The Monday Nut

I was poking around the Internet a few minutes ago, and decided to do a search on Bjorn Lomborg to see what he is up to.  So, I typed his name into Google and then clicked on the link for Lomborg.com.  Next thing I know, my anti-virus software is screeching about a trojan horse being found (I use Avast).

OK.  So, it was a fluke, right.  Nope.  Tried it again, and again.  Same result every time, with the result being I had to dump the page.  So, I tried it through two other search engines (Yahoo! and MSN) with no problems.  Then I tried to go to the page direct, with no problem.

SO…what’s going on here?  Is someone attaching something to this link?  Is someone at Google messing around?  I can’t help but think that someone is trying to prevent anyone from getting to Mr. Lomborg’s site.  I also wonder what would happen if I didn’t use Avast.

Please try and see if the same thing happens for you…or maybe not, if you don’t use Avast the results may be less than optimum.  Is there someone smarter than me out there that can figure it out without getting the trojan horse?

First, the New York State Geographic Information Survey took pictures of my house from the air.  Then they sold it to Google…and my “Down-the-shirt” images are available to anyone through the Internet.

Now, Thumper Trucks from one of the energy companies looking for natural gas here in Upstate New York took pictures of the ground under my house.  I’m sure they’ll keep those pics to themselves for a little while, maybe share them with only their closest friends, but sooner or later, my “up-skirt” images will be posted for all to see.

I’m sorry…Seismic surveys aren’t trespassing.  They may be many other things, but they ain’t trespassing.

By the way…I had my skivvies on…sorry, ladies.

And all the guys say….PUHLEASE!

Last post, I was writing about the latest front page news from Sunday’s Press and Sun-Bulletin written by Tom Wilber.  In that post, I called it an example of trash journalism and I continue to stand by that claim.  This is activism, plain and simple.  In discussing the first post with a friend today, he wondered aloud that “if this opens peoples’ eyes about the concerns, that’s a good thing.”  I can agree with that statement, but journalism is meant to report, not to frighten or cause irrational discourse.  Let’s go back to the Emotional vs. Rational started in the last post.

Let’s continue with the story “after the fold.”  The first column starts immediately with “In rural Daisetta, Texas, last month, a staidum-sized hole opened up, swallowing everything in its path.  Geologists suspect intensive drilling operations in the area triggered the massive implosion.”

Emotional
If it’s not exploding, it’s imploding!  Whole sections of the Southern Tier are going to collapse.

Rational
Well, in being a “responsible” journalist, Wilber does say (three columns later) that geologists are not concerned about sinkholes because of different geological formations between Texas and the Southern Tier.  However, he immediately launches into another risk to minimize this fact.  Radiation.  More on that later.  Let’s face facts here.  SInkholes are not going to happen here.  Bringing them up at all is simply an attempt to scare readers.

Next paragraph is about explosions, and I have to salute the writer for his use of adjectives such as “spectacular, churning, and columns” here.  Of course, people dying and homes being evacuated are par for the course, right?  Well, in the next paragraph, he says “Explosions and sink holes are extreme and uncommon examples of what can go wrong, according to regulators and independent experts interviewed for this report.”  Then comes his next sentence, “But they do happen.”

In other words, my friends…”regulators and independent experts be damned. I’m telling you these things happen no matter what they say.”

As evidenced in the next few paragraphs, when it comes to the words of activists, Wilber is much more likely to listen.  Susan Obleski, spokeswoman for the Susquehanna River Basin Commission stated that drilling operations (hydraulic fracturing) drawing on headwaters in the upper tributaries of the river will “suck them dry.”  Of course, the magnaminous Sierra Club expressed similar concerns.  What gets me here is that even though the representative of the Sierra Club is a “lobbyist” there is not the slimy connotation here as there was when the Press and Sun-Bulletin was concerned about John McCain’s campaign staff.

The next portion of the article, after allowing a little fluff from company representatives, Wilber dives right back into the problems by quoting “warnings” from the Sierra Club and the Catskill Mountainkeeper.  LUCKILY, the warning is part of a broader statement from lobbyists to state lawmakers that is coming at a CRITICAL time as the Assembly is considering a bill that would “effectively” accelerate the permitting process.

