Theo Spark

Greener Than Thou

2012-02-20T23:48:00.000Z

By Alan Caruba

The most obnoxious and hypocritical people are those who are always preaching a “greener” way of life, insisting that anything that constitutes our modern lifestyles are destroying the Earth and depleting its natural resources. Never mind that we depend upon oil, natural gas, coal, and a host of minerals and chemicals for that lifestyle, the absence of which caused people in earlier eras to live shorter, far more unpleasant lives.

Oil, other than ust an energy source is also a component in countless products, starting with plastic, and is so vital to modern life that its value goes far beyond just being able to drive our cars to visit grandma.

Greener than thou has replaced holier than thou ever since Rachel Carson penned her pernicious and seriously flawed attack on DDT and other chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides in 1962. The result has been the needless deaths of millions from malaria in Africa and subtropical nations after the U.S. banned DDT and other nations followed suit. If there was a comparable pesticide available today, the U.S. would not be suffering a biblical plague of bed bugs.

A bone fide environmentalist, David Owen, has written a book that quite literally filets environmentalism, “The Conundrum: How Scientific Innovation, Increased Efficiency, and Good Intentions can Make Our Energy and Climate Problems Worse.” ($14.00, Riverhead Press, softcover).

Owen, who has authored 14 previous books, examines the way environmentalism frequently makes no sense at all. This is not to be confused with conservation, the earlier movement that led to the preservation of some of the nation’s natural wonders.

To live an environmentally acceptable way of life is the same as striving to be a saint, avoiding “sin” in order to secure a place in heaven. It is not only virtually impossible, but to be human is to consume what Nature provides. If you think about, all of Earth's creatures are consumers, depending on where they are on the food chain.

For example, when environmentalists convinced Congress to reduce the amount of water in toilet tanks, the only thing they accomplished was to require that the newer, smaller tanks had be flushed twice to rid he toilet of feces and urine, i.e., more use of water, not less. The EPA has just issued a ruling they claim is necessary to reduce mercury emissions despite the fact that your average volcanic eruption puts more into the atmosphere than any human imposed restrictions could ever achieve. Congress, however, passed a law banning 100-watt incandescent light bulbs, thus requiring people to purchase mercury-filled ones that, if broken, require a hazmat team to clean up after.

Environmentalism is essentially irrational.

It believes that humans actually have anything to do with “saving the Earth” when the natural forces of the Earth are so far beyond any “control” that it routinely reminds us of this fact. We have zero impact on the climate and, as for carbon dioxide, the villain of all “global warming” claims, humans exhale about six pounds of it every day. And there are seven billion of us. Even so, it constitutes barely 0.033 percent of the atmosphere.

Owen begins by posing the question, “How do we truly begin to think about less—less fossil fuel, less carbon, less water, less waste, less habitat destruction, less population stress—when our sense of economic, cultural, and personal well-being is based on more?”

The real question at the heart of all environmentalism is what do we do when there are seven billion humans using the resources of the Earth and the real answer for environmentalists is how do we reduce the Earth’s population and how do they grow rich in the process? That is what lies at the heart of all the “solutions” put forth by the United Nations environmental program; an enemy of the human race if there ever was one.

What environmentalists want is “a vast, unprecedented transformation of human behavior in our relationship with energy and consumption.” The next time you hear anyone call for a “transformation” know also that they are a charlatan seeking control over your life.

The environmental assumption is that the Earth is running out of the sources of energy and that consumption is bad. Both are equally wrong because the Earth is not running out of the sources of energy and consumption is what humans and all other species on Earth do every day.

Owen believes that humans are “the world’s main emitter of manmade greenhouse gases” and this is utterly false. The so-called greenhouse gases are the ones in the atmosphere that not only keep the Sun from turning the Earth into a desiccated version of Mars or the Moon, but in the case of carbon dioxide, it is responsible for every single element of vegetation upon which all life depends.

Owen and many environmentalists would prefer that all of humanity live packed side-by-side in crowded cities, using mass transit or bicycling to work to save the Earth, but anyone who gives two thoughts to the amount of energy consumed to maintain a city knows this too is yet another idiotic environmental conceit.

Indeed, Owen notes that “There are many downsides to density, including the fact that squeezing people and their destinations close together makes diseases, wars, and natural disasters more efficient, too.”

That, says Owen, is a conundrum. Indeed, his book is filled with environmental conundrums that he tries to resolve while overtly and inadvertently exposing the idiocy of environmentalism.

Simply put, farmers are the world’s natural environmentalists, relying on the weather—which they cannot control—and the stewardship of their land to feed themselves and others. They must, however, have a means to move their crops to places where other humans can acquire them and that requires a massive system of transportation which, in turn, requires the affordable use of energy.

