Greenwashed McCain: All sides call it dirty

The McCain campaign’s greenwashing efforts are getting hit from all sides and could actually provide a unifying factor across the political spectrum: everyone finds it absurd.  As per EarthFirst, Finally, Something the Righties and Lefties All Agree On: McCain Needs to Stop this Environment Crap.

Blogging Halfway McCain’s Global Warming concepts

John McCain’s speech and policy constructs on Global Warming have gotten a bit of attention from the Energy Smart blogging world. The following are few of the worthwhile discussions to date.

Halfway McCain: See Problem, Not real Solution

Today, presumptive Republican nominee John McCain will be giving a major speech on Global Warming.  This speech, as with so much of what John McCain says on Global Warming, will contain many great words.  And, in contrast to the obstinate denial of reality by some many in the Republican Party, his direct statements recognizing the reality of Global Warming, that humanity is a driving factor, that this a real threat, and stating that this threat requires real action will be a breath of fresh air and will entice many to believe that McCain’s Straight Talk offers an opportunity for sensible policy moving forward.  And, almost assuredly, the media rapture for ‘Maverick’ McCain will continue with the reporting of this speech, with discussion almost certainly to come about his ‘courage’ and ‘leadership’ in the arena of Global Warming.

This, however, will distort the actual record and distort the actual prospects of the bill of goods that John McCain will attempt to sell when it comes to environmental, global warming, and energy policies.  Sadly, despite any great rhetoric, in this arena McFlip, McFlop McCain would almost certainly remain fundamentally McSame as George Bush when it comes to action re Global Warming.  When it comes to John McCain, his Green Straight Talk Express has proven to be a Dirty Energy Twisted Non-Action and Delay Machine.

Chambering a round against future commerce

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce continues its deceptive campaign tour to fight any meaningful efforts to deal with Global Warming.

Last week, the USCOC joined up with Senator George Voinovich in Columbus, Ohio, for the session deceptively entitled “Comprehensive Approach to Energy and Climate Change“. From the speech by USCOC President Thomas J. Donohue, he described the USCOC opposition to the Lieberman-Warner Coal-Subsidy Act because:

“its targets and mandates are simply not realistic or achievable.”

I might agree that they are not realistic. Lieberman-Warner’s targets are not realistic because they do not do what is required to give a chance of avoiding catastrophic climate change.

“Not … achievable.” That claim is beyond ridicule and disgust. It is willful deceit. Achieving much stronger reductions that outlined in the CISA is achievable, it simply requires the will (political) to set serious targets and work toward them.

Energy Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest …

My six-year old son is addicted to the Berenstein Bears. One of his first successfully read books: Ready, Get Set, Go which teaches adjectives and suggests that no one is best at everything. How many times read between us? 10? 25? Maybe 50? As any parent can tell you, a favored book like that becomes imprinted in your brain.

“Good, Better, Best …” is the tag line in Ready, Get Set, Go. Well, in the past few days, we’ve seen an example of this in reverse, something more from the film world. When it comes to politics and energy, we’ve had a display of Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest.

Clinton, McCain, Bush.

Energy Dumb. Energy Dumber, Energy Dumbest.

What makes good reporting on climate change?

When considering the reporting on Climate Change, there is a real problem. Is this a “science” or a “policy”/”political” issue? If the first, then there is a different approach than if the second. “Science” reporting will have respect for fact and truth, with “objective” being associated with truth, with the more serious effort to pay attention to the substance over the style (even if the style of reporting might be done in a way to attract/keep readers … most important is not necessarily reported over (perceived) most interesting). “Policy”/”political” will have more cautious wording to provide “objective” reporting that seems not to take sides. There will be a search, an effort to provide “balanced” reporting, even if that balance leads to distortion against objective facts and what science tells us about Global Warming.

Sadly, when it comes to Global Warming, too much of the reporting is driven from the “policy”/”political” angle, with “fair and balanced” seeming to be the motto, rather than true and truthful. And, we see that in press reporting on George W Bush’s mockery of a speech related to Global Warming earlier this week. Such as in the Washington Post article that seemed to go out of its way in caution. For example, Bush’s “target fell well short of what most leading scientists say is needed …” Well, quite simply, which “leading scientist” believes that George Bush’s is even near to what is required? Silence is the response, because there is none.

William Douglas at McClatchy seems to have navigated this with greater ease. The title captures the article’s substance:

Bush sets climate change goal; scientists say it’s too little

Truthiness over Truth: McCain Surrogate Speaks Up On Climate Change

Anyone with an open mind realizes that the “Straight Talk Express” has little relationship with action for McFlip, McFlop, McSame McCain as the man (the politician) truly seems to excel at telling people to “Do as I say, not as I do.”  Sadly, this is the case when it comes to Global Warming, where McCain’s Green Straight Talk Express is truly a Dirty Energy Twisted Delay Action Machine.  Reality aside, McCain surrogates are seeking to create an image of John McCain as a real green machine. 

About McSame McCain, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) emphasizes that the McSame, that “he’s not going to run away from President Bush.” That is probably true and truthful on many issues. McCain will probably pretty much McSame as the ever so-successful Bush-Cheney Administration.  Graham, goes further, however, in claim that McCain has done more on Global Warming than former Vice President Al Gore.

Global Warming: political issue or not?

Al Gore likes to comment that Global Warming, its existence and the need to act on it, should not be a political issue. 

Protecting the earth from global warming is a mandatory part of following Jesus, former Vice President Al Gore said at a “Stewardship of the Earth” luncheon Jan. 31 2008 during the New Baptist Covenant Celebration in Atlanta.

“This is not a political issue,” Gore told a crowd of approximately 2,500 paying attendees. “It is a moral issue. It is an ethical issue. It is a spiritual issue.”

Yes, if things were working sensibly, were “Sound Science” not an operative framework of one of the political parties in the United States, the debate would be about “what to do about reality” rather than about trying to deny facts about “what is reality”.  And, this is one of the reasons why John McCain is viewed by so many as a breath of fresh air, because the Senator McFlip certainly can talk a good talk about Global Warming even though Senator McFlop simply doesn’t act on McFlip’s great words.  And, there is quite a strong contrast between Senators Obama, Clinton, and McCain’s positions on Global Warming with Obama’s/Clinton’s words and deeds far closer together than anything to be found with McFlip/McFlop (who risks being the McSame as Bush/Cheney in terms of political appointees and global warming issues).