Obama named SmogMaker of 2007 (prize honors those who delay action on global warming)

[Harper_is_Bush]

4 Jan 08

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has captured the inaugural 2007 SmogMaker Award for blowing smoke on global warming, the DeSmogBlog announced today.

Global warming is an environmental problem, not a political one. And people who try to ‘solve’ it with political or public relations spin are just making the problem worse,” said James Hoggan, co-founder of the DeSmogBlog.

“Yet the spin campaign continues, and it’s becoming more insidious. Climate spin used to be all about denial – self-appointed experts took money from the energy industry and then denied that humans are affecting life on earth.

But the new spin is even more dangerous and sly. Now, it’s all about delay and distraction. Now, spindoctors in industry and government are acknowledging the science, but arguing that we shouldn’t or can’t act quickly to correct the problem.”

Barack Obama may not be the worst offender among the spinmeisters, but he’s the biggest disappointment.

An outspoken supporter of the U.S. coal industry, Obama has presented himself as someone who can overcome the Bush legacy of inaction on climate change. But he is campaigning on a greenhouse gas reduction ‘target’ that the U.S. won’t have to meet for 42 years and he has continued to promote the current administration’s plan to circumvent the Kyoto Protocol, the only international climate agreement currently in place.

The world has a right to expect more from a man who wants to be the Democratic candidate for President of the United States,” Hoggan said.

http://www.desmogblog.com/obama-named-smogmaker-of-2007

Wonderful. Obama preaches change, but what about climate change? I'm not hearing any conviction from him, and according to the details listed at Desmogblog (see link), his plan is lacking. They call him "George Bush lite" on the issue.

GLOBAL WARMING IS THE #1 ISSUE FACING US PEOPLE. MAKE NO MISTAKE. YOU NEED TO DEMAND MORE FROM YOUR DEM CANDIDATE, NOW.

[LakeSamish706]

1. Barack Obama hasn't won anything as of yet.... But I have to tell ya...

he has my vote over HRC any day of the week. Yes, there are others that I would like to see in the leadership roll... But Barack would certainly work for me over a Hillary....

[skipos]

3. Agreed. nt

[Harper_is_Bush]

5. Way to address the topic.

:sarcasm:

[Kittycat]

2. Oh for Christ Sake

Why don't you just write his campaign and ask for a statement? There is so much going on right now that is a priority in this country, let's tackle a handful at a time please. I agree that our climate and dependence on oil, etc, etc is a major issue - and I have no doubt that he'll add that to the list over the next couple of months in talking points. But seriously - can we at least get started on getting out of Iraq, and keeping our economy from being sold out to China first?

[Harper_is_Bush]

8. Why don't you read the link before responding?

It's quite obvious from your answer you did not.

[madrchsod]

4. there is a lot of coal in illinois....

[Viva_La_Revolution]

7. ding! ding! ding! nt

[wuushew]

23. Except that he is not running for President of Illinois

Also on a manpower basis the number people directly involved in coal extraction is tiny and shrinking. Its a poor choice to pander to an industry that is more than likely greatly outnumbered by both environmentalists and potential workers in green energy fields.

Plus, hell would have to freeze over before Illinois went Republican so it wasn't even a good case for pandering.

[wuushew]

24. coals jobs

http://www.commerce.state.il.us/NR/rdonlyres/1C724CC6-E056-41A4-836C-1CC8A74BF710/0/TheIllinoisCoalIndustryJune2006.pdf

[MADem]

6. IL has a MASSIVE coal industry. It's that "clean coal" theme they keep shopping.

The article asks him to dump his ties to the coal industry, but he can't. They own him.

[Harper_is_Bush]

9. Ok. So, he's going to pander to the coal industry to get elected?

I grieve for us all if this is the next leader of the free world...someone without the courage to challange a single industry for the sake of the planets future.

[MADem]

18. All politics is local. Coal means jobs in IL.

Do you think anyone is going to get elected out of there with a promise that they'll throw you, if you were a coal worker, out of work and strip away the industry that provides for you, your friends and neighbors?

He tried to split the difference; to make the best of a bad situation by mitigating the effects of the product with the touting of the "clean coal" technology. It was the industry leaders AND the voters who worked in the industry who, in essence, had the guy by the gonads.

It is certainly not an optimal situation. It could be worse, though--at least he's feeling uneasy about the alliance. In the old days, he'd have gleefully embraced them with no reservations.

