MC

I guess Kelly has a huge voting fanbase. I'm sad for Joanna - I thought she was better than Kelly. So I still stand by my first and second.

Source. NBC’s ObamaVision: Changing the Channel by James Hudnall “If people think nature is their friend, then they sure don’t need an enemy.” –Kurt Vonnegut NBC, which is last place in network ratings, has decided to double down on their green propaganda push this week by putting environmentalist messages in five of its shows: 30 Rock, Heroes, Community, The Office and The Biggest Loser. NBC is owned by GE. GE has positioned itself to make loads of money if “green technology” becomes dominant, so they’ve not only invested a lot of capital in the Obama administration, they’re trying to get everyone on their bandwagon. It seems none of them remember junior high and the way students reacted to all those anti-drug scare films because that sure worked out well. The people who didn’t approve of drugs weren’t going to do them anyway and the rest laughed at the videos they were shown. People in general don’t like scolds. They don’t like being preached to unless they asked for it. And certainly, when people tune in for entertainment, they do not want a lecture. They have seen advertising in all its forms and certainly propaganda. They either agree with it or they don’t. It’s bad enough we get a sermon from many shows already, or that we’re lectured everywhere we turn. But the fact is, most of what they’re trying to say is inaccurate or just plan wrong in many cases. There is no solid evidence that human beings are causing global warming. More and more scientists are speaking out against that theory all the time. More people are feeling that the whole thing has been exaggerated. But of course, that’s not stopping NBC from lecturing us. I guess ratings aren’t an issue over there. There was a time when Hollywood used to fill TV shows with propaganda from their sponsors. Now the spam comes from the Obama administration and their buddies at GE who want expensive windmills and solar cells to replace cheaper energy sources we already use. And to do that they want to pound on our heads until we scream uncle. A better idea is to change the channel. As for that Kurt Vonnegut quote above, it should be stated over and over again that the reason we have technology is to protect us from the environment, not to destroy it. All those green scolds should give back their inoculations, dental work and factory-made clothes and go live in some country like the Congo with no electricity and/or indoor plumbing. After they’ve really “gone green” for awhile they can talk about it. But never try to force it on the rest of us. We’re not interested. Climate change is a part of nature, and it’s a good thing we have the means to survive it when it comes. What they want is for us to disarm ourselves. No thanks.

Didn't I hear today that Chavez has declared that showers can only be 3 minutes long? This is absurd! So they'll put meters on our utilities and shut them off after we reach our limit. But I'm betting that we'd be able to PAY A SURCHARGE to use more! Which means that the climate BS is just that. BS.

It's going to be interesting to see how the judges handle this and if they try to throw the results. Donny has a lot more dance training under his belt than Maya does. Will they consider that when giving their scores? I have to hand it to Joanna. She's a model! She got to the semi-finals.

So we're now down to the semi-finals: Joanna Maya Donnie Kelly I think Maya should win with Donnie second and Joanna third.

