Dear Sabine Hossenfelder, why blame climate scientists for the politicization?

Dear Sabina Hossenfelder, 

I’ve been watching your YouTube videos for a while and for the most part, I enjoy them, because I love the topics, your informative sharp style, and you were refreshingly free of red flags. As I became a fan, I’ll admit I got some weird vicarious kick at discovering you were born in Frankfurt am Main during the time I was living there, during my 3 years in BRD & CH.

Then you started talking about climate scientists, people I’ve enthusiastically followed and learned from since my high school science classes (grad of ’73), and a topic I have closely followed for over a half century since.  Now, listening to you harp on climate scientists, I do see red flags cropping up, which I feel obligated to share as far and wide as my meager efforts will afford, via an email and posting at my blogs.

Your July 20th, “Fossil Fuels Don’t Come From Fossils? Tucker Carlson Fact Check” brought my feelings to a boil.  Now I want to do a little fact checking of your attitude and words, along with their unfortunate implications, in a society where determined willful ignorance runs rampant.

Fossil Fuels Don’t Come From Fossils? Tucker Carlson Fact Check

Sabine Hossenfelder - July 20, 2024 

5:44

“The world is full of untruth and half truth, right that's the whole problem right.”

8:14

"… Dr. Soon then goes on to complain about how climate scientists reacted to the opening statement from Al Jaber at the COP meeting earlier this year.

In the beginning of this cop 28 meeting,  the chairman, …  was saying that ‘there's no scientific reasoning to say that we should phase out fossil fuels.’ “

“He’s right. But then he backed off because of all this, baa-baa. …”

“There's no scientific reasoning to say that we should phase out fossil fuel.”

This isn’t an academic argument.  This is the stuff of rhetorical gamesmanship.    

No parameters, no nuances.  Give it a think Sabina. 

 

Profiles in Courage, Denver Health Care Workers Stand Their Ground

Denver Health Care Workers Stand Their Ground

Medical worker blocks lockdown protester in Denver

image credit: Marc Zenn, April 19, 2020, Reuters

https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/news/medical-worker-blocks-lockdown-protester-in-denver/vi-BB12TdFv

A medical workers stands in the road in front of a car carrying a woman protesting Colorado's stay-at-home order. Video credit: Marc Zenn

________________________________________

‘Operation Gridlock’ protest against Colorado stay-home order brings hundreds to Capitol lawn

https://denverite.com/2020/04/19/operation-gridlock-colorado-denver-capitol-coronavirus-stay-home-order/

________________________________________

A DeVos-Linked Group Promoted the Right-Wing “Operation Gridlock” Tantrum in Michigan

Edwin Rios  -  April 17, 2020

https://www.motherjones.com/coronavirus-updates/2020/04/a-devos-linked-group-promoted-the-right-wing-operation-gridlock-tantrum-in-michigan/

What's Natural about Jim Steele's Astroturfing?

After reviewing Steele’s odd April 17th “Safe Space” column about opinions regarding Polar Bears in the Inuit’s warming Arctic world, I became curious and looked up the word Kappiananngittuq which Jim tossed around so glibly. 

I googled _Inuit Kappiananngittuq_ and I’ll tell you, I was blindsided by the four pages worth of google search results to forty articles - it turned out that upon closer examination there were 29 links to articles that mirrored the same deceptive What's Natural? article.  

What is going on?  Have Jim Steele, Sherman Frederick, Anthony Watts mainlined into a social media troll factory or something?  Or is it just astroturfing?  

Then I thought of the rationalists, the science respecting side of this public dialogue, ten years I’ve been working at trying to network with like minded, but there’s no network out there.  Like everyone is off doing their own thing and no one has the time to care about the rest of it.  Or something like that.  

I don’t know.  It's like very few seem to appreciate the gravity of the Faith-Blinded political drive to destroy rationalism and democratic governance.  Think I'm exaggerating, ever listen to American Christian radio!?  Ever listen to FOX, or Trump?  

All I do know is the clock keeps ticking and the ruthless intellectual frauds and rhetorical bullies continue having free reign to mislead and deceive and slander and astroturf their utterly self-destructive delusional crap as much as they like.  It’s a disgrace, the founding fathers of the intellectual enlightenment would be appalled.

Below I include the google screen shots if anyone cares to investigate.  After that I share a good sized collection of articles about Social Media manipulation.

Google search results for _Inuit Kappiananngittuq_ (May 28, 2019)

click on the images for a clear view:

Diary 4/24/19_Democrats Stop Talking Past GOP Trumpsters (index)

We’re* going to lose this struggle to save American democracy if we continue talking past each other!  Trump supporters, or rather their arguments and PR strategies, must be better recognized and exposed and understood and vocally countered by an energized, engaged grassroots movement!

