Translate Climate Guy Page!

     Blogger has this nifty little gadget that can translate this blog into many different languages. How cool is that?! I am not sure how much of my humor, insight and hard work actually come across in the translations, but I figure it may attract more people. (I know a few people here in Germany would like to read it in their native tongue.)

     If English is not your first language, check out the Google Translator on the right side bar. Feedback on how well it translates would be greatly appreciated.

     Have a great day!

     Climate Guy

It's a Sad Day

     I am six hours ahead of the East Coast since I moved to Germany last May. So I get the news before most people wake up (or in the case of those in the restaurant biz, before you pass out). I bet there's a lot of drinking going on right now. The Republicans took over Congress yesterday. While I do not hate Republicans and have many conservative friends, the Republicans that reside or will reside on Capitol Hill are the ones that worry me. I don't like leaders who put money, power and their own needs before those they represent.

     You see, politicians are not like us. They want people to like them and vote for them, so they promise some outlandish shit in order to get elected. Congressmen only have to serve six years before they receive life long pensions and retirement funds. In a country reeling from a huge national debt, environmental issues like Climate Change and rising sea levels, racial tensions the likes we haven't seen on this scale since the 1960's and the cost of living escalating faster than people can add a third job, political office should be an honor, not a position of status. Democrats and Republicans both are failing the American People by putting themselves before the country.

     People like Ted Cruz believe that they are doing the country a service by throwing a temper tantrum on the Senate floor in order to shut down a government run by hard working Americans. How many people were not paid during that shut down? Thousands were not, but Ted Cruz was. People like Mitch McConnell want to close the EPA, ignore the dire warnings from the Climate experts of the world and revert us back to environmental standards reminiscent of the meat packing industry of the early 20th Century. People like John Boehner want to approve the Keystone Pipeline, dismantle the Affordable Care Act and continue to take money from the Oil Industry because with money comes power.

     I worry about the state of the country. I worry that with decreased environmental protections, relaxed environmental standards and with affordable healthcare off the table, the country is going to fall behind the rest of the world. Increased pollution means a higher frequency of sick people, which means more money needed for medical bills. How are Americans expected to pay for the increased cost of living...across the board!... when oil rebounds and the minimum wage drops? How do we look to the rest of the world, with our military might but refusal to join in discussion about global threats that cannot be addressed with military might?

     The world faces its greatest threat: Inaction. The seas are rising, the world is getting warmer. It doesn't matter what Rick Scott or Lamar Smith have to say about Climate Change. They are supposed to listen to the experts and act in the interests of their constituents. Not listen to their campaign contributors and pocket the spoils. We face a global threat in Climate Change and how we, the human race, are damaging our planet. This election showed how out of touch people are and how they fail to see the seriousness of our situation. Which means things are going to get much much worse before they get better. By then, it may very well be too late.

Is This Who You Really Want Speaking For You?

"Similar to previous reports, the latest findings appear more political than scientific. People are tired of the re-packaged rhetoric. It's time to stop fear mongering and focus on an honest dialogue about real options."

- Rep. Lamar Smith (TEX-R), Chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee
from MSNBC article on-line: http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/science-committee-chair-shrugs-terrifying-new-climate-data

     It boggles the mind. That a person with very little understanding of science would be allowed to head a committee that exists to understand and pass legislation about it. As I read the polls and the articles about the election today, to think that the Republican will most likely win is devastating. No offense to my Republican friends, but the GOP plans to dismantle pretty much all of the environmental standards, laws, committees and Agencies. Many of these proposed moves will be in direct violation of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the recent global protocols on CO2 emissions.

     The rest of the world (and the United States Military) recognize, accept and are planning for Climate Change effects, and trying to reduce our impact on the planet as a species. Yet, the United States continues to banter this topic around like its unclear, inconclusive and unimportant. The US Government is doing all of us a dis-service. How can the rest of the world be so wrong?

      The House and Senate are a disgrace to humanity. They are paid by Big Oil and the other fossil fuels industries. If you don't believe it, go dig around and see who the biggest donors are for these idiots. The words I type now in know way can express my anger and frustration with the likes of Congressman Smith and others like him. If these people are re-elected and what they carry out their plan to revert back to the days of Upton Sinclair and the railroad barons, then the American People should be ashamed of themselves.

     Go vote today and save the world. To do anything less would be a travesty to all of mankind.

Computer Trouble

     Its going to be a short entry today, folks. I have been having computer issues and needed to get things worked out. They still are not. But the good people at Apple are working with me to get my MacBook Pro running smoothly again. They have been patient, helpful and nice, (which is more than I  can say for most of the other customer service experiences I have had in my life. ).

     So, stop by again for tomorrow's book review and words of wisdom. There are plenty of other features, pages and things you might like if you hang around and peruse the site. Take a look, check out the the Previous and Popular Posts to see what I am all about, vote on This Weeks Poll or watch some Youtube Videos about Climate and the Environment. (I promise, I only let the entertaining and funny ones on here.) Let me know what you like. Let me know what you think would be cool to add.