Source: NEW YORK TIMES! Gore’s Dual Role: Advocate and Investor By JOHN M. BRODER Published: November 2, 2009 WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Al Gore thought he had spotted a winner last year when a small California firm sought financing for an energy-saving technology from the venture capital firm where Mr. Gore is a partner. The company, Silver Spring Networks, produces hardware and software to make the electricity grid more efficient. It came to Mr. Gore’s firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, one of Silicon Valley’s top venture capital providers, looking for $75 million to expand its partnerships with utilities seeking to install millions of so-called smart meters in homes and businesses. Mr. Gore and his partners decided to back the company, and in gratitude Silver Spring retained him and John Doerr, another Kleiner Perkins partner, as unpaid corporate advisers. The deal appeared to pay off in a big way last week, when the Energy Department announced $3.4 billion in smart grid grants. Of the total, more than $560 million went to utilities with which Silver Spring has contracts. Kleiner Perkins and its partners, including Mr. Gore, could recoup their investment many times over in coming years. Silver Spring Networks is a foot soldier in the global green energy revolution Mr. Gore hopes to lead. Few people have been as vocal about the urgency of global warming and the need to reinvent the way the world produces and consumes energy. And few have put as much money behind their advocacy as Mr. Gore and are as well positioned to profit from this green transformation, if and when it comes. Critics, mostly on the political right and among global warming skeptics, say Mr. Gore is poised to become the world’s first “carbon billionaire,” profiteering from government policies he supports that would direct billions of dollars to the business ventures he has invested in. Representative Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, asserted at a hearing this year that Mr. Gore stood to benefit personally from the energy and climate policies he was urging Congress to adopt. Mr. Gore says that he is simply putting his money where his mouth is. “Do you think there is something wrong with being active in business in this country?” Mr. Gore said. “I am proud of it. I am proud of it.” In an e-mail message this week, he said his investment activities were consistent with his public advocacy over decades. “I have advocated policies to promote renewable energy and accelerate reductions in global warming pollution for decades, including all of the time I was in public service,” Mr. Gore wrote. “As a private citizen, I have continued to advocate the same policies. Even though the vast majority of my business career has been in areas that do not involve renewable energy or global warming pollution reductions, I absolutely believe in investing in ways that are consistent with my values and beliefs. I encourage others to invest in the same way.” Mr. Gore has invested a significant portion of the tens of millions of dollars he has earned since leaving government in 2001 in a broad array of environmentally friendly energy and technology business ventures, like carbon trading markets, solar cells and waterless urinals. He has also given away millions more to finance the nonprofit he founded, the Alliance for Climate Protection, and to another group, the Climate Project, which trains people to present the slide show that was the basis of his documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.” Royalties from his new book on climate change, “Our Choice,” printed on 100 percent recycled paper, will go to the alliance, an aide said. Other public figures, like Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who have vocally supported government financing of energy-saving technologies, have investments in alternative energy ventures. Some scientists and policy advocates also promote energy policies that personally enrich them. As a private citizen, Mr. Gore does not have to disclose his income or assets, as he did in his years in Congress and the White House. When he left government in early 2001, he listed assets of less than $2 million, including homes in suburban Washington and in Tennessee. Since then, his net worth has skyrocketed, helped by timely investments in Apple and Google, profits from books and his movie, and scores of speeches for which he can be paid more than $100,000, although he often speaks at no charge. He is a founder of Generation Investment Management, based in London and run by David Blood, a former head of Goldman Sachs Asset Management (the firm was quickly dubbed Blood and Gore). Mr. Gore earns a partner’s salary at Kleiner Perkins. He has substantial personal finances invested at both firms, officials of the companies said. He also serves as an adviser to high-profile technology companies including Apple and Google, relationships that have paid him handsome dividends over the last eight years. Mr. Gore’s spokeswoman would not give a figure for his current net worth, but the scale of his wealth is evident in a single investment of $35 million in Capricorn Investment Group, a private equity fund started by his friend Jeffrey Skoll, the first president of eBay. Ion Yadigaroglu, a co-founder of Capricorn, said that Mr. Gore does not sit on the fund’s investment committee, but obviously agrees with the partners’ strategy of putting long-term money into promising ventures in energy, technology and health care around the globe. “Aspirationally,” said Mr. Yadigaroglu, who holds a doctorate from Stanford in astrophysics, “we’re trying to make more money than others doing the same thing and do it in a way that is superior in ethics and impacts.” Mr. Gore has said he invested in partnerships and funds that try to identify and support companies that are advancing cutting-edge green technologies and are paving the way toward a low-carbon economy. He has a stake in the world’s pre-eminent carbon credit trading market and in an array of companies in bio-fuels, sustainable fish farming, electric vehicles and solar power. Capricorn holds a major stake in Falcon Waterfree Technologies, the world’s leading maker of waterless urinals. Generation has holdings in Ausra, a solar energy company based in California, and Camco, a British firm that develops carbon dioxide emissions reduction projects. Kleiner Perkins has a green ventures fund with nearly $1 billion invested in renewable energy and efficiency concerns. Mr. Gore also has substantial interests in technology, media and biotechnology ventures that have no direct tie to his environmental advocacy, an aide said. Mr. Gore is not a lobbyist, and he has never asked Congress or the administration for an earmark or policy decision that would directly benefit one of his investments. But he has been a tireless advocate for policies that would move the country away from the use of coal and oil, and he has begun a $300 million campaign to end the use of fossil fuels in electricity production in 10 years. But Marc Morano, a climate change skeptic who until recently was a top aide to Senator James M. Inhofe, Republican of Oklahoma, said that what he saw as Mr. Gore’s alarmism and occasional exaggerations distorted the debate and also served his personal financial interests. Mr. Gore has testified numerous times in support of legislation to address climate change and to revamp the nation’s energy policies. He appeared before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in April to support an energy and climate change bill that was intended to reduce global warming emissions through a cap-and-trade program for major polluting industries. (So technically not a lobbyist, but he tries to alarm everyone about his "global warming" threat, and they pass legislation that puts millions in his pockets. But he's not a lobbyist...) Mr. Gore, who shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his climate advocacy, is generally received on Capitol Hill as something of an oracle, at least by Democrats. But at the hearing in April, he was challenged by Ms. Blackburn, who echoed some of the criticism of Mr. Gore that has swirled in conservative blogs and radio talk shows. She noted that Mr. Gore is a partner at Kleiner Perkins, which has hundreds of millions of dollars invested in firms that could benefit from any legislation that limits carbon dioxide emissions. “I believe that the transition to a green economy is good for our economy and good for all of us, and I have invested in it,” Mr. Gore said, adding that he had put “every penny” he has made from his investments into the Alliance for Climate Protection. “And, Congresswoman,” he added, “if you believe that the reason I have been working on this issue for 30 years is because of greed, you don’t know me.”

Source. October 22, 2009 Poll finds nearly 2 in 3 Americans are Manmade Global Warming 'Deniers' Marc Sheppard According to a Pew Research Poll released today, the number of Americans believing there to be “solid evidence that the earth is warming” has dropped 14% since last year. And the biggest drop – 22% -- was among those identifying themselves as independents. And while 57% are still buying into the continuing warming hype, the number attributing the warming to human activity has dropped from 47% to 36%. What’s more, the number seeing global warming as a “very serious” problem is down 9 points to 35%. These latest results would suggest that messages of continued scientific debate and flat or falling temperatures in the past 11 years are indeed being heard, despite a strident media campaign to silence them. Only 46 days to go before climate alarmists from all over the planet are off on the road to Copenhagen, where they’ll attempt to finalize a treaty intended to control how the entire world produces and consumes energy. But it appears that the de facto treaty leaders from the U.S. will not only arrive at the summit without an American climate bill with which to demonstrate their leadership, but also without the support of almost two thirds of the citizens they represent back home. And happily, that doesn’t bode well for the energy governance threat, be it domestic or foreign.

Maybe a threesome?

BORING season!

Great article, Tuba Girl. I was just coming here to post that. Check this out: Unfortunately for him, he looks very nervous and when he couldn't/wouldn't answer the question, they cut off the microphone of the questioner. Nice to see that journalists are silenced to make the politicians look good. I do like what the journalist said, "Treat big environment like you treat big politics, big government or big business. Where is the money coming from? Who is channelling it? Is this reported? Where is the independent verification of those claims?"

Eliminated so far: Ashley Hamilton Macy Gray Kathy Ireland I wonder who will go tonight. Len was brutal with his scores last night!

We're bombing the moon? We have people living on the streets, people who are starving and uneducated and we spend money on bombing the moon? WTF? LCROSS impact site picked NASA has chosen the final destination for the LCROSS lunar impacting probe: the crater Cabeus A, near the Moon’s south pole. So why is NASA smacking a probe into the Moon at high speed, and why there? The idea is that over millions and billions of years, a lot of comets have hit the Moon. The water from these comets hits the surface and sublimates away… but if any settles at the bottoms of deep craters near the Moon’s poles, these permanently shadowed regions can act as a refrigerator, keeping the water from disappearing. It can stay there, locked up as ice, for a long, long time. Some estimates indicate there could be billions of tons of ice near the Moon’s south pole. Detecting that water is tough. Radar results have been inconclusive, with some people saying there’s lots of water, and others saying there’s none at all. By impacting a probe there, any ice located at the impact site will be shot up above the lunar surface, where sunlight will break it up into O+ and OH- molecules, which can be detected. Thus, LCROSS. I have a more detailed description of all this in an earlier blog post about LCROSS. The choice of Cabeus A for the impact site is a good one. It’s near the south pole, it’s a likely spot for there to be ice under the surface, it’s on the near side of the Moon, so people back here on Earth can observe it, but close enough to the limb that any ejected water can be seen. Here’s a map of the area: LCROSS is planned to impact the crater at 11:30 GMT on October 9, which is early morning for the U.S. (in fact, there will be two impacts; one from the spacecraft and another by the Centaur booster) The plume from the impact should stretch up many kilometers. It will almost certainly be too thin to be seen by amateur instruments, but the impact itself should make a bright enough flash to be seen if you have a telescope. The crater itself will be in shadow, making the light flash easier to spot. It’ll only last a second or two, so if you want to observe it, be prepared! NASA has a nice webpage with all the info you need to watch this historic event for yourself. I hope everyone gets a chance to see this!

Congratulations to Rio de Janeiro!!!

Source. Oct 2, 2009 10:27 am US/Central O NO!! CHICAGO LOSES 2016 OLYMPICS COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CBS) ― Despite four years, millions of dollars in planning and a last-ditch pitch from President Obama, the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid ultimately fell short. The City of Chicago was eliminated in the first round of voting, before any host city was selected. An expert called it the "biggest shock in IOC history." A disappointed USOC President Larry Probst left the venue and refused to comment, saying the Chicago delegation would respond later. Supporters gathered in Chicago were equally shocked. Many left the rally in Daley Plaza tears. Tokyo was also eliminated in the first round. Even the president's star billing wasn't enough to put Chicago over the top in what some experts said was the tightest race for the Games in its history. "The President did everything he could to bring the Olympics to our country and we're obviously disappointed that we didn't win them," said White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton. The contest lasted four years and endured several stumbling blocks. But many believed that when President Barack Obama elected to go to Copenhagen to deliver the closing remarks of Chicago's final presentation, the move would seal the deal to send the games to Chicago. But the president's pitch, along with the star power of First Lady Michelle Obama and TV queen Oprah Winfrey, couldn't sway enough votes. In the short term, CBS 2 Mike Flannery reports that the Chicago defeated leaves Obama politically wounded by taking on a fight that he really didn't have to take. The vote is also a stinging defeat for Mayor Daley, who has been used to getting what he wants. Although opponents now no longer have the Olympics, and the potential for cost overruns and mismanagement, as a campaign issue. CBS 2 Olympics expert Mike Conklin said the defeat points to the United States' lack of standing within the International Olympic Committee, dating all the way back to the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics. City officials first announced in July 2005 that Chicago would be making a bid for the 2016 games. Mayor Richard M. Daley had originally said the millions required to make a serious pitch would not be worth it, but local business leaders came forward and said they would foot the bill. Retired Aon executive chairman Patrick Ryan came on as the chairman of the 2016 Olympic bid committee. By 2006, Mayor Daley was meeting with the International Olympic Committee and traveling to compare notes with other cities. He proposed the construction of a temporary stadium in Washington Park, which would house the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as track and field events and open-air festivals. Plans for an athletes' village soon followed. Eventually, the campus of Michael Reese Hospital on the city's Near South Side was chosen as the site. The U.S. officially decided to enter a bid for the 2016 Games in January 2007, and picked Chicago over Los Angeles for the bid in April of that year. The city began courting major sporting events to show its preparedness for the Olympics, including the World Boxing Championships, which were held in the city in October 2007. The city had also hosted the Gay Games in the summer of 2006. In June 2008, Chicago cleared yet another hurdle, when the city was named one of four finalists for the 2016 Games. Three others were eliminated from the race – Doha, Qatar; Prague, Czech Republic, and Baku, Azerbaijan. Chicago's Olympic bid got a monumental boost when Barack Obama was elected president. At a rally in Daley Plaza five months before the election, Obama drummed up enthusiasm for the bid. He said: "In 2016, I'll be wrapping up my second term as president, so I can't think of a better way than to be marching into Washington Park alongside Mayor Daley, alongside Rahm Emanuel, alongside Dick Durbin, alongside Valerie Jarrett as President of the United States, and announcing to the world, 'Let the games begin!'" But as the bid pushed ahead, questions began to arise about the city's bid. Analysts began to cast doubt because of the city's plan to finance the bid completely with private funding, while the other cities all had public guarantees. Protests against the Olympics began to erupt in Chicago, on fears that there would be cost overruns and taxpayers would get stuck with the bill. Still, the Chicago 2016 team pressed on, recruiting President Obama, Michael Jordan, and other dignitaries and celebrities to appear in promotional videos. In April 2009, the city wined and dined a group of IOC members, showing off proposed Olympic venues and other plans, and treating the dignitaries to a gala attended by Oprah Winfrey. But the week the bid team picked to host the dignitaries was unseasonably cold, and attention on the IOC visit was disrupted by a protest by Chicago Police officers who were angry over their lack of a new contract. Still, the IOC seemed to come away impressed. When asked what stands out as a highlight of the Chicago bid after the visit, El Moutawakel said, "We felt, honestly, that the concept and vision and the love of the sports were there …We felt that the whole community was behind the bid, backing the bid." But the question of funding still remained, and eventually mushroomed into its own controversy. Following a June 2009 visit to Lausanne, Switzerland, for a final pitch to the IOC, Mayor Daley appeared to change course and said "yes" when asked if he would sign a contract guaranteeing that the city would assume "the financial responsibility for the planning, organization and staging of the Games." In total, the Olympics had an estimated price tag of $4.8 billion. Daley later said the city would be on the hook for "no more than the $500 million already approved by City Council." Some Chicago aldermen grew skeptical, including Manny Flores (1st), Sandi Jackson (7th) and Joe Moore (49th), who called for an independent auditing team for the Olympic bid. But in late August 2009, a report by the Civic Federation concluded that as long as the city stuck to its plan, taxpayers would be protected from the costs of the Olympics. Controversy also erupted when the city began demolition of the Michael Reese Hospital campus. Critics said the city had engaged in risky real estate speculation in purchasing the campus, and lamented the demolition of some buildings designed by renowned architect Walter Gropius. On Sept. 2, an IOC commission put out a report that criticized the bid for its failure to provide a full public guarantee to cover an economic shortfall, the city's limitations of transportation system, and the costs of the Olympic Village and new venues. But the report also called the city's budget "ambitious, but achievable," and criticized other cities too. Overall, Rio de Janeiro came off the best in the report. On Sept. 4, a Chicago Tribune poll indicated that only 47 percent of Chicagoans supported the Olympic bid, and 45 percent were against it. The survey was criticized for its sample size of only 300 people, but other cities used the poll in an effort to sell themselves over Chicago. Meanwhile, President Obama was on-again, off-again for weeks about whether he would go to Copenhagen for a final pitch before the vote on the host city. On Sept. 16,Obama said his efforts to finalize a health care reform plan had to take precedence. He said First Lady Michelle Obama would go to Copenhagen instead, along with White Hosue adviser Valerie Jarrett, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Oprah Winfrey also headed to Copenhagen for the final vote. But on Sept. 28, Obama changed his mind, and the White House announced that he would be going after all. The chief executives of Japan, Spain and Brazil were all in Copenhagen, and when it appeared that Obama was not going, IOC officials warned that his absence would be "noticed." But Chicago's bid fell short even with Obama's presence. Now, like the failed plans decades ago for a 1992 World's Fair, the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid will only exist in the world of what might have been. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source. Enviros Use ACORN Tactics and Attack the Journalist (Literally) by Phelim McAleer It really is a great time to be an independent journalist/filmmaker. With the mainstream media devoting to trying to turn policy differences into racism it leaves the task of asking hard questions to people in power open to the rest of us Inspired by James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles who have shone an uncomfortable light on Acorn by asking obvious questions and by simply letting people answer I decided to cover the New York premiere of “The Age of Stupid” – a documentary that claims the human race will be extinct by 2055 because of Climate Change. Much of the “Age Of Stupid” is spent attacking those in the developing world who want our lives and lifestyles. The documentary is particularly critical of those in countries such as India who want to fly more for business or pleasure. The documentary is quite clear that flying in aeroplanes is disastrous for the planet. “Apart from setting fire to a forest flying is the single worst thing an individual can do to cause climate change,” we are told. So after applying for and being given press accreditation by their publicists I decided to find out whether the film makers and their celebrity supporters have stopped or even reduced their flying hours. Or is it only the people of the developing world who must fly less while environmentalists continue with their luxuries because their campaigning is so important it has to continue. I had been told that Franny Armstrong “The Age of Stupid’s” director, had been careful whilst making the film but has been on a massive flying binge promoting the documentary. Then there were the rest of the celebrity supporters such as Kofi Annan, the head of the UN, Mary Robinson, the former Irish President, actresses Gillian Anderson and Heather Graham and Moby who is apparently a famous DJ. Are they making the sacrifices they demand be enforced on the people of the developing world? Unfortunately there seems to be one thing environmentalists dislike more than flying and that is hard questions about their own flying habits. After a few questions which revealed that none of those at the premiere had the slightest intention of living up to the standards they demand of others the film makers decided they didn’t want to be accountable. Along with their security guards they manhandled me and and forced me of the press deck despite having given me accreditation to be there. I didn’t realise press accreditation now comes with provisos that you are not allowed to ask awkward questions of environmental activists and their celebrity supporters. They then used their security team to block my camera. There were lots of other press at the premiere but they didn’t seem interested in seeing if environmentalists even tried to live up to the standards they demand of some of the poorest people on the planet. They didn’t even seem interested in covering the obvious expulsion of another reporter for asking difficult questions. And they wonder why no one is watching their TV news or buying their newspapers.