[reggie the dog]

17. not the industry, the voters

He does not want to lose the rural voters. He wants to be a Democrat who wins in the countryside.

[MADem]

19. He got leaned on by industry leadership as well to "play ball."

The backlash is that environmental groups and individuals started leaning on him, too. It prompted this rather wry commentary from WONKETTE not quite a year ago: http://wonkette.com/politics/barack-obama/shut-up-hippies-a-wonkette-psa-251422.php

This is going to be one of those things that dogs him if he wins the Presidency. It's not an issue on a state level, but it doesn't translate so well on a national level. He's going to have to walk a tightrope on it.

[sandnsea]

10. "DeSmogBlog Owes Obama 3 Aplogies"

http://climateprogress.org/2008/01/04/desmogblog-owes-obama-three-apologies/

DeSmogBlog owes Obama three apologies, for

Giving him this undeserved “award”
Failing to read his climate plan and then mischaracterizing it (twice)
Saying Obama is “looking like George Bush lite.”


Not even close. He has promised to re-engage with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):

The UNFCCC process is the main international forum dedicated to addressing the climate problem and an Obama administration will work constructively within it.

Obama will create a Global Energy Forum — based on the G8+5, which included all G-8 members plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa — of the world’s largest emitters to focus exclusively on global energy and environmental issues.

[Harper_is_Bush]

11. 1990 levels by 2020? Sorry, Obama deserves the award.

Instead of attacking this issue based upon the science, he's attacking it based upon politics.

It's obvious he will attempt to walk a tightrope between keeping the coal/oil industries happy and giving the impression to the public that he's taking strong action.

He sees it as a political issue, not a moral one.

Time for Al Gore to endorse someone, I'd say.

[sandnsea]

12. 1990, or 10% of 1990 is the standard

http://www.pewclimate.org/what_s_being_done/targets

[Harper_is_Bush]

13. Your link is not relevant. Scientists are telling us much higher reduction targets are needed to

avoid disaster.

[sandnsea]

14. Who is proposing them?

Dennis calls for 20% below 1990 levels by 2050. Some of them don't even mention Kyoto or any international forum. Edwards calls for a 15% reduction, but says nothing about 1990 levels or Kyoto.

People just sit down and decide who they want to rip up today, cherry-pick a position paper, and attack. And then people like you run around and repeat it, with no care whatsoever to the truth or honesty of what you're saying.

[Harper_is_Bush]

15. I pay attention to scientists. Are you willing to ignore what the best science is telling us if it

means your pet candidate gets a pass?

[sandnsea]

16. Obama has to meet a standard no one else does

The EU has set a 20% of 1990 cut, and much of their emissions are going up anyway. You're picking out one person in the entire world and demanding he have a standard that nobody else has. It's insane.

[Harper_is_Bush]

28. "EU has set a 20% of 1990 cut" by when? Explain yourself, please. n/t

[Naturyl]

20. Global Warming is a serious issue

But the #1 issue facing us? Nah, I'm not buying that. Economic issues are always the most important ones. When people are homeless and without healthcare in this country, I'm not going to slap them in the face by saying that global warming is the most important issue we face.

[Harper_is_Bush]

27. Don't "buy" it, but when crops are failing, resevoirs have dried up, and floods/heat waves are

claiming lives by the dozen, you might want a refund.

Leadership requires recognizing what the #1 issue is even if others aren't "buying" it or feeling/seeing it yet.

Global warming is it, and I hope Obama starts talking about it more and with more seriousness.

I also hope Al Gore uses his power to whip these Dem candidates into line.

FYI, people who are dead from heatwave/flood/wildfire are "homeless and without healthcare". You should recognize that global warming is the same issue.

[fenriswolf]

21. hehe i always get a chuckle at liqued coal.

remember when he tried to toute liqued coal as a viable "green" alternative to oil? when in fact if you count production liqued coal does more harm to the environment then oil.

[salin]

22. and Edwards has a really big house!

so I take it you are pulling for Clinton given your previous constant bashing of Edwards and now constant bashing of Obama.

Or have I missed your trashing Clinton in which case who do you support - or are you just trying to agitate?

[Harper_is_Bush]

26. I've never bashed Edwards.

Let's try and avoid lying, Ok?

[wuushew]

25. kick

:kick: