Climatic Change and Global Warming

Sometimes King Dinglefritz would like to change his focus and expound upon a serious subject. Today's subject is climate change, and in particular global warming. I have a BA in Geography, a minor in Geology and a concentration in Environmental Studies from SUNY Geneseo so I am no dummy in this area. This blog is in response to an essay by fellow blogster "Repoman" whose blog I follow and enjoy to the extent a left leaning middle of the road person can. While I agree with the first two full paragraphs and the first sentence of the third of what he wrote I disagree with the a lot of the rest of his essay. He is concerned that taking dramatic steps to prevent global warming will reduce our standard of living. Well, if Al Gore and the scientists that he supports are correct then doing nothing will reduce our standard of living even more. What happens if the climate changes in a way that people cannot continue to thrive in areas in which they do now? What happens if the monsoon in India stops and its winds do not bring the much needed seasonal rain? What happens if the breadbasket of our country turns into a desert? What happens to our beaches when the warming Earth's icecaps melt and oceans rise? What happens if the Gulf Stream gets cut off by the cold Labrador current thereby denying the northern Hemisphere of its moderating influence? These are questions that may be faced if we continue to pump greenhouse gases into our atmosphere at an alarming rate.
Lets look at the three biggest greenhouse gases there are. The first is Carbon Dioxide and one only has to look at the planet Venus to see what too much of this gas can do. The planet's surface swelters at 900 degrees because the gas lets infrared radiation in but does not let it out. It acts as a blanket. Let me make an example of this using an everyday thing that people use...a car. Lets say that a car with its windows down is the atmosphere of the earth before man started using fossil fuels and pumping CO2 into the atmosphere. As more gas gets pumped into the air the windows start rolling up until it reaches a point where the heat builds up more quickly than it can escape. We have all opened a car door on a hot day in the summer when the windows have been up. We have all felt that blast of hot air that is released when that door is opened. This is the gas we have the most control over its release into our atmosphere.
The second greenhouse gas is water vapor. All you have to do is walk outside on a clear, crisp winter night. It gets damn cold out there. It gets nowhere near as cold when it is cloudy out and why is that? Water vapor holds in heat just as well, if not better than CO2. If the Earth heats up from more CO2 in it's air then it is inevitable that the rate of evaporation increases too as a warmer atmosphere can hold more water vapor in it.
The third greenhouse gas is methane. We have all had a chuckle at the cow tax proposed but while I do not support a cow tax this is one mean greenhouse gas. I would bet either Rush Limbaugh or Nancy Pelosi can pump more greenhouse gases through their mouths and butts than the average cow. It would behoove us to keep its release into the atmosphere at a minimum. BUT, this is the gas that we probably have the least control of as the earth creates its own methane through the decay of organic materials, especially in the ocean.
Repoman goes on by having us look at some charts. Well, anyone can make a chart read what they want it to read so it does not matter whether you are for it or against it. I could make a chart that makes Oprah Winfrey look thin but that would be altering the facts to fit what I want you to believe.
Repoman also states that the Earth goes through climatic cycles of warmth and cooling. I totally agree with this statement. Recently the Earth has gone through a couple of cooling cycles. The first of three examples in recent history I will write about is called the 'Maunder Minimum'. It lasted for a period of a little over 50 years from the late 1600s to the early 1700s when sunspot activity on the sun was at an extreme minimum. The Earth's climate went haywire. There were terrible droughts and extremely severe winters in the northern hemisphere during this period. Second, In 1815 Mt. Tambora in Indonesia blew its top, it made Mt St. Helens look like a little firecracker in comparison, and 1816 became known as the year without a summer. Crops failed and there was snow on the ground year round in areas. Third, Mt Pinatubo's blast in the early 90s brought Earth's global temperature down by over a degree Celsius for a couple of years. You could see a pink aura around the sun for a couple of years from the aerosols pumped into the stratosphere by this blast until they finally dissipated. As you can see a lot of the recent cooling cycles can be explained naturally but the overall trend is towards a warmer climate. Our climate is just like the stock market with ups and downs but the overall course is upwards (at least we all hope when it comes to our 401ks).
Even the Earth's axis has a natural wobble that in the course of its meanderings affects our climate in ways that we have only begun to understand. The Earth has been in a warming cycle for the past 11,000 years since the last ice age ended but lately the warming has been exaggerated. Is man the cause of this?? This question must be answered before it is too late.
We do not need a multi billion dollar carbon tax. What we need is to recoup some of the money being thrown away at AIG, our banks, the car industry and a war that we never should have gotten ourselves mixed into and devote some of that cash into the development of cheaper technology to control greenhouse gas emissions. I know people do not want the government to get bigger than it already is and I agree with that but in this case it should get involved. The government can create jobs in this field by employing people once better technology is developed to go to various industries and help them convert to lower emission systems that could be develped using the money that is being thrown away at this time. The companies would not have to spend their money to do this. Hell, if we are going to get taxed I would like to see the money spent wisely.
In Conclusion, I agree there should be debate. Both sides must be heard and answers must be found. If the naysayers are right and we do nothing and we will be fine. If the naysayers are right and we take steps to reduce the crap we put into our atmosphere we are left with a better planet. If the global warming advocates are right and we do nothing, well I do not want to think of what would be the result of this scenario. If global warming advocates are right and we start taking steps to reduce emissions, in the hope that we can reduce it before we get past the point of no return, we can prevent a catastrophe. This reminds me of the movie "When Worlds Collide" when the scientists present their ideas at the UN in regards to the upcoming collision with the star Bellus. One group claims that the Earth will collide with this star while the other group calls them a bunch of attention seeking crackpots saying the Earth will survive what will be a close encounter. The group for the collision started building a spaceship to reach a planet circling the rogue star and when it was too late the other side agreed that the collision was imminent but there was not time for them to do anything. Does this sound familiar?????
Repoman speaks of taking irretrievable steps. Most any step the Government can take is reversible. The only irretrievable step is to do nothing if the global warming advocates are right. Carbon taxes can be rescinded if passed. People dying from starvation can not.
The choice is clear.... we can do something to help ourselves now or do nothing... and face obliteration....with my apologies to Klaatu.

Seventh Inductee into the Moronica Hall of Fame

Usually it takes a few memorable pieces of moronica over a period of time to be inducted into my Hall of Fame but this gentleman takes the cake with probably the biggest piece of moronica in the history of United States economics. This gentleman has just admitted to CNN that he placed a loophole in the stimulus package that allowed the economy's biggest villain of all, AIG, to pay millions upon millions of dollars in bonuses to some of the most worthless executives in the history of the free market. This admission leaves me speechless so thank goodness I am writing this and not talking. What makes this gentleman so extra special is that he is the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. This man is Senator Chris Dodd, D-Conn.
This man blatantly lied when questioned previously about the loophole claiming he was not involved at all in its insertion. I'll bet you since he is a democrat he probably has not even paid his taxes. AIG is probably the biggest villain there is in this current economic meltdown and to have a loophole to allow them to pay bonuses with OUR money is sheer and total moronica. To be the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and do something as totally stupid and moronic as this means instant induction into the MHOF. It is very hard to believe that Chris Dodd is actually working for the people who elected him instead of being a tool for the big corporations as it now appears he is. If he has any sense of honor he should resign his seat as chairman immediately and possibly even resign his seat in the senate. It is displayed ignorance like this that makes Congress look like a bunch of buffoons that cannot do anything right. Can the American people trust this man to do the right thing anymore, especially in this rotten economic climate???? Definitely NOT!!! We badly need, at this time, elected officials we can trust to do what is right for us and not be a corporate stooge.
GOP ex-congressman Rob Simmons plans to challenge Chris Dodd in the coming election and he will have a field day with this political football that has just been kicked to him. If does not score a touchdown with it then shame on him. If Chris Dodd gets re-elected to another term in the senate then the people of Connecticut deserve him and they may be inducted into the MHOF.
If you see Senator Chris Dodd please let him know of his induction and the honor of which that has been bestowed upon him.