Environmentalism’s goals, clean air and water, are laudable, but a massive governmental bureaucracy to require that people use less energy and consume less is not.

Time and time again we see examples of environmentalism that only manage to kill people, whether it is the banning of beneficial chemicals or the use of the least efficient forms of electrical power, wind and solar energy.

The least reported story out of Europe these days is the extreme cold that is literally killing people because it puts the lie to all the environmental “solutions” advanced since the 1960s. Environmentalism has been decried as a religion and, for those who want to deny a greater power, Nature or God, it remains their holy grail.

© Alan Caruba, 2012.

Hot Helen Flanagan Sizzles in Dubai!

2012-02-20T20:38:00.001Z

One of the commenters at The Sun's photo-essay notes that Ms. Flanagan has the hottest body he's ever seen.

It ends here with this one, fellas. This lady's got it going on!

See: "British Soap Star Helen Flanagan Looks Fantastic in Blue Bikini in Dubai."

Onward and Upward Blogging Proletarians!

2012-02-20T20:29:00.000Z

I've got a doozy of a post up, "Scenes From the CPAC Soap Opera, and Notes for Conference Attendees in Future Years."

I met former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld at CPAC 2011. But such access might not be possible, or worth it, next time around.

More details at the link.

BoMS

2012-02-20T19:19:00.000Z

Welcome to the February 20, 2012 edition of best of me symphony.

Kate Croston presents 10 Interesting Ways U.S. Troops Have Used the Internet posted at Internet Service, saying, "It stands to reason that a communications and information tool as powerful as the internet would be employed in numerous inventive ways by our nation’s military. Today we’ll look at some of those applications."

Lisa Hood presents 10 Foreign Remakes of American TV Shows Very Different Than the Original posted at ZenCollegeLife, saying, "The U.S. is known (and probably not in a good way) for taking other countries' popular shows and turning them into something much less palatable for American audiences."

Sue Waters presents 11 Amazing Car Definitions From the Urban Dictionary Geniuses posted at Car Insurance Blog News, Tips, and Quotes, saying, "Thanks to the Internet, car consumers can access countless resources to help them make informed, cost-effective purchases."

Katherine Tworsey presents 10 Eco-Friendly Tips We Learned from Archie Bunker posted at Compare Electricity Rates, saying, "Wisdom often comes from some of the oddest places. Remember the old sitcom, All in the Family? What you may not recall is some of the pearls of

wisdom shared by our favorite comedic bigot, Archie Bunker. Let’s look at 10 eco-friendly tips we learned from Archie Bunker:"

Paul Taylor presents 10 Diseases Kids Can Catch from their Pets posted at Babysitting Jobs, saying, "Kids tend to be more hands-on with pets than the adult members of the family, and to also have poorer hygiene habits. As a result, they’re more likely to end up on the receiving end of an illness that can be passed from animals to humans. These ten diseases can originate with the household pet, but affect the entire household."

Debbie Denard presents 10 Ways to Condense Your Kids Clothing Needs posted at Nanny, saying, "Isn’t it amazing how our kids keep growing and growing? It’s often hard to keep up with their clothing needs. There are often so many sales and so many cute items that it’s truly hard not to over buy. You know the kids are going to get three to six months of use out of these clothes so why buy them more than they really need."

Melissa Rothstein presents Common Sense to Cell Phone (SMS) Texting posted at Best Online Colleges.com, saying, "While SMS text messaging can be convenient in the right kind of situations, it can also create problems that could lead to your information being stolen, damage to your personal property or an injury. When you understand the smart ways to use SMS texting and how to avoid scams, you can benefit from the convenience of instant communication any time you want."

Selena Routh presents 10 Tips for Cell Phones Before Traveling Overseas posted at Phone Service, saying, "We’ve all seen people on TV and movies casually using their cell phones as they travel to various countries around the globe. No big deal right? Not until you get your monthly statement. Post-vacation cell phone bills are the stuff nightmares are made from."

Gordan Smith presents 10 Math Riddles Related to Age posted at Internet Provider, saying, "We just can’t resist the challenge of a good riddle. Some riddles are complex, like logic puzzles, while others are simple wordplay; but the good ones, the brain teasers, are those that suck us in and keep us guessing. The solution may seem obvious at first glance, but beware the twist or the hidden clue."

Maureen Denard presents 10 Four Letter Words Describing Parenthood posted at Find A Nanny, saying, "Parenthood is probably one of the most wonderful, difficult, rewarding, thankless, exciting, terrifying, satisfying, amazing jobs on earth. It is full of ups and downs and all kinds of conflicting emotions and experiences. Can it be described using four letter words? I think so.........."