Stop following the GOP script - get better educated and eloquent and create a new one.  Then directly address Trumpism and the vandalism its inflicting upon our society - something that has not been happening.

Intellectually Confronting the Faith-blinded and the Faith-shackled would provide a much needed second benefit, to better educate OUR OWN people, who for the most part don't understand today's issues and rather withdraw within the comforts of consumerism than get engaged.

Bibliography of Articles Reporting on Scott Pruitt's War on our EPA

Thinking about root causes and bubbles, it seems to me our fundamental problem, the one that spawns all others - is that pretty near everyone, from top to bottom, clings to the notion that increasing economic growth is our cure-all, sadly sober math and unavoidable physical reality makes clear that it’s the path to speeding humanity’s self-destruction.  So it goes.

Over the past year, I’ve started a few Scott Pruitt projects, but have been overwhelmed and unable to follow through since it requires more focused time and energy than I could muster so I've walked away, hoping for another day.  Still I hear the news while driving to jobs and am appalled at what these people and their hatchet-man Pruitt are getting away with while most the public seems unconcerned.  Sad thing is, they are going to win unless many more children of the Intellectual Enlightenment get informed and engaged.

The following handy resource is a bibliography focused on what Scott Pruitt has been doing as EPA Administrator.  After this list I repeat it sharing selected quotes from each of the articles hoping to entice readers to continue on to the full stories and reports. This is by no means a complete list, but it is a good start.  I'd welcome any additional suggestions, if offered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This November's election is voters biggest, best chance to oppose 

and stop the Republican Party's increasingly totalitarian regime.

Community requires Enlightened Self-interest.

Not single-minded self-interest.

Trump's Americans': ME FIRST!

Is a path to ruin. 

06/05/2018,  By Alexander C. Kaufman, Huffington Post

EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Has Racked Up At Least 10 New Scandals In Just The Past Month

(... Last month, the EPA barred reporters from entering a heavily publicized summit on toxic water contaminants. 
An Associated Press reporter was grabbed and shoved by a security guard. ...)

May 24, 2018, By Nicholas Kusnetz, InsideClimateNews

Pruitt 'Secret Science' Rule: Public Gets More Time for Say as Criticism Grows

May 23, 2018, Marianne Lavelle, InsideClimateNews

Pruitt’s Anti-Climate Agenda Is Facing New Challenge From Science Advisers

May 16, 2018, By Umair Irfan, Vox

5 lies Scott Pruitt has told about his mounting scandals  

May 10, 2018, By Nicholas Kusnetz, InsideClimateNews

Scott Pruitt Plans to Radically Alter How Clean Air Standards Are Set

May 8, 2018, By Jillian Austin, Mt. Juliet High School Student Newspaper

Despite Being the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt Has Done Nothing But Further the Damage Done to Our Planet

May 3, 2018, By Elaina Plott | The Atlantic

A Pruitt Aide's Attack on Zinke Angers the White House

May 2, 2018, Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune

EPA chief Pruitt overrules staff, gives Wisconsin's Walker, Foxconn big break on smog

April 26, 2018, By Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin, 

Scott Pruitt admits little culpability in EPA controversies, mostly blames aides and staff

April 13, 2018, By Star-Ledger Editorial Board 

Don't overlook Scott Pruitt's real damage | Editorial

April 12, 2018, By Eric Lipton and Lisa Friedman, New York Times

Lawmakers’ Letter Claims Further Spending Abuses by the E.P.A. Head, Scott Pruitt

April 11, 2018, Rhea Such | ECO Watch

Scott Pruitt Has Betrayed the Mission, the National Interest and the Public Trust

April 10, 2018, Dan Turner’s opinion at Fox News

Lost amid all the 'noise' over Scott Pruitt is the very real damage Obama's EPA did to rural communities

April 9, 2018, Robin Bravender and Niina Heikkinen, E&E News reporters

Pruitt's holding on. But he's tarnished

April 6, 2018, By Howell Raines | NBC News

Scott Pruitt's EPA deregulation is destroying a conservative environmental legacy led by Richard Nixon

April 5, 2018, By Felice Stadler | Environmental Defense Fund

Pruitt has made environmental injustice the norm at EPA: 5 shocking examples

April 5, 2018, By Heather Smith | Sierra Club

Even Fox News Is Fed Up With EPA Chief Scott Pruitt

April 5, 2018, Michael Bastasch, Boston Caller

Media Reports Suggest These Trump Officials Are Leaking Damaging Info On Scott Pruitt

April 2, 2018 | By Marianne Lavelle and John Cushman | InsideClimateNews.org

Why Weakening Fuel Efficiency Standards Could Be Trump's Most Climate-Damaging Move Yet
April 2, 2018, Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker
How the Environmental Protection Agency became the fossil-fuel industry’s best friend.

