Trumplicans used to yell that “Climate change is a hoax, started by climate scientists who want more money for their pet projects.” Other Republicans said “Climate change is real but it won’t effect us. Man is not the cause. It is a natural change caused by the sun.” “But the GOP is stuck in a climate bind – and likely will be for the next four years, in large part because they’re still living in the shadow of former president and 2024 Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.”
Younger people haven’t drunk the “cool-aid” and have learned to think critically. There is evidence that the world is changing, getting hotter and less stable.
Here is a photo of our atmosphere from space showing how thin it really is.
For any Republicans still reading, here are some uncomfortable facts:
Global temps are rising Global temp movie. Ocean temps. Sea level.
Glaciers melting Floods. Dumping CO2 into the air Explaining August weather <= best
There was a saying among industry execs, “The solution to pollution is dilution.” Unfortunately we only have a limited atmosphere in which to dump our waste product. Plants can only absorb so much CO2 and research shows that too much CO2 is toxic at least to trees.
Younger people understand that opinions and facts are not the same thing. Facts are supported by evidence. “Alternative facts” are simply lies as when Kellyanne Conway, who was Trump’s spokeswoman, talked about his inauguration crowd being larger than Obama’s. The Nazi
Dr. Goebbels made lying into an effective political method by telling the biggest lies over and over again until Germans accepted his statements as the truth.
Carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere is the primary cause of climate change. We have been protected to a large degree by our oceans absorbing most of it thus far. This makes many ocean areas acidic causing shells of shellfish thinner and less protective. This is just like DDT made eggshells weaker thus endangering our national bird, the bald eagle. Luckily our bird recovered when DDT was banned.
Yawn time, chemistry lesson ahead
Our fossil fuels are made up of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) with carbon being the problem and hydrogen becoming water.
Natural gas, methane has the formula CH4 and when burned becomes CO2 and 2 H2O waters.
So methane is the least damaging fuel.
Gasoline (C8H18) and thicker diesel fuel (C12H23) have more carbon thus produce more CO2.
Coal (C240H90) plus some oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur produces the most CO2. We still use coal for many of our electric power plants, but it is being phased out because of its pollution and cost relative to methane.
Hundreds of millions of years ago, algae in shallow seas and plants living in swampy areas died and sank, then over millions of years under high pressure and high temperature the hydrogen and oxygen were squeezed out, leaving mostly carbon. The remaining material was transformed into our fossil fuels. Natural gas, petroleum and coal are all fossil fuels that formed under similar conditions.
At least forty years ago climate scientists recognized that CO2 was making the atmosphere warmer and scientists working for fossil fuel companies recognized that fossil fuels were creating a problem. They notified the company’s executives who ignored the problem, but then worked to suppress the evidence from the public. Why?, because of $$$. So for decades especially oil companies lied to us to keep the billions in profits flowing.
To insure that US Senators didn’t pass laws limiting fossil fuel pollution and profits, they contributed at least $100,000 during 2022 to the following US Senator’s campaign. As we all know Senators would never, ever do anything illegal thus getting money from lobbyists is not a bribe. It is a campaign contribution. It is our system of checks and balances. Oil companies write the checks and Senators examine campaign balances.
How much $ did oil lobbyists give to US Senators? What is the red blue ratio?
What’s the story on US Representatives?
Opensecrets.com provided the data above.
It took over 200,000,000 years to create fossil fuels which buried carbon from the air. In 200 years we have burned most of that sequestered carbon. 200,000,000 years to store the carbon and 200 years to release it back into our atmosphere. That is a 1,000,000 to 1 ratio. What system can remain stable when a million fold factor is reintroduced into any system?
So oil execs and Congress are profiting big time from climate change lies. Meanwhile climate scientists are getting no pay raises and many lost their jobs after Trump cut their agency’s funding. No whistle blower gets pay raises for finding problems with a money making process. Which group has a stronger motivation to lie?
It must be the scientists because they’re egg heads with no understanding of economics.
It’s funny how so many people won’t trust experts, yet oil company execs are experts at making money. Is it that people are afraid of all experts or just those with evidence, but no money?
