling lamb chops. |
Finally, after promoting social and economic equality and gender equity, conference participants meandered to the global climate fashion show, where proud members of the international community unveiled a new "climate symbol." As the emcee shouted into the microphone, "We want to make the climate symbol a fashion accessory!!"
After the conference, Sen. Inhofe said, "We need to look into this whole process. This is an industry of UN bureaucrats feeding off the American taxpayer. Itâs outrageous."
| As long as the money's flowing, there'll always be somebody standing there with a bucket. |
Posted by: Super Hose 2004-01-30 |