     Sign Up to Follow me via email, Facebook or Twitter, Google Plus or become a Follower.

     Thanks for stopping by and see you tomorrow!

     Climate Guy

Does of Reality

This cartoon is from 1978. I found it online and was struck by how it was completely relevant to what we see today. So I thought I would share, in the interests of measuring our progress.

Cartoon by Mike Peters
Originally printed in: Dayton Daily News, May 5th, 1978

Two Can Play At That Game

     There is a whole group of people that think Climate Change and global warming is a hoax, a liberal conspiracy. I won't get into it again, since I rant about this incessantly. My last post talked about a site that let people vote on whether Global Warming was real or not, with the hashtag #youdecide.  It got me thinking.

     If we can just vote to dismiss scientific evidence, then here are some suggestions I thought of:

CFACT: Dumbing the World Down for a Better Tomorrow

     I love internet polls. I think I have an addiction to them. I can't see one online without participating. I think it matters to everyone where I stand on the greatest Washington Capital in history, or whether the original Star Wars Trilogy was better than the prequels. Don't people want to know where I stand on Coke vs Pepsi? Or Marvel vs DC? Or whether Global Warming is real or not?

     As you know, the results of online polls are taken as gospel and rolled out to the greater public to resolve any debate about social issues that exist. Like with Climate Change. The Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT)'s site "Newsmax" recently posted an online poll, asking readers if they thought Global Warming was a hoax. The poll consisted of two questions:

John Oliver's Representative Climate Debate

     If you missed it, John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight, discussed the so-called debate about Climate Change a few months back. What followed was absolutely brilliant! Watch the video below and please share.

     Have a great weekend!

Quotes

Anonymous Comment

     I received an email that notified me that I had a new comment on the post Fox News: Missing the Point Again. The comments on this blog come in a trickle, so new comments get me all excited. (After all, this blog is here so we all can have a conversation about Climate Change and the role the human race has on it.) But, I suppose "Anonymous" had second thoughts on publishing his comment because when I went to reply, the comment was not published on my site. (Based on the content, I don't blame him or her.) Luckily, the comment is emailed to me even if the author deletes it after it is posted. Since the author was...

Climate Reality Monday - Mark Ruffalo

     The Hulk has weighed in. And if I were you, I would listen.

     Actor Mark Ruffalo sat down with the Climate Reality Project for a One-On-One interview on Climate Change and how it is our responsibility to act. You don't have to be Bruce Banner too see that humans have disrupted the normal Climate Cycle and are wreaking havoc on the planet.

     Watch the video and explore the Climate Reality Project site to learn about their mission and how you can join. Climate Change is real, it is happening, and we are major contributors.

...and the Lord said...

http://io9.com/heres-what-happens-when-evangelical-christians-debate-s-1642528491

Wochit Drops the Ball

     The Washington Post is my childhood newspaper. It is my longest and most dearest friend. It is the paper that was thrown down on my driveway everyday of my life as a kid, and continued well into adulthood. It was the first paper I read as a kid, when every Sunday I fought with my sisters over the Funny Pages. It was where I developed my deep love for all Washington Sports. It was what fueled and fed my passion for the Washington Capitals and the Game of hockey. Every Monday, on page A2, there was the Science Section, with one feature article and a handful of shorter articles about the recent discoveries, arguments or theories happening in the world of Science. The Washington Post was my life line and informer, and remains a part of my morning reading to this day.

http://www.safety4sea.com/why-is-antarctica-ice-melting--10898

     So you will have to excuse me...

Quotes

Plastic, Plastic...Everywhere

     I recently watched the documentary "Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch", directed by Angela Sun. It examines the environmental impact of the plastics industry over the past sixty years, focusing mainly on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the Northern Pacific. Having done a research paper on the Garbage Patch a few years ago for my undergraduate degree, I was familiar with what it is. I also read the book "Plastic Ocean" (by Captain Charles Moore with Cassandra Phillips) last spring. But there is a huge difference with reading about environmental damage and seeing it with your own eyes.

     The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is located within the Northern Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a collection of spinning ocean currents that surround an area of approximately 20 millions square kilometers. The center of the Gyre is usually very calm, so as debris and trash are carried into the currents and dispersed throughout the Patch, they settle in and persist throughout the entire water column (NatGeo, 2014). It is not the only one in the world; there are these types of Gyres in every ocean of the world. And they all are collecting plastic at accelerated rates.

Map by NOAA

     In "Plastic Paradise", I watched as they cut open dead

It's the Important Things

http://0.tqn.com/d/politicalhumor/1/S/i/I/5/save-earth-planet-with-chocolate.jpg

24 Hours of Reality

  Today is the day! Are you willing to dedicate one day in order to make a difference?

  Join the Climate Reality Project "24 Hours of Reality" to learn 24 reasons for hope when it comes to the Climate Crisis. Watch the video on the link below.

24 Hours of Reality: 24 Reasons for Hope

  Don't forget that all you have to do to change the world is try.