Moronican History

I was thinking that some of you might want a brief history of the Kingdom of Moronica. Well, there is really not much to tell as the Kingdom has had a very peaceful existence except for a brief stretch in the early forties. I will relate this unseemly time period to you as briefly as possible.
It all started when four ruthless businessmen who, at the time were engaged in the development of munitions, were getting very concerned about their falling profits. Their names were Mr, Onay, Ixnay, Amscray and Umpchay. Their plan was to foment an insurrection and have the public march upon the King of Moronica's palace, who at that time was my grandfather Herman the six and seven eighths, and replace him with a dictator. They would then encourage the new dictator to 'expand' Moronica's territory thereby increasing their profits through the sale of their arms. Unfortunately, thanks to a beer putsch, they were successful in forcing the King to abdicate his throne. In his stead they put in their puppet dictator whose name was Moe Hailstone who, along with his two henchmen Jerome 'Curley' Gallstone who was made Field Marshall and Larry Pebble who was named the Minister of Propaganda, wrecked havoc among their neighbors. They ended up forming the axle powers along with fellow dictators Benito Chizzelini and his Excellency the Bay of Rum. Fortunately, there was a spy entrenched among Moe Hailstone's close knit group, his secretary and astrologer who, as it turned out, was the famous Matty Herring. She was placed there by the four ruthless businessmen after they realized they had made a huge mistake in putting the completely moronic Hailstone in power. Thanks to Matty Herring's work rifts developed among the axle powers as Moe Hailstone, who was quickly becoming a meglomaniac, soon learned through the counsel of his 'astrologer', that his fellow axle members were going to roast him instead of letting him increase his power and territory. Hailstone figured that the best way to stay in power would be to eliminate his fellow dictators and called a meeting. In the turmoil that followed during this meeting the mindless dictators managed to eliminate themselves thereby allowing the King to re assume his throne. Moronica has remained a peace loving Kingdom ever since.

Shocking

Your King had a royal shock today when his Queen came home this afternoon. As if the omelet adventure wasn't bad enough she ended up having her nose pierced and a stud put in it. Now here is an area where the King of Moronica does have an opinion, and an area of shallowness(except for my opinion on smoking). UGH! The things that drive me nuts, in order of royal pestilence, are as follows starting with the worst.
1) Smoking - The King thoroughly abhors smoking and would not have even considered asking a smoker out. On the personal rating scale of 1-10, smoking is an automatic minus five points to start with no matter how pretty a young lady may be. Anyone stupid enough to get hooked on these moronic nicotine injectors, especially nowadays, is just plain stupid. Why risk your health? I have had two cousins die from emphysema and have seen what it has done to a few of my other relatives, including my father. It ages you and rots your innards. Double UGH!
2) Tattoos - Tattoos start off as an automatic deduction of at least two points, even if it is hidden or nice looking. The larger and more numerous, the larger the deduction. You have to remember that these things stay with you forever. If you have one done on your breast just imagine what it may look like when you turn seventy five and the inevitable sagging strikes. An unobtrusive little heart tattoo there may end up looking like it needs a transplant.
3) Piercings - Ears are fine, anywhere else you start having deductions. The Queen gets a minus one for hers and an additional minus one for the shock to my heart, as when you get to be my age the only shocks you usually end up getting are from defibrillators. Now, naturally, the more you have the larger the deduction. I cannot even imagine what the deduction would be if the person's face ended up looking like barbed wire, as some people do strive to attain. A bone through the nose is definitely outsville! UGH.
Now the King still dearly loves his Queen but she does enjoy pressing my buttons to see what kind of reaction she will get. Today's was a good one as she pressed the red one. As Daffy Duck says "Never press the wed one!" Only here in Moronica.

Shopping Carts

King Dinglefritz's royal mutt needed a large bag of food bought for her today so I went to the local Wegmans to purchase it. Now the question is, why is it every time I grab a shopping cart there there is always one wheel that is either designed to spin around or wobble causing the entire cart to feel like it has Parkinson's Disease? (Dare I even mention the wheel that just plain does not move at all) This cart I grabbed today had the best of both worlds. It had a shaky wheel and the wheel also spun round and round. Watching it spin made me dizzy(much dizzier than I already naturally am). Who is the moronic genius that designed this modern day devise of sheer and utter torture? I would rather be water boarded than to grab any store's shopping cart and walk around the store with it. After I was done shopping I still had the shakes long after I returned the cart to the cart deposit rack. It was so bad I thought I was coming down with first stage Parkinson's while driving home. If someone can please give me the name of the moronic genius that invented the shopping cart whirrly wheel he or she will be immediately inducted into the MHOF. The Marquis De Sade would have been proud of this person. Just think of the info the CIA could obtain if they used this device down in Guantanamo Bay and the public outrage that would occur if the public found out about it. I am certain the KGB must have been involved in the development of the shopping cart wheel as it has such a simple, yet intelligent design, an obvious hallmark of Russian craftsmanship.

Bankruptcy for Everyone!!!

The King of Moronica has tried to refrain from delving into politics lately and has made every effort to keep things light hearted but your King just cannot keep his mouth shut today. The House today passed a mortgage aid bill which has me really has me wondering about the sanity of our elected officials. This bill will allow bankruptcy judges to rewrite mortgages to reduce the principal and the interest rate. Supporters of this bill say this will force banks to negotiate with mortgagors for better terms. Banks are very willing to work with mortgagors within reason and they do not need some bankruptcy judge rewriting mortgage terms for them. The reason for this is that no bankruptcy judge is the same. They march to their own beat. Some are pro debtor, others are pro creditor and the rest are just plain nuts. Should this bill become law it will create a flood of bankruptcy filings in epic proportions, especially in courts that are known to favor debtors, in order to have judges rewrite mortgages and that is a joke and should not be tolerated. What is going to happen is that mortgagors are going to find every loophole, and Congress is well known for leaving the biggest of loopholes, to take advantage of this law. What would stop mortgagors from running up a large credit card debt, refinancing their mortgage to pay it off and then filing a bankruptcy to cram down the mortgage six months later. Why, the very thought of something like that would send my wife to the mall in a heartbeat. At least the Senate is thinking about putting in a provision limiting this to existing mortgages but even this has a flaw. You can still run up a large credit debt if you knowingly have a mortgage that would qualify you for a bankruptcy rewrite and then cram down that mortgage down leaving the filer with extra money to pay off their luxuries at a reduced rate during the term of their bankrupcty. Ridiculous!. This is a bill that rewards stupidity. Since when do we need Congress writing laws to reward this??? When I purchased my Kingdom of Moronica I made sure that the property I was buying was affordable and that I could live within my means while paying off my mortgage. I did not try to purchase a property that I knew I could not afford. There is no way I would have ever accepted an adjustable rate mortgage which is a big reason for a large number of foreclosures. You have to be a moron to agree to one of those. They lure you in with a great interest rate and after a couple of years of rate adjustments you end up paying a monthly payment that could be up to twice of what you were originally paying. Ugh!
A bill like this can only happen because the House of Representatives is loaded with a bunch of fools that is led by an even bigger fool. You cannot pass a bill that is knowingly armed with opportunities for great abuse just for the sake of passing a bill. The House GOP had some decent ideas that should have been incorporated into the version passed but they were totally ignored by the Democrats. So much for bipartisanship.
Today's bankruptcy courts are overloaded with enough legitimate cases from people who really do need bankruptcy protection along with a ton of ignorant fools who spend beyond their means and then wonder why they cannot make payments. I have no pity for people who amass so much credit card debt and then sink in it. I specialize in moronica, not stupidity.
The passage of this bill will only destabilize the housing market further by driving up mortgage rates as banks will be looking to recoup money from lost interest. As Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas says "This legislation punishes the successful, it taxes the responsible, and it holds no one accountable." It is a bill that President Obama should veto if it makes it to his desk as is. No Bankruptcy judge should be allowed to rewrite a mortgage. They specialize in law, not economics. The Kingdom of Moronica Does not support this foolish legislation and supports those who strive to have it defeated. MORONICA UBER ALLES!!!