Tag: Climate change

Posted on

Candidate Checklist

Our Current “Leaders” at Work

What motivates us to vote?  Are our brains engaged or are we guided by knee jerk emotional reactions?   Do we focus solely on “who”, ignoring “what”?   It appears so. It is critical to understand what we are voting for especially when choosing between bad candidates.  For example, millions voted against Trump but gave little thought to what Biden’s handlers would do to us and our country.  We are in the middle of a giant shit sandwich as a result.   

As candidates on both sides attempt to engage our emotions with “threats to democracy”, it is clear the real threat to democracy is an uninformed electorate.  If we don’t get serious, ensure our representatives mirror our own belief structures, our so called leaders will continue to dump on us in their Gollum like quest for power and money.  

It is hard work, however.  In this age of media propaganda, cancel culture, incessant lying and information overload, it takes an impossible amount of time to discern the truth on any subject much less whether a candidate is ethical or will succumb to the clarion call of power and sacrifice us or our children in their quest.  

Perhaps the following candidate checklist is a helpful starting point.  For those who espouse limited government, individualism as contemplated in our constitution, conservatism, and a free market, “yes” answers should disqualify a candidate.  

For progressives, globalists and collectivists, “yes” answers signal a sympathetic candidate.  For those who don’t know what they believe, figure that out first and if can’t, please don’t vote.  

Examining a candidate’s actions will cut through the endless rhetoric and provide a window into a politician’s belief structure, intellect and penchant for independent thought.  We can then compare their policy positions against our own and vote accordingly.  For example, those who voted for Biden 1) voted for inflationary policies such as dumping trillions into our economy and hampering fossil fuels with no alternative in place, 2) voted for the drugging and mutilation of minors, 3) voted for a porous southern border controlled by the cartels 4) voted for a progressive president who is not that bright.  Any voter surprised by this did not do enough research.  

Did or does the candidate:

  • Support the covid “money vs lives” narrative?  
  • Support extended lockdowns?
  • Support school closures beyond May 2020?  
  • Support vaccine mandates even after it was clear vaccines did little to “stop the spread”.  
  • Force small business to close while allowing big corporate retail stores to remain open?
  • Fall for or promote the BLM scam?  
  • Support massive BLM protests while simultaneously forcing the closure of small businesses, churches and parks?  
  • Ignore their own covid rules?
  • Put covid patients in nursing homes and/or issue stay at home orders?  We knew in March 2020 that covid primarily killed older folks with underlying conditions and that people were far safer outside than inside.
  • Seek to ban covid “misinformation” from public forums, especially “misinformation” that has proven to be true?  
  • Turn a blind eye to the BLM rioters?
  • Turn a blind eye to the January 6 rioters?  
  • Donate money to bail out BLM rioters?
  • Donate money to bail out January 6 rioters?  
  • Support the effort to “defund the police”?
  • Support “cashless” bail? 
  • Advance the now debunked narrative that Trump colluded with Russia? 
  • Believe that climate change is an existential threat that can only be solved by a transition to government-controlled wind and solar power?  
  • Seek to restrict nuclear power?  
  • Agree with the Biden administration’s efforts to limit fossil fuels before viable alternatives exist to supply our energy demand?  
  • Attempt to silence those who believe global warming has causes other than fossil fuels and cow farts?  
  • Support the consolidation of power at the federal level. 
  • Support the nationalization of various segments of the economy such as healthcare and energy.  
  • Support trillions of dollars of government covid spending much of which had nothing to do with covid with billions lost to fraud?
  • Support the “Jim Crow 2.0” lie about Georgia’s voting laws?
  • Support federalized election laws?   
  • Support a ban on voter ID requirements?  
  • Block efforts to secure our border?  
  • Ignore the fentanyl pouring across our border killing our youth?
  • Propagated the lie that border agents on horseback whipped illegal aliens attempting to enter the country.  
  • Believe schools should teach children that they can be a boy or a girl, both or neither?  
  • Support “gender affirming care”?  
  • Support the social sex transition of kids in school without parental notification?  
  • Support the indiscriminate use of puberty blockers, cross sex hormones and/or sex change surgery for minors?  
  • Misrepresent Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill as the “Don’t Say Gay Bill”.   
  • Believe the traditional family structure should be dismantled?
  • Believe advanced school programs are racist and should be canceled.
  • Believe victim/oppressor ideology is beneficial for minorities and should be taught to children? 
  • Believe abortion should be legal up to the moment of birth?  
  • Believe abortion should be banned completely with no exceptions for the life of the mother, incest and rape?  
  • Believe abortion limits should be decided at the federal level?

