The Union of Concerned Scientists wasted no time in announcing they won't put up with the climate change denialism spreading through the Republican ranks. Here's a glimpse into what they're up against:
"With the possible exception of Tiger Woods, nothing has had a worse year than global warming. We have discovered that a good portion of the science used to justify "climate change" was a hoax perpetrated by leftist ideologues with an agenda."
—Todd Young, new congressperson from Indiana
"I absolutely do not believe that the science of man-caused climate change is proven. Not by any stretch of the imagination. I think it’s far more likely that it’s just sunspot activity or something just in the geologic eons of time where we have changes in the climate." —Ron Johnson, new senator from Wisconsin
"I think we ought to take a look at whatever the group is that measures all this, the IPCC, they don't even believe the crap." —Steve Pearce, new congressperson from New Mexico
"It's a bigger issue, we need to watch 'em. Not only because it may or may not be true, but they're making up their facts to fit their conclusions. They've already caught 'em doing this." —Rand Paul, new senator from Kentucky
"There isn't any real science to say we are altering the climate path of the earth." —Roy Blunt, new senator from Missouri.
The UCS says they'll work to expose climate change misinformation and the people and companies behind this well-funded effort.
"...when it comes right down to it, the public's confidence in science and scientists remains high. In fact, just last night in California we saw a tangible example of science trumping industry spin, when voters thwarted an aggressive attempt by out-of-state oil companies to kill the state's landmark Global Warming Solutions Act.
...The truth of the matter is that it's been difficult to move Congress for months. The people who are supposed to be representing our interests in the nation's capitol have been too busy carrying water for narrow corporate interests rather than coming together to make real, positive change."
There have been promising signs of a movement afoot to expose and challenge these miscreants, both in the United States and in Europe. Canada needs to do the same.
One particular example of made-in-Canada greenwash comes to mind. I suppose it's no surprise that it eminates from the Tar Sands. It shows a Tar Sands worker who says he's concerned about the environment and that's why his company is now using saltwater pumped out of deep aquifers for its bitumen processing. The pitch is they're sparing the environment by not using surface freshwater.
Sounds good, doesn't it? Until you ask "what then?" Saltwater is toxic to a freshwater environment. Among other things it sterilizes soil, renders it unusable (that's why the Romans used salt to leave Carthage uninhabitable). So they've pumped this saltwater to the surface and loaded it with Tar Sands tailings but what do they end up with beyond even more toxic tailing ponds? Just how are they going to recover and dispose of all that salt? It just greenwash for the gullible.
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