Hipster Come Latelys: SF's Greta Mural is Nothing New

I started seeing all the hoopla around San Francisco painting a giant six story high mural of creepy climate girl, Greta Thunberg (IMDB 1036148), but it turns out it is not so nearly as novel as one might imagine. There all already murals of Greta in the US and around the world. San Francisco is merely 'catching up'.
 A small sampling...

Edmonton

Istanbul

U.K.

Rutland, VT

Bristol, U.K.

Al Be Wrong Again

Note to all you Paris Accordions: Reduce Your Carbon Footprint to Zero

Original art by John Cox. More at John Cox Art

(Originally published 10/8/14)

There Ain't No Such Thing as "Climate Justice"

Picture from The People's Climate March:

And their protection in action:

Earth Hour at Casa de Proof: Every Light In The House is On

Trace Adkins - Every Light In The House is On

Environmental Justice Warrior Hypocrites

More environmental hypocrisy here.

I Googled "Women's March Trash"...

...because my friend Adrienne asked me if I'd seen any of the pictures of the aftermath. Without editorial comment, this photo came up in my search results (more than once):

When what I was expecting was something more like this...

Nothing Says I Love the Environment..

...like trash fires and burning automobiles!

Saving the Environment, One Burning Tire at a Time

We are often treated to the myth of the Native American Noble Savage, living in peace and harmony with the environment. Yeah. Right!

I saw this story a couple weeks ago, but for some reason other things have been in the news lately. Exhibit "A" is that noble North Dakotan tribe, protesting an oil pipeline that would come in close proximity to native lands. Not on, close! To protest what they believe could be a potential threat to the environment, they create an actual threat to the environment!

Nothing says "I want to save the environment"" like burning old tires!

I know there's a "smoke signal" joke in there somewhere!

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint to Zero

Original art by John Cox. More at John Cox Art

Time for a "Gutsy Call" on Keystone, Mr. President!

By now, you have heard that there has been yet another environmental report on the Keystone pipeline. Like all it's predecessors for the last five years, it shows no detriment to the environment. Environmentalist wackos bleat that oil from shale produces more pollution. But since Canada is going to ship that oil whether it goes through our pipeline or not, there is zero difference made by the pipeline.

Truth be told, the pipeline would reduce carbon emissions in the transport of oil, because the pipeline is far more energy efficient than shipping by truck or by rail, with less likelihood of a disastrous spill.

As was pointed out here, in 2012, what is being called the Keystone pipeline is actually an extension of the Keystone pipeline, which was approved in 2008 by George W. Bush, and built in 2009. As I pointed out then, had there been any sizable spill, or environmental damage caused by the initial pipeline, we would have heard all about it. The silence is deafening.

In addition to bringing in imported oil from a friendly ally to be refined (that's value added, Mr. President), the extension passes by the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota, whose oil is being trucked from there on our nation's highways.

The Keystone XL pipeline will not increase pollution, will decrease carbon emissions on the transport of oil, will provide immediate jobs in the construction of the pipeline, addition jobs in maintaining it and adds to the world oil supply, which can increase energy independence for not only our country but perhaps Europe and beyond can reduce their dependence on hostile governments to provide their energy needs and increased prosperity for our neighbor and ally Canada.

You said you had a pen and weren't afraid to use it? Now's the time. Show that vocal minority of environmentalist wackos that you care more for the well being of the country and strengthening our economy than for their petty provincial, boutique politics.

Sign the agreement. It will create shovel ready jobs immediately, at no cost to the taxpayer. If your party wants to use it as a campaign issue in 2014, blame the Republicans for making you sign it, but show a little spine and sign it anyway.

A Tale of Two Pipelines

I hear the Bamboozler-in-Chief is heading to Cushing, Oklahoma tomorrow, to give a speech to a yard full of sections of oil pipes, to try to give himself political cover for his failed energy policies. Apparently the public is not invited to this self serving photo op, er, important energy address, and it was figured that the pipes would heckle him less that a live audience who had just filled up their cars with $5.00 a gallon gasoline to come hear him speak. Smart man, that president!