Source. U.N. climate meeting was propaganda: Czech president Tue Sep 22, 2009 6:28pm EDT Featured Broker sponsored link By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Czech President Vaclav Klaus sharply criticized a U.N. meeting on climate change on Tuesday at which U.S. President Barack Obama was among the top speakers, describing it as propagandistic and undignified. "It was sad and it was frustrating," said Klaus, one of the world's most vocal skeptics on the topic of global warming. "It's a propagandistic exercise where 13-year-old girls from some far-away country perform a pre-rehearsed poem," he said. "It's simply not dignified." At the opening of the summit attended by nearly 100 world leaders, 13-year-old Yugratna Srivastava of India told the audience that governments were not doing enough to combat the threat of climate change. Klaus said there were increasing doubts in the scientific community about whether humans are causing changes in the climate or whether the changes are simply naturally occurring phenomena. But politicians, he said, seem to be moving closer to a consensus on climate change. "The train can't be stopped and I consider that a huge mistake," Klaus said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon organized the climate summit to help create momentum before a U.N. meeting in Copenhagen in December to reach agreement on new targets for reducing so-called greenhouse gas emissions. However, new proposals by China and a rallying cry from U.S. President Barack Obama did little to break a U.N. deadlock about what should be done. Klaus published a book in 2007 on the worldwide campaign to stop climate change entitled "Blue Planet in Green Chains: What Is Under Threat -- Climate or Freedom?" In the book, Klaus said global warming has turned into a new religion, an ideology that threatens to undermine freedom and the world's economic and social order.