Rachel C. presents Five Reasons Why You Cannot Wait for Health Insurance | Business Insurance posted at Business Insurance, saying, "As the health insurance reforms roll out, many people are still without any form of coverage. Some Americans are opting to wait for the public programs rather than signing up for private insurance through their jobs or other insurance carriers. There are some inherent dangers in waiting for the health insurance reforms to kick in before getting the coverage that you need. There are several negative situations you can encounter during the wait for public health insurance that can be avoided if you take the steps to get coverage now."

Theresa Torres presents 6 Good Reasons To Learn How To Drive Stick « Car Magazine Blog posted at Car Magazine Blog, saying, "Learning how to drive stick can benefit you in a lot of ways. Here are the reasons why."

Selena Routh presents 5 Times Your Child Needs a Cell Phone and Three Times They Don?t posted at Phone Service, saying, "Cell phones are those fancy devices our children beg us for. The big question for parents is should you give in and give them a cell phone. Just like everything else in life, there are good reasons and bad reasons."

Roxanne Porter presents 7 Ways to Make Just About any Owie Feel Better posted at Nanny Jobs, saying, "Trips, spills, stumbles and falls are all a part of growing up. Whether you have a little one that isn’t quite steady on her feet yet or an older child who’s part daredevil, you’re likely to spend a fair amount of your parenting time trying to ease owies and boo-boos."

Barbara Williams presents 10 Great Excuses for Why the Babysitter Was Late posted at Find A Babysitter, saying, "When the babysitter is late, it can spoil your entire evening. There are, however, times when your babysitter’s tardiness is excusable. Here are some of the justifiable reasons for arriving to a babysitting job late."

Trisha Torrey presents 10 Best Motorcycle Moments in Movie History posted at motorcycleinsurance.com, saying, "Over the course of film history, the motorcycle, be it a souped-up chopper or humble scooter, has become much more than a symbol of rebellion, sexual prowess, and freedom."

Martha Stewart presents 10 Big Companies That Promote Employee Meditation posted at onlinemba.com, saying, "Work can be a stressful place, and with companies trying to keep an eye on the bottom line while simultaneously improving productivity, many workers may find themselves with more responsibilities than ever before."

Asya Fredrich presents 10 Musicians Who Got Their Start Playing in the Streets posted at Renters Insurance.

Kate Croston presents 10 Facebook Status Updates After Being Turned Into a Vampire posted at Internet Service, saying, "Social networking sites have us in the habit of sharing every facet of our lives, from the menial to the monumental. When something happens in our lives, we just need to post it, don’t we? So after watching the Twilight series the other night, we wondered............."

Mary Edwards presents 10 Ways to Win Every Fight with Your Boyfriend posted at Best Dating Sites, saying, "As the saying goes, all’s fair in love and war, which is worth keeping in mind during a spat with your beau. It may not be important that you to win every time; but it pays to know in the heat of battle that you can."

Sara Dawkins presents 10 Sounds That Help Kids Sleep posted at NannyPro.com, saying, "Sleep disturbances and difficulty falling asleep are such a common issue for infants and children that there are dozens of products on the market to combat the problem."

Nancy Parker presents 10 Real Reasons Kids Fight Taking a Bath posted at eNannySource, saying, "Do you have a child that hates taking a bath? What do you think the reason is? Sometimes adults feel like kids are just being difficult when they refuse to take a bath and that there isn’t a real reason behind why they don’t want to take a bath."

Juliet Jones presents 10 Once-Dominant Businesses that Ended Up Declaring Bankruptcy posted at Business Insurance, saying, "When a company's name becomes practically synonymous with the industry it's in, it seems impossible that the business could ever fail."

Tracy Miller presents The 10 Biggest Auto Shows in the U.S. posted at Insurance Quotes Blog, saying, "Feel free to send the car lover in your life to play with his or her friends at one of these ten biggest auto shows in the U.S"

Trisha Torrey presents Top 10 Motorcycle Road Trips to Take this Spring | MotorcycleInsurance.com posted at motorcycleinsurance.com.

Sue Waters presents The Best Cars for Each Stage of Your Life posted at Car Insurance Blog News, Tips, and Quotes, saying, "We've all got those cars that we dream about, drool over, and dread the idea of paying bills on."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of best of me symphony using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Bedtime Totty............

2012-02-20T18:34:00.000Z

BUILD A BOMB SHELTER IN THE HOLY LAND

2012-02-20T18:29:00.000Z

The Spring Holiday season is coming up (Lent and of course Easter and Passover) Here's something really cool you can contribute to:

Share this with your friends!!