Couple notes here.  First, when anyone uses the word “effectively” you can bet your bippy they are likely not telling the truth.  Using the word effectively is (in my humble opinion) the first step toward making an outright lie “the truth.”  Could be wrong on this, but it smacks of trying to smash something into the collective consciousness instead of letting the truth filter in.  Second, isn’t it amazing that when some lobbyists talk, their statements are critically timed?

Sheesh.  I just keep finding more and more to talk about…  More again tomorrow.

Tom Wilber, the “environmental expert” of the Press & Sun-Bulletin has written what I consider the largest piece of trash journalism published in our hometown paper in quite some time.

Before I go any further, I have to say something (AGAIN) to make sure no one starts spewing.  “Brent Beckley is a steward of the Earth.  He does not litter, he does not dump chemicals into his drains, he recycles, and he believes strongly in appropriate punishments for individuals and institutions that (stupidly or callously) harm the environment.”  However, there is a caveat to this claim.  “We must try to be rational.”

So, let’s start at the beginning of the article, and try to break each portion of the story into two parts: the emotional, and the rational.

Photo & Headline
Mr. Wilber is thanking his lucky stars the Press & Sun-Bulletin publishes its paper in color.  The photo is of an “unidientified bulldozer operator against the flame of a natural gas well near Dime Box, Texas.”  It is a daunting image filled with flames.  The headline: “Drilling carries a hefty environmental price.”

The Emotional
Hell on Earth.  The eternal flames of Beelzebub will lick the carcasses of those greedy enough to sell their land for mineral rights in Upstate New York.

The Rational
Natural gas is…flammable.  For those of you from Whitney Point, that means “it burns.”  Accidents happen in all sorts of places, whether you’re drilling for natural gas, driving down the highway, taking a shower, or climbing your stairs.  To show the very worst case scenario is the tactic of any activist.

The introductory paragraph to the story begins with a line that actually tells more story than all the rest.  “The quest for riches in the Marcellus Shale Formation is off to a rocky start…”

The Emotional
“Greed will destroy the earth.”  Don’t believe me? Check out the online comments on the article.  Irrational environmental activism and anti-capitalism are – use your Greenbow, Alabama drawl – “like peas and carrots.”

The Rational
Thanks for the punishment, Mr. Wilber. I wish I could get someone to pay me for such wordsmithiness.

The next paragraph, in talking of current natural gas drilling operations in northern Pennsylvania claims that “There, companies drilling into the massive natural gas resource have drained streams and spilled diesel fuel onto pristine countryside.”

The Emotional
Our streams!  Our pristine countryside!  Streams that are hotbeds of life are now dried up!  Diesel fuel is despoiling meadows!  Birds and furry critters are dying everywhere!

The Rational
Actually, Wilber somewhat hurts himself in the next paragraph where he changes the wording to “…diverted tens of thousands of gallons from rural streams.” Draining and diverted have MUCH different meanings.  When you say “drained” it connotes the stream is now dry.  Diverted means you have altered the course of the stream and are using it for a purpose.  Should they have done it?  Probably not, and they got in trouble for it… But, they did not drain the stream.

On to the next…  “And in Susquehanna County, about 800 gallons of diesel fuel – dyed bright red to help track it in the event of a spill – leaked from a storage tank at a Cabot Oil drilling site, threatening a nearby stream.  Emergency responders were containing and cleaning the mess last week.

The Emotional
Our water supply will be ruined.  A stream was threatened!  How long before the threat becomes reality?

The Rational
First, I want to mention that when I typed that paragraph into Microsoft Word, the grammar checker about exploded. It is ironic that a paper which regularly publishes the work of grammarian James J. Kilpatrick never seems to push the lessons onto its writers.  Second, the use of the word “threatening” is a powerful tool that allows just about anything to be used as “fact.”  Just how far away was the stream?  How close did the fuel actually get to it?  The next sentence about the containment and cleaning crew is meaningless when pre-empted by the “threat.”

And on we go…  The next two paragraphs sum up the first parts of the story and ensures that the front page (normally only part of the story most people actually read) imparts “the truth” that all this natural gas hoo-ha will destroy the environment.  Referring to property owners as “giddy” gives the impression that only the money matters and that everyone “lining up to cash in” knows that with the rewards comes risks.