Will someone please explain to me how you can get the most viewers (17.5 million for DWTS) and come in third?? Are they really saying that if you didn't beat yourself, you lose? Source. SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 Fox wins first night of season: 'Heroes' falls, 'Big Bang' leads CBS High ratings drama Monday night with a deluge of broadcast network premieres: >> Fox won the opening night of the fall season for the first time in its history. The network aired the two-hour return of "House" (16.5 million viewers, 6.5 preliminary adults 18-49 rating), the medical drama climbing 14% from last year as most of its competitors declined. >> CBS placed second in the key adult demo with its comedy block and "CSI: Miami" (13.7 million, 4.3). Most returning CBS shows took a ratings hit, with "Miami" down 17%, though still beating ABC and NBC at 10 p.m. combined. The exception was "Big Bang Theory" (12.8 million, 4.6), which managed to rank as the network's highest-rated show in its new time period after "Two and a Half Men" (13.6 million, 4.4). "Big Bang" grew 28% from last year and hit a series high. Leading off the night, "How I Met Your Mother" (9.2 million, 3.5) was off only a tenth from "Big Bang" in the slot last year. New comedy "Accidentally on Purpose" (9 million, 3.2) lost less than 10% of its lead-in and did pretty well considering the intense competition. >> In third place, ABC aired a two-hour "Dancing With the Stars" (17.5 million, 4.1), down 24% from last fall's premiere and down 33% from its spring edition. Tom Delay is a poor substitute for Melissa Rycroft, it seems. This was the reality competition's lowest-rated premiere yet. The second season debut of "Castle" (9.4 million, 2.3) was soft; on par with "Boston Legal" in the slot last fall, but dipping from its midseason debut. >>NBC ranked fourth, it's two-hour "Heroes" premiere (6 million, 2.7) free falling 46% from last year's one-hour opener. Heroes" didn't face "House" last year, though. At 10 p.m., "The Jay Leno Show" (5.7 million, 1.8) assumed its third-place position and dipped below a 2.0 for the first time. Though expected, this means "Leno Show" went from being the highest-rated show last Monday among the major broadcast networks to the lowest rated last night. >> Against significantly increased competition this week, the CW's "One Tree Hill" (2.5 million, 1.2) impressively maintained its premiere rating, but "Gossip Girl" (2.1 million, 1.1) was knocked down 21%. Analysis: The big winners here are "House" and "Big Bang Theory" ... Fox hopes that next week's addition of "Lie to Me" will help the network maintain a powerful presence on Mondays this season ... The rest of CBS' block that took ratings hits could easily improve -- the shows aren't serialized and CBS viewers often check out other networks during premiere week, then loyally wander back to CBS for their Charlie Sheen comfort food. The "Accidentally on Purpose" number gives no hint where this new show is going ... ABC's "Dancing" has dropped with nearly every premiere. That's eventually going to be a problem, but not for a while -- the show is still doing really well ... "Heroes" took a hard hit, and not unexpected considering how dramatically the show's ratings fell last season. "Leno Show" is in its still-settling ratings netherworld, but this is about where insiders expect the show to be.

Source. SEPTEMBER 21, 2009, 4:02 PM ET Steven Chu: Americans Are Like ‘Teenage Kids’ When It Comes to Energy By Ian Talley This post was updated Monday evening. When it comes to greenhouse-gas emissions, Energy Secretary Steven Chu sees Americans as unruly teenagers and the Administration as the parent that will have to teach them a few lessons. Energy Secretary Chu: A teaching moment (AP) Speaking on the sidelines of a smart grid conference in Washington, Dr. Chu said he didn’t think average folks had the know-how or will to to change their behavior enough to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. “The American public…just like your teenage kids, aren’t acting in a way that they should act,” Dr. Chu said. “The American public has to really understand in their core how important this issue is.” (In that case, the Energy Department has a few renegade teens of its own.) The administration aims to teach them—literally. The Environmental Protection Agency is focusing on real children. Partnering with the Parent Teacher Organization, the agency earlier this month launched a cross-country tour of 6,000 schools to teach students about climate change and energy efficiency. “We’re showing people across the country how energy efficiency can be part of what they do every day,” said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. “Confronting climate change, saving money on our utility bills, and reducing our use of heavily-polluting energy can be as easy as making a few small changes.” Still, Secretary Chu said he didn’t think that the public would throw the same political temper tantrum over climate legislation has has happened with the healthcare debate. Asked if he expected a town-hall style pushback, Dr. Chu said he was optimistic the public would buy the administration’s arguments that energy efficiency and caps on greenhouse-gas emissions will spark an economic rebound. What is this guy smoking? “I don’t think so…maybe I’m optimistic, but there’s very little debate” that a new green energy economy will bring economic prosperity, Mr. Chu told reporters. Don’t look now, but there’s actually quite a lot of debate as to the economic merits of the new green-energy economy. Whether that will spell a healthcare-style revolt against the energy and climate bill stewing in the Senate is another question. An update: Energy Department spokesman Dan Leistikow added: “Secretary Chu was not comparing the public to teenagers. He was saying that we need to educate teenagers about ways to save energy. He also recognized the need to educate the broader public about how important clean energy industries are to our competitive position in the global economy. He believes public officials do have an obligation to make their case to the American people on major legislation, and that’s what he’s doing.” No, we can read. He WAS comparing the American Public to teenagers in regards to how we act! Shame on him. Who made him our judge?