--

Cartoon Round Up....

2012-02-20T12:59:00.001Z

Bonus Babe..........

2012-02-20T11:32:00.000Z

Israel Conducting Human Experiments Again.............by Dan Friedman

2012-02-20T11:31:00.001Z

These are the times when I feel Israel is a lost cause. Seems like some of the IDF’s top brass want to wait for more Jews to be killed or wounded before they launch an operation into Gaza. I’m sure their patience will be rewarded, sooner or later.

IDF factions push for offensive in Gaza

Full steam ahead!................from Rico

2012-02-20T11:28:00.000Z

This is an interesting graphic of four Central Banks (China, ECB, US & JA) over the last decade. Smart economists would look at this and see a 'race' to debase fiat currencies happening.

I call this "full steam ahead, and damn the torpedos!"

Look at the blue line depicting the FED's Balance Sheet. The sudden 'spike' in 2008 says things are worse than we're being led to believe, and makes a sharp contrast to the preceeding trend-line (almost looks 'boring' doesn't it?).

The Central Bankers all know exactly what this data says, but it does not mean that they 'know' what they are doing.

Pic Dump.............

2012-02-20T11:24:00.003Z

Video: Presidents' Day 2012

2012-02-20T10:09:00.001Z

H/T Papa Ray

President's Day...........

2012-02-20T10:06:00.001Z

I was eating lunch and drinking my coffee with my 6-year-old and I asked her, "What is the 20th of February?"
She said "President's Day!"

She is a smart kid, so, I asked her, "What does President's Day mean?" I was waiting for something about Washington or Lincoln, etc.

She replied, "President's Day is when President Obama steps out of the White House, and if he sees his shadow we have one more year of unemployment."

You know, it hurts when hot coffee spurts out your nose.

H/T Shelly

The Powerful Islamist Lobby................by Dan Friedman

2012-02-20T10:01:00.002Z

'A sobering thought: The legacy media’s decision to protect Obama at all costs means they are willfully keeping the American public in the dark, suppressing vital information and debate about the steady growth of the Islamists’ influence over Obama’s foreign policy and his administration in general. We should thank Heaven for the work-around made possible by the Internet. If we can keep the regulators’ hands off, it may eventually save us. But if Barack Hussein Obama gets another four years to tinker with our nation, gornischt helfen, nothing will save us.'

Via Israpundit:

A note from Investigative Project on Terrorism Executive Director Steven Emerson:

Please take the time to read this very important story written by a courageous Egyptian liberal intellectual about the Islamist and Muslim Brotherhood lobbies in Washington and the Obama Administration's secret collaboration with these pro-terrorist, anti-Western, anti-women, anti-American and anti-Semitic organizations. This is one of the most important articles I have read in years.

It was just revealed two days ago that FBI Director Mueller secretly met on February 8 at FBI headquarters with a coalition of groups including various Islamist and militant Arabic groups who in the past have defended Hamas and Hizballah and have also issued blatantly anti-Semitic statements. At this meeting, the FBI revealed that it had removed more than 1000 presentations and curricula on Islam from FBI offices around the country that was deemed "offensive." The FBI did not reveal what criteria was used to determine why material was considered "offensive" but knowledgeable law enforcement sources have told the IPT that it was these radical groups who made that determination. Moreover, numerous FBI agents have confirmed that from now on, FBI headquarters has banned all FBI offices from inviting any counter-terrorist specialists who are considered "anti-Islam" by Muslim Brotherhood front groups.

The February 8 FBI meeting was the culmination of a series of unpublicized directives issued in the last three months by top FBI officials to all its field offices to immediately recall and withdraw any presentation or curricula on Islam throughout the entire FBI. In fact, according to informed sources and undisclosed documents, the FBI directive was instigated by radical Muslim groups in the US who had repeatedly met with top officials of the Obama Administration to complain, among other things, that the mere usage of the term of "radical Islam" in FBI curricula was "offensive" and 'racist." And thus, directives went out by Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Mueller to censor all such material. Included in the material destroyed or removed by the FBI and the DOJ were powerpoints and articles that defined jihad as "holy war" or presentations that portrayed the Muslim Brotherhood as an organization bent on taking over the world—a major tenant that the Muslim Brotherhood has publicly stated for decades.

The Cutting Edge News, February 16, 2012

Islamist Lobbies' Washington War on Arab and Muslim Liberals

by Essam Abdallah

Dr. Essam Abdallah is an Egyptian liberal intellectual who teaches at Ain Shams University and writes for the leading Arab liberal publication Elaph.