So, I got out my maps to see just where Cushing was in the big scheme of things.



See the solid line in Phase one? That's the Keystone pipeline. The one that has already been built. The one that George W. Bush's State Department issued a Presidential Permit on March 17, 2008, "authorizing the construction, maintenance and operation of facilities at the United States and Canada border". The pipeline that crosses six states and three Canadian provinces. The pipeline that was completed in June of 2010. Eighteen hundred and fifty three miles long. That Keystone pipeline!

In all the talk about the Keystone XL pipeline, the one that will double or triple the amount of oil carried from Canada to the US, plus delivering domestic oil to Gulf refineries, do you remember anyone mentioning the first pipeline, the one that was already built? Hear any big stories about the environmental catastrophes that the first phase of the Keystone project has caused in the last two years? Me neither.

TransCanada has a great interactive map here. It shows Phase 2 of the pipeline from Steele City to Cushing, which was constructed and put into service last year, in February of 2011. Nearly three hundred miles of pipe there, minding its own business for about a year now. Anybody want to step up and tell us about the great environmental disasters caused by this brand new stretch of pipe over the last year? Beuller? Beuller??

After fighting the expansion of the Keystone XL pipeline, Obama now says he wants to "fast track" permits for the third phase, from Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf. I sincerely hope his photo op speech includes the number of jobs he'll want to take credit for on this stretch of pipeline, because the Keystone XL pipeline he is obstructing stretches three times as far, so, would provide three times again as many construction jobs (or three times again the duration of those jobs), not to mention the number of jobs that would be created by the doubling or tripling of oil delivered per day, and giving an outlet to 18 billion barrels of American oil reserves in the Bakken fields of North Dakota and Montana.

A pipeline through the Bakken oil fields would go a long way towards meeting Obama's professed goal of energy independence. It would be a serious step towards ensuring for America the supply of oil, the energy of the present, the energy that fuels this economy. Serious in a way that Dreams of My Father's Algae will not nor could not accomplish in this century.

One pipeline, vetted and permitted in the last year of the Bush administration, constructed and put into service with no problem. Another pipeline, proposed by the same company, meeting the same standards, covering three fewer states and one less province, but proposed during a presidential administration that is openly hostile to petroleum exploration and production, one that is held captive by environmentalists and is fearful of upsetting its base, in what promises to be an uphill struggle for re-election. This pipeline falls victim to politics, plain and simple.

It will be good to have the Cushing/Gulf pipeline fast tracked, but that end of the project really didn't need presidential intervention. Getting the XL pipeline permitted across the US/Canadian border requires the approval of Obama's State Department and the political will to do what is right for the country. If President Obama were truly serious about all the empty platitudes he will undoubtedly utter in Cushing, Oklahoma, Obama would be making this speech on the other end of the pipeline, to cheering crowds rather than mute, empty pipes.


Cross posted at LCR, Reaganite Republican, Say Anything

Obama's State of Confusion Address

Folks, I was apparently one of a diminishing number of Americans with the stomach to listen to Barry drone on for an hour on his SOTU speech. But, as a public service to my readers, I did watch it, so imagine my surprise when the guy who gave the speech gets it so terribly wrong!

Quote du jour

If one were trying to dream up a way for the Energy Department to ensure fewer jobs, less energy, and higher costs, it would be hard to match the record of Secretary Chu. We have spent billions subsidizing inefficient solar- and wind-power companies with political connections; the results have been little or no new energy, but lots more federal debt. Thanks to Obama, the “alternative energy” industry is now discredited, as “millions of green jobs” have been downgraded to the status of “stimulus” and “investments.” Apparently, when crony capitalists and insider con men put the word “green” in front of their schemes, we are supposed to suspend moral judgment, as if they purchased medieval indulgences exempting them from scrutiny.

-Victor Davis Hanson

Solyndra is an Anagram...

I just realized that "Solyndra" is an anagram...for "Sold Nary".

or Nary Sold...