Will someone please have a scientist call him? He clearly hasn't been keeping up with things! Source. Obama Says U.S. 'Determined' to Combat Climate Change, Despite Senate Delay A failure to address climate change could create an "irreversible catastrophe," President Obama warns in a speech at the United Nations. FOXNews.com Tuesday, September 22, 2009 President Obama promised the United Nations Tuesday that his administration is "determined" to do more to address the nation's climate change obligations. But left out of the speech to the General Assembly special session on climate change was the political reality the president faces in trying to keep that promise. While the House passed a sweeping climate change bill this year, it has stalled in the Senate as health care reform dominates the domestic agenda. Yet Obama asserted Tuesday that, while the United States was slow to respond to the global warming threat, his administration is doing more to combat climate change than any in history. He touted progress that has been made during his term, including new standards for fuel efficiency in automobiles and the House version of the so-called cap-and-trade bill -- which he called the most important part of U.S. efforts. "We understand the gravity of the climate threat. We are determined to act. And we will meet our responsibility to future generations," he said. Obama warned that a failure to address the problem could create an "irreversible catastrophe." Obama said time is "running out" to fix the problem but that, "we can reverse it." That wasn't nearly enough to blunt the criticism directed at the United States by European and Asian leaders. (Wait a minute. What's CHINA doing?) He was immediately followed on stage by Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, who criticized the West for "complacency and broken promises" on climate change. Former President George W. Bush rejected the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in part because major developing nations like China and India were left out. Now the United States is being held up as an excuse by those very countries, who question why they should make strict commitments if the United States is not doing enough. (Just a stall tactic, they won't comply even if we do!) John Bruton, head of the European Union delegation in Washington, also issued a statement ahead of Obama's speech blasting the U.S. Senate. "I submit that asking an international conference to sit around looking out the window for months, while one chamber of the legislature of one country deals with its other business, is simply not a realistic political position," he said. The U.S. House bill passed earlier in the year would set the United States' first federal mandatory limits on greenhouse gases. Factories, power plants and other sources would be required to cut emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and by 83 percent by mid-century. It's unclear how long Obama has to harness the Democratic majorities in Congress to push through domestic priorities like climate change legislation. Many forecasters predict Democrats will lose congressional seats in 2010, making it all the more pressing for the Senate to make progress soon. Even if the Senate passes its own version, the differences will have to be reconciled before a bill heads to the president's desk. But Obama maintained confidence Tuesday that the United States will act and put added pressure on developing nations to do the same. "Yes, the developed nations that caused much of the damage to our climate over the last century still have a responsibility to lead, and that includes the United States. And we will continue to do so -- by investing in renewable energy, promoting greater efficiency, and slashing our emissions to reach the targets we set for 2020 and our long-term goal for 2050," Obama said. "But those rapidly-growing developing nations that will produce nearly all the growth in global carbon emissions in the decades ahead must do their part as well. "They will need to commit to strong measures at home and agree to stand behind those commitments just as the developed nations must stand behind their own. We cannot meet this challenge unless all the largest emitters of greenhouse gas pollution act together," he said, adding that wealthy nations have a responsibility to help developing nations financially to make the changes. (China considers themselves a "developing nation", as does India, which is why they were left out of the yoto agreement. Are we going to give them financial aid for this?) The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From the LA Times 'Dancing With the Stars': You've got male! September 22, 2009 | Woo hoo! “Dancing with the Stars” is back, and bigger than ever! With a whopping 16 contestants vying for that coveted Mirrorball trophy, the producers split Season 9’s first week’s competition into two parts: the men and the women. Which means three whole days of fringey fun! First up: the men. And Macho Monday did not disappoint. We were treated to not one, but two dances by each of the male contestants: one solo routine, and one dance performed side by side in a relay. And it started out with a high-energy romp at the beginning by our very own male pros, danced to Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town.” Were you as excited as I was to see all your pro favorites back and hopping? I was lucky enough to be in the studio audience for Monday’s taping, and the crowd seemed to be electrified by the performance. Not only was it hot, but it was tight (as in tight pants). And the roar of the crowd was deafening. Taking the lead after Monday’s competition were Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff, who received a 22 for their cha-cha. And why wouldn’t Aaron do well, what with his musical background, and when you’ve got four-fifths of the Backstreet Boys in the audience to have your back (all right!). The little brother of Backstreet Boy Nick showed off a bevy of moves in his cha-cha-cha, displaying a nice split through Karina’s legs and more than ample amounts of swagger. He also had tons of energy, though at times the flaunting and prancing reminded me of an unbridled colt champing at his bit. Didn’t Karina’s fringey pipe-cleaner pants look like the ones she sported on Sunday night’s Emmy awards? And was that top left over from Santa’s coat? Way to recycle, girl! Loved how it matched Carter’s lacy snowflake top. Very winter wonderland, by way of Cuba. Carrie Ann remarked how “little Aaron Carter is all grown up,” Len said the cha-cha was “a little bit stiff, but a great start,” while Bruno said it was “spiky … all the energy goes all over the place.” Aaron was a little more successful reining it in for the waltz relay, though at times it seemed to me that it was a little prancing. Still, Carrie Ann liked his lines, and Bruno admired his rotation, and that was enough to earn him and Karina the 10-point maximum. Total: 32 Just two points behind was Donny Osmond. And let me tell you, there were plenty of ladies in the audience who were hot for Donny tonight. Everything he did was met with ear-splitting screams. Even though he claimed to get embarrassed with the intimate holds (what’s going to happen when he gets the rumba?), the Pride of Provo seemed very relaxed with his fox trot, and the audience just ate him up (during a commercial break, an audience member asked to have Donny, rather than the free T-shirt the crowd-warmer was giving out). And to his credit, Donny was quite the performer. With Aussie partner Kym Johnson by his side (and sis Marie in the audience, accompanied by another famous sibling, Jermaine Jackson), Donny did his darndest to overcome his Osmond Slouch and win over the voting public with his “All that Jazz” routine. While Len complained that it was “too theatrical, too much razzmatazz,” Bruno complimented him on his “full on, full frontal theatrical.” His smooth salsa moves helped cement his stance as both an audience favorite and a technical front-runner. Carrie Ann said Donny “smoked” the competition, and Bruno exclaimed he was “shaking like the king of Puerto Rico” (whatever that means). He got a 20 for his fox trot, plus the full 10 points for the salsa. Total: 30. Actor Mark Dacascos also showed great promise. Unbeknown to those who only know him as the dramatic chairman on “Iron Chef America,” Dacascos has 11 years of martial arts training under his belt, which makes him more than fit to compete in this competition. He can also do middle splits – hello! His cha-cha with partner Lacey Schwimmer showed a nice fluidity of movement (and rocking guns, thanks to that sleeveless top). But while Carrie Ann said she “loved the Asian theme,” Len wasn’t buying it. “I don’t want to see kung fu in the waltz,” he pouted. And while I usually like the occasional gimmick myself, I have to agree with the stodgy head judge on this one: I thought they were pushing the kung fu theme a little far. OK, he’s Asian. He’s versed in martial arts. But the Asian outfit, the dragon in the back, the dancing to “Kung Fu Fighting,” the fists of fury, the “grasshopper” reference … all a bit much. Who are we karate kidding? Luckily, there were no martial arts references in the Viennese waltz relays, and Mark was able to put his stellar arm extensions front and center. He earned a 21 for the cha cha cha, and 8 points for the waltz. Plus, he gets an extra credit for showing off his “man boobs.” Total: 29. Another dark-horse competitor: Louie Vito. The champion snowboarder (who’s training for the 2010 Olympics) is arguably one of this season’s lesser-known “stars.” And a lot of signs seemed to go against him coming into the competition. First, the name: He sounds like he should hang with mobsters in Jersey rather than grace the ballroom floors. Secondly, he looks alarmingly young: When he came down the stairs I wondered if someone had mistakenly brought their 12-year-old to the show. Third, he claimed he’d never even seen an episode of “DWTS” before signing on (which kind of makes you wonder how and why he got corralled into this). Fourth, he’s a snowboarder. But despite all these strikes against him (and the fact that he was dressed up in an ill-fitting suit whose collar just about swallowed him whole), Louie Vito’s fox trot with partner Chelsie Hightower was totally engaging. “Don’t think snowboarder, think prince,” Chelsie wisely counseled. And it seemed to work: Louie displayed a fair amount of grace and nice up-and-down movement, good form, and a winning smile that looked like he was having a blast the entire time. “Very charming,” Tom said admiringly, “That was a little surprise,” marveled Carrie Ann. “You respected the dance.” Len, despite hating on Louie’s mop of hair, “enjoyed your dancing very much.” And Bruno, ever the tactician, blustered: “It was so cute! It was like watching a little dancing Hobbit!” Louis totally won me over with his affability, his commitment to the dance, and his sheer adorableness, and I just wanted to put him in my pocket and take him home. His salsa also packed a nice amount of heat: A great tumbling pass at the beginning, and a not bad snake move at the end. The judges awarded him a 19 for his fox trot, and eight points for the salsa. Total: 27. Hats off to Chuck Liddell for his admirable performance. And while Liddell is also versed in martial arts, you don’t see him plucking at bonsai trees and karate kidding himself (Sweep the leg, Chuckie!). Though the former ultimate fighting champion was saddled with another theme: the Neanderthal. “A lot of people have the impression that fighters are a bunch of Neanderthals,” he said during the rehearsal footage. Cut to him emitting a very caveman-like “uggghhh!” of frustration as he attempted to glide with partner Anna Trebunskaya across the floor. While his fox trot left a lot to be desired, with what Bruno called poor footwork, terrible lines and bad timing, it was admirable to see Chuck trying so hard to feel the flow, and last season’s runner-up, Gilles Marini, was one of the first on his feet to applaud this fighting champ after his routine. Chuck did a lot better on his salsa, however: The fan favorite loosened up and actually appeared as though the dance was actually fun, rather than pain-inducing. It even led Carrie Ann to comment that Chuck “knows how to work a woman” (huh?). The judges gave the fighting champ a 16 for his fox trot, and a six for the salsa. Total: 22. Coming in two points behind was Tom DeLay, who (gasp) did not suck! Kudos to Cheryl Burke, not only for helping the former House majority leader get in touch with his inner “Wild Thing,” but also for outfitting him in pants that didn’t sit squarely on his belly button. Cheryl had the unenviable task of whipping this conservative Republican into dancing shape, despite a pre-stress fracture and an innate inability to go left. But his cha-cha, while stiff, seemed to be perfectly functional. Also functional: His swinging bottom. While we in the studio audience witnessed the rampant rump shaking at a safe distance, sadly, those at home were smacked with the searing image in extreme close-up. And while no living creature should have to be subject to that much swinging DeLay derriere, the politician really did display a John Ratzenbergerian lightness of step, as Carrie Ann said. Bruno called the Hammer’s out-there cha-cha “crazier than Sarah Palin,” while Len said “parts were magic, parts were tragic.” The waltz relay showed off more of DeLay’s elder gentleman sensibilities, though Len thought it was a “tad skippy.” None of which has DeLay that worried. “I’ve got bigger critics than those judges,” he quipped. DeLay earned a 16 for his cha-cha, plus four for the waltz. Total: 20. Tied for last place was NFL hall of famer Michael Irvin – who, despite his ebullient personality and intense inner rivalry with Jerry Rice, could not curry the judges’ favor. And while his cha-cha with partner (and last season’s pro dancing competition winner) Anna Demidova may have lacked in content, I don’t think it warranted fours from Len and Bruno. His shimmies were full of life and swagger, and very infectious. Plus, the guy is just so entertaining: All that time spent in front of the mirror shows how he is his own best friend and worst enemy -- so much inner conflict! Plus, I love how Anna uses his rivalry with Jerry to motivate him. Irvin fared a little better in his waltz, however. While I thought he looked a little stiff and his shoulders tensed up, both Bruno and Carrie Ann commended him and Anna for infusing more content into the routine. He received measly 13 for the cha-cha, plus 6 for the waltz. Total: 19. Just happy to be here was Ashley Hamilton. Son of the “tan man” (and former “DWTS” competitor George), the actor and comedian was just trying to follow in his father’s footsteps, and maybe even emerge in his own right out from under his dad’s melatonin-rich shadow. (Pere Hamilton was in the audience tonight, and looked so tan that Edyta looked pale by comparison.) Ashley had an impressive height to his advantage, and a self-deprecating attitude that was likable. He even was paired with dad’s old partner and leg-warmer queen Edyta Sliwinska, and their outfits were very complementary and dapper. If only his fox trot wasn’t so stiff and bland. And if only he wasn't constantly being reminded how he wasn’t measuring up to dear old dad. Bruno was particularly harsh: “To me, this was dead. Your daddy knows how to sell it. You have to sell it. I didn’t like it.” Ouch. And his salsa relay didn’t fare much better. Len called it “a dance only your father could love.” Eek. Ashley received a 15 for his fox trot, an additional four for the salsa and a lifetime's worth of daddy issues. Total: 19. While voters usually respond to against-the-odds stories like Ashley’s recovery from a devastating motorcycle accident, I’m not sure if it will be enough to save the younger Hamilton from being eliminated this week. Michael Irvin had the same point total, but “DWTS” voters love their sports stars (including Aaron Carter, who appears to be Michael’s biggest fan) too much to let him go the first week. Who do you think will be cut? Were you impressed by the performances? Should you nix the kung fu, and tone down the razzmatazz? Sound off below, and then check back Wednesday for the ladies' night recap! — Allyssa Lee