The story has been told (at least to those with time to read the front page).  Let’s sum up real quick.  Natural gas drilling is tantamount to, well, DEATH.

More tomorrow on the rest of the story.

AND ONE MORE THING!!!  I am a proud graduate of Whitney Point High School, so don’t freak out like I’m the next Dick Cheney! It’s just a joke.

I’ve been thinking hard about the last post and the issues and something occurred to me.  I’ve been really spending a lot of time blaming environmental activists for all the problems, but there is plenty of blame to put on another group as well…and a real FOR SHAME finger waggle along for good measure.

No, not the politicians, they’re too weak to really blame for anything.  They go where they’re told to go by those with the largest bullhorns.

It’s the scientists, and for sake of clarity, I’ll focus only on those who ARE NOT in the pockets of the activists.  Let me take a moment to relate a little story.  I was at a convention last year for the cosmetics industry attending an all-day conference on regulatory aspects, and one of the speakers was whining about how junk-science wielding activists were getting all the attention, and REAL science was being left behind.  He was talking mostly about those who keep banging the drum about animal testing (which really isn’t being done anymore in the industry) and how they started looking at nanotechnology in cosmetics as the next big issue to scream about.  During his Q&A session, I asked what I thought was a simple question.

“If they are screaming about these issues, why don’t you scream louder?”

I didn’t get much of an answer…besides this.  “Because we don’t scream.  We have science on our side.”

Oh please.  That’s such crap.  For a scientist to complain that someone has a better bullhorn in the age of the Internet is just plain garbage.  For cripes sake, if you have taken the time to truly learn or discover something of value in an argument, then you must use the same tactics as those you argue with.  To think that a scientists must rise above the fray just won’t work anymore, and restricting your arguments to the scientific community is the work of a sissy. In this day and age, if you ain’t screaming, you ain’t gonna be heard.

Now, as I mentioned in the last post, I am a big fan of Jack Dini, who is not afraid to point out the other side of the argument, but Jack is really an aberration in a community of scientists who seem too scared to stand up and be heard.  His tendency to use humor and frank language in his writings certainly makes a difference and changes some minds and for that I applaud him, but again, he is one man in a world full of scientists who are too afraid to be heard. Bjorn Lomborg is another example of a scientist not afraid to be heard, but he went out alone into the cold, hard, world and no one had his back.

Just to throw out another example, I have a colleague that has worked in the oil industry for years, and according to him, the new technologies for bringing oil out of the ground are extremely safe for the environment.  The activists base their arguments on the use of 19th century technology and the visions of massive spills of the past.  Bet you didn’t know that…so who’s fault is it?  I would say the blame is just as much on the scientists and engineers within the industry who do not jump up and say “YOU’RE WRONG AND I CAN PROVE IT!”  And then, go out and prove it. If you prove to people that you can snatch oil out of ANWAR, the Gulf of Mexico, etc., without doing any major harm, public opinion will start swaying in your direction.  But not if you don’t stop sitting with your thumbs in your puckers and whining.

If you want to prove yourself to the world, you can do it through this neat little invention called The Internet. They call it “the new media” and your detractors have from day one.

I understand that scientists want rational discourse and for their work to be appreciated for what it is.  I do too!  But if you don’t get up off your asses and start yelling about things, you’ll never win.  You’re smart enough to build a better bullhorn, and by God, if you don’t get to it soon we are literally headed for another Dark Ages.  Sure, publishing in important journals like Science and Nature gets you some cred, but only in the laboratories.  You need some serious street cred, and the Internet is where to find it.

I beg each and every one of the scientists, engineers, researchers, and developers out there who know we have answers to these problems…please, please get up and say something, and use that fancy computer on your desk for something besides crunching data.

Wow… Been longer than I thought.

A while ago I posted a question if anyone would write a book or something on the cost of going green.  Well, information is presenting itself and I wanted to share my thoughts on it over the next few posts.

The first cost of going green?

Starvation.

When we dedicate our corn crop to creating ethanol, that means less corn for consumption, especially in areas of the world where food is already at a premium. The price of corn is now highly inflated as Americans and Europeans clamor for biofuels, and that means the poor have to go without.  So, you say, “increase the amount of corn that is produced to feed the poor.” 