*What this means is that the Obama administration has made a strategic decision to join forces with the Islamists rather than fight them. This policy has serious implications for America at home and abroad. It also has serious implications for Israel. It means that America will restrain Israel from besting the Islamists and will favour the Islamists over Israel. It is no accident that the Islamists are now in power in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt or that the The US has fully embraced Islamist Erdogan of Turkey and is supporting the advent of the MB in Syria. Nothing could be more ominous.
-- Ted Belman, Israpundit

Dan Friedman
NYC

2012-02-20T10:00:00.002Z

Click to Enlarge

News..............

2012-02-20T09:22:00.002Z

Argentina claims Falklands rig in Argentine waters

Face up to it ... greece has "become" a 3rd world nation ...

Iran announces it has stopped selling crude oil to UK and France

Movie Reviews « Neptunus Lex

Color Me Duh

Sexual Assault and the Military: A Marine Responds

Muslims stone Christians on Temple Mount

William Hague says the eurozone was built with no exits

Nano-transistor breakthrough to offer billion times faster computer

Former congressional colleagues doubt Santorum's wider appeal

France vote: Sarkozy defends record at first big rally

Romney's intensity versus Obama questioned

Electronic cigarette explodes in man's mouth

Sweden snow: Man 'survives two months trapped in car'

Mars mission to be simulated to find best menus for trip

Proposed money market mutual fund rules draw fire

Dreamliner jet “draws” Boeing logo across North America

At the Blackjack Ball, Card Counter Dr. Edward Thorp Is King

Ron Paul: A political force, a Republican blasting war

Can a return to the drachma save Greece as unemployment soars?

Zimbabwe: how we aid profligacy

British Muslim to face terrorism trial in Kenya

Kevin Rudd told 'put up or shut up' as Australia power struggle erupts

Turkey and China 'helping Iran evade UN sanctions'

British politics could do with a bit of Rick Santorum's religion

Syria: Bashar al-Assad's 'ghost gangs' that haunt Damascus

South Korea holds live-fire exercises despite threats from the North

Robert Mugabe birthday plans hit by lack of money

China rebukes Iran for France, UK oil ban

and finally...........

When a seven year-old is branded a bigot

Monday Mopsies...........

2012-02-20T08:10:00.001Z

2012-02-19T19:39:00.003Z

H/T Paul B

Ad: Keller's Riverside Store CHL radio ad

2012-02-19T19:18:00.000Z

H/T Kenneth

Bedtime Totty............

2012-02-19T18:34:00.000Z

Late News...........

2012-02-19T17:23:00.004Z

CDR Salamander: Sunday Funnies

Eight Days « Neptunus Lex

A Midrats “What if?” – Returning to a Constitutional Military Sunday 5pm

Mountainous force to be formed to defend Kurdish borders

Flying pets from military bases overseas costing families more

Geezer Check « Neptunus Lex

If it's Saturday it must be Tehran, or everything you always wanted to know about Iran but were afraid to ask...

Harvard, Jew haters, motherhood and Israel

Hamas and Fatah unite in song

EagleSpeak: Armed Guards on Merchant Ships: The "Flag-State Endorsement"

Memo to Jews: After They Come for the Catholic Church, They Will Come For Us

Iranian Ships Dock in Syria Port

Swiss aim to launch first space cleaner

Obama struggling in Iowa, poll says

High court dilemma: Can lie about military medal be a crime?

Cartoon Round Up....

2012-02-19T12:37:00.000Z

Weekend Tip: How-To Replace a Car Battery With Julia

2012-02-19T11:25:00.000Z

Bonus Babe..........

2012-02-19T11:08:00.001Z

Pic Dump.............

2012-02-19T11:06:00.001Z

Theo Spark

Greener Than Thou

Hot Helen Flanagan Sizzles in Dubai!

Onward and Upward Blogging Proletarians!

BoMS

Bedtime Totty............

BUILD A BOMB SHELTER IN THE HOLY LAND

Cartoon Round Up....

Bonus Babe..........

Israel Conducting Human Experiment​s Again.............by Dan Friedman

Full steam ahead!................from Rico

Pic Dump.............

Video: Presidents' Day 2012

President'​s Day...........

The Powerful Islamist Lobby................by Dan Friedman

News..............

Monday Mopsies...........

Ad: Keller's Riverside Store CHL radio ad

Bedtime Totty............

Late News...........

Cartoon Round Up....

Weekend Tip: How-To Replace a Car Battery With Julia

Bonus Babe..........

Pic Dump.............

Israel Conducting Human Experiments Again.............by Dan Friedman

President's Day...........