WOW! In this day and age, with such important data, it hasn't been transferred to their research computers? Something's rotten in... East Anglia! Of course it doesn't hold up to scrutiny and if they destroyed it (which I doubt), then it's because it absolutely does not prove Gore's theories and would totally disrupt the whole "sky is falling" industry.

Source. Another Meteorologist Dissents: 'Does carbon dioxide drive the climate? The answer is no!' Friday, July 10, 2009By Marc Morano – Climate Depot Chief Meteorologist David Paul, a holder of the AMS (American Meteorological Society) Seal of Approval and the upgraded AMS CBM (Certified Broadcast Meteorologist) holds a degree in meteorology and is currently at Louisiana's KLFY TV10, dissented from man-made global warming fears in July 2009. “Is there a climate crisis? I say, absolutely not!” Paul wrote in a July 8, 2009 article on KLFY TV 10's website. “Does carbon dioxide drive the climate? The answer is no! Natural cycles play a much bigger role with the sun at the top of the list,” Paul explained. “There's much more driving the climate than carbon dioxide. There are so many variables at work, known and unknown, that not a single person, or computer model, can predict the future climate for sure,” Paul wrote. “Then there's El Nino Southern Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, the Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation, the Arctic Oscillation, the Pacific-North American Teleconnection, Milankovitch forcing, ocean variations, and so on and so forth. Is there any way to model all these variables? Again, the answer is no! The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, has tried and failed!” Paul added. "Just know this; climate change has occurred in the past, is occurring now, and will occur in the future. Trying to pinpoint that change on carbon emissions and human activities...is really a stretch," Paul wrote. “Since before the industrial revolution the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been rising, up to around 385 parts per million by volume today. That amounts to a miniscule 0.0385% of the atmosphere. Increased CO2 levels are beneficial to plants since they require carbon dioxide to grow. In this experiment, plants exposed to CO2 levels of 1,090 parts per million by volume by far exhibited the most growth,” Paul wrote. “As a forecaster I'll tell you this. Forecasting in the short-term is fairly accurate compared to forecasting long-term. So if these climate models are so far off already, there's really little chance of them being right further out. For Paul's full article and scientific citations go here or here. Related Link: March 2009 U.S. Senate Report: 700 Plus Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Warming Claims.

Source. SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2009 Skeptics From Around the Globe-APS Letter UNITED STATES An Open Letter to the Council of the American Physical Society As physicists who are familiar with the science issues, and as current and past members of the American Physical Society, we the undersigned urge the Council to revise its current statement on climate change as follows, so as to more accurately represent the current state of the science: Greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, accompany human industrial and agricultural activity. While substantial concern has been expressed that emissions may cause significant climate change, measured or reconstructed temperature records indicate that 20th -21st century changes are neither exceptional nor persistent, and the historical and geological records show many periods warmer than today. In addition, there is an extensive scientific literature that examines beneficial effects of increased levels of carbon dioxide for both plants and animals. Studies of a variety of natural processes, including ocean cycles and solar variability, indicate that they can account for variations in the Earth’s climate on the time scale of decades and centuries. Current climate models appear insufficiently reliable to properly account for natural and anthropogenic contributions to past climate change, much less project future climate. The APS supports an objective scientific effort to understand the effects of all processes – natural and human -- on the Earth’s climate and the biosphere’s response to climate change, and promotes technological options for meeting challenges of future climate changes, regardless of cause. Dr. Salvatore Torquato Professor of Chemistry and the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science, Materials Institute and Applied & Computational Mathematics, Princeton University, Fellow APS; 2009 APS David Alder Lectureship Award in the Field of Material Physics

Source. Gore: U.S. Climate Bill Will Help Bring About 'Global Governance' Climate Depot Exclusive Friday, July 10, 2009By Marc Morano – Climate Depot Former Vice President Al Gore declared that the Congressional climate bill will help bring about “global governance.” “I bring you good news from the U.S., “Gore said on July 7, 2009 in Oxford at the Smith School World Forum on Enterprise and the Environment, sponsored by UK Times. “Just two weeks ago, the House of Representatives passed the Waxman-Markey climate bill,” Gore said, noting it was “very much a step in the right direction.” President Obama has pushed for the passage of the bill in the Senate and attended a G8 summit this week where he agreed to attempt to keep the Earth's temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees C. Gore touted the Congressional climate bill, claiming it “will dramatically increase the prospects for success” in combating what he sees as the “crisis” of man-made global warming. “But it is the awareness itself that will drive the change and one of the ways it will drive the change is through global governance and global agreements.” (Editor's Note: Gore makes the “global governance” comment at the 1min. 10 sec. mark in this UK Times video.) Gore's call for “global governance” echoes former French President Jacques Chirac's call in 2000. On November 20, 2000, then French President Chirac said during a speech at The Hague that the UN's Kyoto Protocol represented "the first component of an authentic global governance." “For the first time, humanity is instituting a genuine instrument of global governance,” Chirac explained. “From the very earliest age, we should make environmental awareness a major theme of education and a major theme of political debate, until respect for the environment comes to be as fundamental as safeguarding our rights and freedoms. By acting together, by building this unprecedented instrument, the first component of an authentic global governance, we are working for dialogue and peace,” Chirac added. Former EU Environment Minister Margot Wallstrom said, "Kyoto is about the economy, about leveling the playing field for big businesses worldwide." Canadian Prime Minster Stephen Harper once dismissed UN's Kyoto Protocol as a “socialist scheme.” 'Global Carbon Tax' Urged at UN Meeting In addition, calls for a global carbon tax have been urged at recent UN global warming conferences. In December 2007, the UN climate conference in Bali, urged the adoption of a global carbon tax that would represent “a global burden sharing system, fair, with solidarity, and legally binding to all nations.” “Finally someone will pay for these [climate related] costs,” Othmar Schwank, a global tax advocate, said at the 2007 UN conference after a panel titled “A Global CO2 Tax.” Schwank noted that wealthy nations like the U.S. would bear the biggest burden based on the “polluters pay principle.” The U.S. and other wealthy nations need to “contribute significantly more to this global fund,” Schwank explained. He also added, “It is very essential to tax coal.” The 2007 UN conference was presented with a report from the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment titled “Global Solidarity in Financing Adaptation.” The report stated there was an “urgent need” for a global tax in order for “damages [from climate change] to be kept from growing to truly catastrophic levels, especially in vulnerable countries of the developing world.” The tens of billions of dollars per year generated by a global tax would “flow into a global Multilateral Adaptation Fund” to help nations cope with global warming, according to the report. Schwank said a global carbon dioxide tax is an idea long overdue that is urgently needed to establish “a funding scheme which generates the resources required to address the dimension of challenge with regard to climate change costs.” 'Redistribution of wealth' The environmental group Friends of the Earth advocated the transfer of money from rich to poor nations during the 2007 UN climate conference. "A climate change response must have at its heart a redistribution of wealth and resources,” said Emma Brindal, a climate justice campaigner coordinator for Friends of the Earth. [Editor's Note: Many critics have often charged that proposed climate tax and regulatory “solutions” were more important to the promoters of man-made climate fears than the accuracy of their science. Former Colorado Senator Tim Wirth reportedly said, "We've got to ride the global warming issue. Even if the theory of global warming is wrong, we will be doing the right thing — in terms of economic policy and environmental policy.]