Posts tagged Bad News

Climate Change Scepticism On The Rise?

BBC News has caused controversy with a new public opinion poll on climate change. In a poll asking “Do you think global warming is taking place?” 25% of the British public replied No. This is a 10% increase from the 15% that replied no in the same poll only 3 months ago.

snowy britain

So what does this mean? BBC News has interpreted this poll to mean that “climate scepticism is on the rise“. I interpreted this poll to show that the BBC are stupid. Firstly, you will often catch me reinforcing the point that public opinion on climate change is totally irrelevant. We cannot simply wish away the damage we have done and continue to do to our environment. Second, the question. The question was not ‘Do you think climate change is taking place?’. They blatantly substituted the correct phrase for global warming, one possible effect of climate change, only to then call it a phrase on climate change. But perhaps the stupidest part of this servery is the timing. It is hardly surprising that less people will believe the world is getting hotter, weeks after their country experiences one of the coldest and snowiest winters on record. Had you asked them if they thought the climate was changing, perhaps we would have very different statistics.

Verdict: BBC Fail (Again) See here for previous fails.

Highway to Hate

We have all laughed hard recently at Obama’s supposed Nazi leanings, but it seems that the real life Nazi Party is alive and thriving in the USA in 2010. It has been ruled that the ‘National Socialist Movement’s sponsorship of highways in thestate of Colorado cannot be blocked on constitutional grounds. The far-right group will be picking up Trash along Colorado’s highways. In exchange they have been allowed to erect signs along the roadways. Signs like this:

nazisign

This is a 100% genuine roadsign alongside a Colorado highway. Must be a real heart warming sight for any WWII veterans passing by. Whether the states image of the Nazi ideology can be rehabilitated by trash free verges and Stormtroopers planting flowers is doubtful. One thing is for sure, this is a true moment of WTF for Colorado.

Haiti Earthquake – Stop Squabbling

Can you believe this comment made following the Haiti earthquake?

I notice from TV that there is a christian 1 million aid…. wonder where the muslim aid is?……

Christian aid, muslim aid it matters not – what matters is we do what we can to help send urgent aid to the victims of the Haiti earthquake catastrophe, not just re-build Haiti, if you re-build an outhouse its still an outhouse – what we need to do is “build” Haiti into atleast a 2nd world country. If Brazil can be borderline 1st world and  2/3rd of them live in shanty towns, then the least Haiti deserves is a couple of schools and maybe a hospital. Put the Muslim bashing to one side its isnt’ the time or the place for petty your God is bigger than my God stuff (I do have some issues with fundermentalism but painting all Muslims with that brush is wrong).

How about we all say this weekend the 1st drink we buy will be for Haiti and drop a fiver in the box? Lets just pray its enough.

In Peace

Climate Change Conference Copenhagen Video

You may or may not have read about the recent climate change advert released in the UK by the British Government in an effort to further increase awareness on climate change. Titled “bedtime stories” it focused on playing off the fears of children as they are the people most likely to feel the wrath of climate change their forefathers caused. The advert got a largely bad press, receiving complaints and eventually being investigated.

Now the culmination of months of discussion on climate change has reached the final and most important stage at the climate change Copenhagen conference. The conference featured and opening video, which is almost exactly like that released in Britain only months earlier. Titled “Please help the World” it sees a possible future threw a child’s eyes.

It may seem unfair to pressure people by using children, but the truth is that it is children who will face the effects of climate change, despite doing little to cause it.

Flying Kills Polar Bears…

Is apparently not the message from this advert, aimed at further increasing awareness of climate change and our impact on it. Although it is a quite interesting video that is well done, I’m sure it is not going to have the impact its creators intended, in fact it will more likely have the opposite effect. It is these types of scaremongering videos that are playing into the hands of climate change science deniers. Only last month a government funded advert was investigated after targeting children in what can only be described as a scare campaign. Don’t worry kids, getting on a plane wont kill a polar bear, but it could cause something worse.

Yes climate change is a very important issue. Yes people should be aware about it, and yes people should care about it. But people are not stupid (well, they don’t like to think so) so resorting to shock tactics like this is dumbing down the debate. If you support more stricter action on climate change then you are supposed to be one of the intelligent ones. If you don’t then you are ignoring the one thing that could allow us to continue flying around the world, technology. Stop being petty and making cheap shots at people with adverts like this. Your not helping. Most people have accepted the science behind climate change now and want to do something about it. The public are not the ones you need to be shouting at. Its the politicians and business leaders. They are the ones with real power, and they are the only people who can make a real impact on the climate of this world.

It is up to us to make sure that they understand that we demand action. No longer will we put our banks and money over our lives and our future.

American Businesses Try To Block Slavery Ban

Yes if you are a regular follower of American politics then this will come as no surprise to you at all. Here MSNBC Reporter Rachel Maddow goes threw some of the new bills being introduced from the Democrats to try and make sure the credit crunch that nearly destroyed the American Economy never happens again. Whilst the Republicans fight new bills that aim to make business fairer and safer.

Yes despite destroying the American and world economy, businesses are still trying to prevent some new bills aimed to ensure the catastrophe of green never happens again. One is the “too big to fail, to big to exist” act, which will disclose the banks and businesses the government deem so big that their collapse would need a government bailout to prevent harmful damage to the economy, and split them into smaller businesses.

No surprises there that businesses will use their republican puppets to try and block that bill. But that’s not the most disturbing story. If you need any proof that Businesses are put before people and quality of life. Many American businesses are pushing to block a new bill that will ban American Companies from importing stock made by, or using companies that use child labour and/or slaves in poorer countries. All because it might harm their profits.

This is not a one off event. Last month 30 Republicans voted against a bill that would ban the government from hiring companies that do not condemn their employees raping female employees. Yes some companies that the government use for services have a clause in their female employees contracts that they cannot prosecute  the company or guilty employees if they rape them.

It’s a disgusting state of affairs and what makes me more angry is that people don’t seem to care that this is going on. For too long we have put our economy before everything, even quality of life. It seems like charity is the only businesses doing any good in this world. Show me where I can make donations to charity instead of paying taxes and I’ll sign up.

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