March 30, 2018, Justin Worland, Time

Scientists Worry Scott Pruitt's New EPA Change Will Harm Life-Saving Research

March 30, 2018, By Alex Guillén and Nancy Cook, Politico

Pruitt holding on, so far

March 29, 2018, By Alex Formuzis and Sonya Lunder | Environmental Working Group’

Thanks to Scott Pruitt, 30 Million Pounds of Brain-Damaging Pesticide Will Be Sprayed on Crops in Next 5 Years

March 28, 2018, By John Podesta, Washington Post Op-Ed

Enough is enough. Scott Pruitt needs to go.

March 23, 2018, By Charles P. Pierce | Esquire

Scott Pruitt's EPA Has Managed to Make George W. Bush's Katrina Response Look Admirable

March 8, 2018, By Umair Irfan | Vox

Scott Pruitt is slowly strangling the EPA

February 27, 2018, Kevin Drum | Mother Jones

Scott Pruitt Kills Agency That Studies Chemicals Harmful to Children

February 8, 2018, Opinion by Alexander Nazaryan | Newsweek

HOW THE EPA'S SCOTT PRUITT BECAME THE MOST DANGEROUS MEMBER OF TRUMP’S CABINET

January 30, 2018, Nick Surgey, DocumentedInvestigations.org 

PRUITT CALLED TRUMP A THREAT TO CONSTITUTION IN 2016 INTERVIEW

January 20, 2018, By Alexander C. Kaufman, Huffington Post

Scott Pruitt’s First Year Set The EPA Back Anywhere From A Few Years To 3 Decades

       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

November 19, 2017 | By Alex Guillén and Emily Holden, Politico

What EPA chief Scott Pruitt promised — and what he’s done

November 1, 2017, William D. Ruckelshaus (Administrator of the EPA from 1970-1973 and 1983-1985)

Pruitt is turning his back on transparency at the EPA

July 27, 2017, By Jeff Goodell | Rollingstone

Scott Pruitt's Crimes Against Nature

February 4, 2017, LA Times Editorial Board

Putting Scott Pruitt in charge of the EPA risks irreversible damage to the planet

February 8, 2017, James Temple | Technological Review

How Much Damage Could Scott Pruitt Really Do at EPA?

                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December 12, 2016, Christine Todd Whitman, EPA administrator from 2001 to 2003

I was EPA administrator. Advice for the next one: Don’t walk back environmental progress.

THE CASE FOR FIRING SCOTT PRUITT

https://www.nrdc.org/case-firing-scott-pruitt

Intellectually Confronting Faith-Based thinking and Dogma Driven Deceptions - ColoradoDemocraticAssembly 2018

I'm at my fourth Colorado Democratic Assembly and I've always been a pamphleteer.  Not the easiest for a private shy sort of guy.  So I've been rather passive, offering my pages and ready for dialogue but not stepping forward to engage people.  Time passes, we learn more with every day and this year I've promised myself to step it up a little and reach out to people to introduce the topic and establish an interest before offering my flier.

Had a little practice during the short district assembly this evening.  At first looking at the 350+ District 3 delegates it seemed the crowd of the usual old folks, and not that many young faces.  But, then I started spotting them.  Not in the numbers I had hoped.  Then I heard a couple powerful speeches by young speakers.  Followed by a few good conversations,
as in 'yippy, they get it.'  I realized their small number way under-represented the energy and substance and power they possess.

It was fun.  I'm feeling a little better already and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.  Here's side one, a lifetime's distillation.  I'll share side two tomorrow, now I'm going to bed, it's late and tomorrow will be a long busy day.

The Memes Courier

    Colorado Democratic Assembly -  April 13, 2018  

      

Intellectually Confronting Faith-Based thinking and Dogma Driven Deceptions.

The opposing sides: Children of the Intellectual Enlightenment vs Faith-based dogmatism spearheaded by the evangelical movement (driven by wannabe oligarchs).  Winning at the polls is only half our challenge when well over a third of our country fully supports this amoral president and his white supremest bullying and his attacks upon our government and democratic institutions.  

Beyond winning in the 2018 elections, we need to nurture a massive grassroots movement of informed and engaged voters who are willing to confront faith-based delusional thinking on an individual level, while also standing behind those we elect to make sure they get their jobs done.

Faith-based thinking demands a rejection of serious science along with hostility towards learning from down to Earth evidence.  This attitude is enabled and reinforced by a constant flow of contrived high pitched fear-mongering and paranoid machinations towards “the other” be it different people or ideas.

Why have we allowed their religion and God a free pass?