Algore is Poleaxed in Copenhagen

[Conan71]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/copenhagen/article6956783.ece

There are many kinds of truth. Al Gore was poleaxed by an inconvenient one yesterday.

The former US Vice-President, who became an unlikely figurehead for the green movement after narrating the Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, became entangled in a new climate change "spin" row.

Mr Gore, speaking at the Copenhagen climate change summit, stated the latest research showed that the Arctic could be completely ice-free in five years.

In his speech, Mr Gore told the conference: "These figures are fresh. Some of the models suggest to Dr [Wieslav] Maslowski that there is a 75 per cent chance that the entire north polar ice cap, during the summer months, could be completely ice-free within five to seven years."

However, the climatologist whose work Mr Gore was relying upon dropped the former Vice-President in the water with an icy blast.

"It's unclear to me how this figure was arrived at," Dr Maslowski said. "I would never try to estimate likelihood at anything as exact as this."

Mr Gore's office later admitted that the 75 per cent figure was one used by Dr Maslowksi as a "ballpark figure" several years ago in a conversation with Mr Gore."

D'OH!

[FOTD]

So. The earth isn't warming? Screw clean air!

[Nik]

Another Copenhagen related article about Inhofe. I didn't want to start a new thread.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30769.html

"Jim Inhofe gets cool reception in Denmark"

After Inhofe left, some reporters were still a bit confused about what had happened and who he was.

"His name is Inhofe," a German journalist told a Japanese reporter, "but I don't know if it's one or two f's."

[guido911]

And then there's this re: Obama and his messianic effort to once again "save the day" in Copenhagen:

Many reactions were strongly critical of Obama. Hugo Chávez, the president of Venezuela, described Obama's speech as "ridiculous" and the US's initial offer of a $10bn fund for poor countries in the draft text as "a joke".

Tim Jones, a spokesman for the World Development Movement, said: "The president said he came to act, but showed little evidence of doing so. He showed no awareness of the inequality and injustice of climate change. If America has really made its choice, it is a choice that condemns hundreds of millions of people to climate change disaster."

Friends of the Earth said in a statement, "Obama has deeply disappointed not only those listening to his speech at the UN talks, he has disappointed the whole world."

The World Wildlife Fund said Obama had let down the international community by failing to commit to pushing for action in Congress: "The only way the world can be sure the US is standing behind its commitments is for the president to clearly state that climate change will be his next top legislative priority."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/18/obama-speech-copenhagen

Hugo, where's the love baby:

[we vs us]

Another Copenhagen related article about Inhofe. I didn't want to start a new thread.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30769.html

"Jim Inhofe gets cool reception in Denmark"

Obviously a big proponent of that whole "politics stops at the water's edge" philosophy. Way to support your Executive Branch in international dealings, Inhofe. 

[guido911]

Obviously a big proponent of that whole "politics stops at the water's edge" philosophy. Way to support your Executive Branch in international dealings, Inhofe.  

"Brazen Rip Off of Blog Post" award nominee!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/12/9/812258/-Republicans-Undermine-Obama-Past-the-Waters-Edge

[we vs us]

"Brazen Rip Off of Blog Post" award nominee!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/12/9/812258/-Republicans-Undermine-Obama-Past-the-Waters-Edge

Not so brazen as you think.  I actually came up with that one my own self! 

[Conan71]

Obviously a big proponent of that whole "politics stops at the water's edge" philosophy. Way to support your Executive Branch in international dealings, Inhofe. 

Oh, you mean like Nancy Pelosi's apology tour of the Middle East during the Bush Admin?

[Red Arrow]

Bush administration doesn't count.  You should know that by now.

[we vs us]

Refresh my memory on that one.  Don't remember that particular apology tour.  It didn't show up on the Apology Tour google calendar.

[USRufnex]

The sad part of this debate/discussion is that the argument against global warming sounds EXACTLY LIKE the religious arguments against Darwin's theory of evolution.  I can't wait for us to start teaching "intelligent climate design" in the public schools.  

And I seriously doubt God would agree to be part of any argument in which the hole in the ozone layer is explained as His way of expanding Antarctic sea ice.....

http://www.skepticalscience.com/antarctica-gaining-ice.htm

Cries of "hoax" and calling young environmental protesters "Hitler youth" tell me that I wouldn't want to have anything to do with the political hacks who champion themselves as skeptics....

Why are we stuck with Inhofe the laughingstock and his over-the-top arguments?  
Talk about "special interest."  Everybody else in the world recognize him (if they know him at all) as.... Senator Petroleum...

http://www.usclimatenetwork.org/energyrebellion/sen.-inhofe-gets-perfect-score-from-big-oil

[guido911]

Not so brazen as you think.  I actually came up with that one my own self! 

Oh, okay.

[we vs us]

Oh, okay.

No really.  That was a genuine response.   

[guido911]

No really.  That was a genuine response.   

Well since you were "genuine" with that response, then an apology is in order. I just assumed you lifted a dailykos blog post from December 9, 2009 (9 days ago), without appropriate crediting, titled "Republicans Undermine Obama Past the Water's Edge" which among other similarities contained the following passage:

Even Sarah Palin, in calling for President Obama to boycott Copenhagen, doesn't venture as far as Representatives Barton, Blackburn, Issa, and Sensenbrenner and Senators Barrasso and Inhofe. They'll cross the Atlantic to ally themselves with foreign interests and against President Obama.

[Emphasis mine]. 

Coincidence can be funny, if not downright unbelievable. 

[we vs us]

Well since you were "genuine" with that response, then an apology is in order. I just assumed you lifted a dailykos blog post from December 9, 2009 (9 days ago), without appropriate crediting, titled "Republicans Undermine Obama Past the Water's Edge" which among other similarities contained the following passage:

[Emphasis mine]. 

Coincidence can be funny, if not downright unbelievable. 

Well, you know . . . you can believe it.  I haven't read Kos since Kerry ran in 2004.  There're boatloads of more intelligent and coherent libby blogs out there and I'll be happy to point you to 'em if you're interested.

So would Inhofe be in Copenhagen if Obama wasn't there?  No.  He's there explicitly to protest Obama's policies and has said so over and over.  And I guess that's ok.  I actually think intelligent people the world round are capable of looking at Inhofe and understanding that he's one of the more unfortunate side effects of the American democratic process.  It's less of an outrage moment to me than the Pelosi apology tour or whatever it was for most of the right.  But I really just couldn't pass up a chance to point out that for many R's, the water's edge was conveniently worth defending earlier in the decade but now . . . not so much.