HAH!  NO!  Environmentalists are starting to bitch because farmers are now starting to plow fields that they were being paid to leave fallow for “conservation.” See, the thing is, farmers are plowing because they will make more money producing corn for ethanol than they were being paid to conserve the land for wildlife.

Do you blame them?  For how long have they been taking a complete screwing?  If they have a chance to save and resurrect their living, they have every right to do so.  You can’t have it both ways Mr. Activist. Though I am sure you are going to try awful hard.

People are rioting in Haiti and Egypt because they can’t afford food.  Even the World Bank Chief spoke to the fact that the demand for biofuels are a significant contributor to the problem a “perfect storm” of a food crisis around the world.

And let’s not forget the fact that food prices are rising because of the cost of fuel… Can you easily make the argument that environmental activism has caused this little crisis too?

Hmmm.  I wonder…  Look, I’m all for creating new fuels and trying to depend less on oil.  It is logical that we would develop something better and more efficient.  Hell, I expected everything to be nuclear fusion fueled by the time I reached 40 (yes, that glorious day is fast approaching).  However, in not tapping into our own resources for oil, we have become dependent on a bunch of people who F’-n hate us to provide the engine of our economy.  Why?  Because activists have effectively blocked any exploration and tapping of our own resources all in the name of doing something better.

Like using ethanol…and making corn prices go through the roof…and being a root cause of a worldwide food crisis…and killing little children.

But since when were little children more important than butterflies or fish?  More on that next time.

What do you think?  Hoping to hear from everyone, whether you agree or not.

Interesting headline today.

“Human Feces Powers Rwandan Prison“

Please, talk amongst yourselves while I fail miserably in resisting the temptation to tell all the Iowans if they had been smart, they could have powered the state until the next Presidential election cycle begins.  Or to tell Leonardo DiCaprio I found a way he can really contribute to saving the planet. Or to think about how the fiber industry will find itself on top of the world (or Taco Bell; see below for “converting straight to methane”)

I’m imagining public restrooms would now be called “fuel banks” and there would be tasteful posters tacked all over the walls with wonderful slogans like:

• Make a deposit and save Mother Earth.
• Your contributions mean a cleaner planet for everyone.
• Your local fuel bank.  The first step toward saving us all.

I envision scanners that pick out the best customers (depositors) and reward them for their patronage.  Everyone gets a card, and you get frequent sitter (please notice how I resisted putting the “h” in there) awards.  Heck, the technology could even further reward those who bypass the production process convert straight to methane.  Think of the endless possibilities!

Finally!  A reward for pooing in public and no more self consciousness! 

I’d be a national friggin hero.

Ah well.  It’s fun to think about at least…Let yourself go, and send me some ideas on how you envision our society should make the move to poo. 

The last bastion of true manliness has fallen.  The weenies have stormed the final fortress, removed the testicles of the warriors and declared estrogen the hormone of choice.

The Super Bowl has promised to “offset it’s carbon footprint.”

<Insert moment of silence in lieu of a vicious slew of vulgarities>

So, even the NFL has decided to jump on board the bandwagon.  Once the playground of MEN, it will soon be replaced by a  bunch of pasty-faced vegans throwing frisbees (in a non-competitive way) being cheered by hirsute goth-chicks sporting Troy Polamalu’s hair under their arms.

How is it that the league which gives us just what we desire the most (gladiators beating the holy hell out of each other) for 20 weeks of the year is suddenly deciding to give an ant fart about its carbon footie print? Why is it necessary to cow-tow to a small group of people who define a “clip” as the thing they use to ensure their joint works to the precious last toke?

The NFL is carnivorous, people! It is a half step and one law away from being cannibalistic.

 To me, it’s like Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett putting on dresses and entertaining Santa Ana’s troops with a Vaudeville routine. What has happened is that the Green SS has infiltrated the upper levels of NFL management.  They have an Environmental Program Director, Jack Groh, and he wants to make sure that all his vegan soy-sucking, carrot-toting friends know that the NFL “cares.”  I guarantee that the next thing we see from Mr. Groh is a ban on tailgating because of all the carbon dioxide from the outdoor grills.  Perhaps they will even bring nutritional directors to provide veggie substitutes for brats and sausages, as well as Perrier instead of beer.

Save us G.O.D (Grand Old Dikta) from our pussified selves and deliver our grand pasttime from the demons of green!