Hopefully folks will conduct the necessary research and vote with their brains on November 8.  Lets choose common sense, intelligent candidates whose policies mirror our own belief structure, who understand the realities of human nature, economics and national security and who will put the good of the Country above themselves.  

Posted on

OPEN LETTER TO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

We are at a critical juncture in history.  Our choices now will have far reaching consequences at home and abroad.  We must choose wisely.  Can anyone predict with certainty how Russia will respond to our actions?  No. Therefore we must focus on strengthening America so we can weather any storm that arises.  

While bolstering America is a multipronged effort, the purpose of this letter is to focus on energy policy and request your assistance.  Let’s please dispense with the talking points and recognize that America is in a precarious position.  We import more energy than we export, have massive debt, spiraling inflation and fiscal responsibility at the Federal level is nonexistent.  The supply chain is fragile at best and most industries are besieged with worker shortages.  While much needs to be done, one strategy to strengthen our foundation is shift immediately to energy independence.  Our exports should exceed imports, we should import only from trusted allies and produce most of the energy we consume.  

The Biden administration energy policy is driven by the belief that fossil fuel emissions are the cause of our warming planet.  Energy policy is therefore geared to reduce fossil fuel production and increase renewable energy. While the environment is an essential pillar of any energy policy it is critical to understand that renewables such as wind and solar are currently unreliable and unable to meet US energy demand.  Until a solution for long term storage of energy is invented to overcome the variable nature of weather and there is a substantial overhaul and expansion of the grid, we must rely on fossil fuels and nuclear to satisfy demand unless we want to collapse our economy.   

Even though renewables cannot possibly supply US demand, through executive order and regulatory action, the administration has hampered investment and impacted US oil and gas production.  The willingness to invest is negatively impacted by this regulatory atmosphere, as is the market, as are prices.  Consumer price increases are the result.  

Inexplicably this administration tightened the regulatory screws on US oil and gas while simultaneously requesting OPEC to increase supply to moderate “prices at the pump”.  When Russian imports were cut, the administration sought alternate supply from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela without a corresponding policy change at home. 

The President and his appointees don’t like nuclear energy either.  If climate change is an existential threat, why is the Biden administration closing low emission nuclear plants, revoking extension permits and denying permits for new builds?  When nuclear plants are shuttered, they are typically replaced with gas generation plants with higher emissions.  The consumer also pays more, a classic lose, lose scenario that makes zero sense. 

Recently Congress has shown willingness to override bureaucrats and regulators.  We ask that members set aside concerns of special interests, ignore the endless rhetoric, and consider only America’s present and future.  Please examine the efforts of this administration to undermine domestic energy supply and undo them.  Prohibit future regulatory actions without Congressional approval. Honestly evaluate the shortcomings of renewables and incentivize technological advancement.  Construct an energy policy based on national security, economics, climate and environmental concerns.  

High energy costs and dependence on foreign oil and gas will lead to increased economic instability that weakens America and her allies.  A stable economy with affordable energy is essential, especially now.  Please act.  

Please feel free to visit BayBuddha Travels for articles on a wide range of subjects.

Posted on

And the Confusion Begins

Climate Part 4

One would think a neophyte could look up the properties of greenhouse gases with ease. Nope.  Not even close. How much heat each greenhouse gas has the potential to absorb is a foundational element of global warming theory. This should be a straightforward measurement with results communicated in a scientific manner.  Instead I have found highly contradictory statements and opinions. More research is needed to present the various positions adequately so please bear with me as I take a step back and continue peeling back the layers.  Meanwhile the graphic below illustrates the volume of the greenhouse gases. Since water vapor is clearly the predominant greenhouse gas, an understanding of its properties is key.

Greenhouse Gases, created by Jay Lehr, Ph.D., Senior Policy Analyst for International Climate Science Coalition

Note: There is significant disagreement over the quantity of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere attributable to manmade activities but all agree that the majority is of natural origins. Many also believe that manmade carbon dioxide exerts a notable impact on warming even though the total percentage is extremely small compared to water vapor. We will be getting into all of this after delving into the properties of water vapor.