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Value judgments are inescapable

In the ongoing debate (which has been great) over the extent to which environmentalism should expand beyond notions of sustainability to the welfare of individual animals, I have never once challenged the core belief that preventing species extinction is of paramount concern to all environmentalists. But once we unpack that assumption a little more, we will discover that the entire realm of environmentalism is fraught with contentious moral and value judgments.

Pretty much what you’d expect

As we speak, Sen. James Inhofe is on the floor of the Senate making a "major speech" called "Hot & Cold Media Spin: A Challenge To Journalists Who Cover Global Warming." The full transcript is not yet available, but you can see a press release with excerpts.

Or you can watch it live here.

At least at the moment, he's spouting the "it's not a problem but even if it were Kyoto wouldn't do anything because it's too weak" argument that I still fail to understand. If it's too weak, do something stronger. No?

More later.

Update: Now it's the "restricting dirty-energy development in the developing world would keep them poor forever" argument.

Update: Now he's citing Bjorn Lomborg, with whom he recently canoodled.

Update: Now he's saying global warming activism is cover for an insidious quest for global governance.

Update: Now it's the "technology is the answer, especially nukes" argument.

Update: Now it's the "scientists used to predict global cooling" argument. More on that here. In short: no they didn't.

Update: Ooh, now a cheap shot at Gore, saying he's just using global warming to get in the White House. Yeah, that makes sense.

Update: I've counted about 50 uses of the words "alarmist" and "hysteric" so far.

Update: Apparently James Hansen, legendary climate scientist, is nothing but a "political activist."

Update: Now he's attacking NYT's Andy Revkin for writing a children's book.

Update: "Balance" is slowly catching up to "alarmism" and "hysteria."

Update: Gore's An Inconvenient Truth is one of the "sickest scientific propaganda films" ever. Sick! He's quoting Richard Lindzen about the movie. For "balance," you know.

Now it's a droning recitation of alleged errors in Gore's film -- all of which have been debunked ad nauseum. Wonder if his fellow senators know that, though.

All right, I gotta go to a meeting. All I'll say is, debunking all the bullshit in this speech would require a long, long, long time. I'll be back later with the transcript.

Couldn’t get enough signatures

Well, sorry, all you third-party valorizers. The Green candidate in Pennsylvania's senate race has been booted from the ballot. He couldn't get enough legitimate signatures, even with Republicans working so hard to help him.

Why are Republicans working so hard to help him anyway? They must agree with many here that They're All the Same, and instead of accepting The Lesser of Two Evils, it's time for The System to be taken on by some Outsiders (Who Agree With Me).

Read it

Don't miss this week's op-ed in The New Yorker from Elizabeth Kolbert (Grist interview here; Field Notes from a Catastrophe review here). It's about transformers ... sorta.

It begins by looking at the president's and Congress' failure to push for stringent energy-efficiency standards for distribution transformers, the little boxes that convert current from the grid into usable juice for households:

Orrin H. Pilkey, shoreline expert, answers questions

Orrin Pilkey. What work do you do? I am a retired professor in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke and am still actively engaged in research and writing. […]

Short and sweet

I've taken issue with plenty that Roger Pielke Jr. has written, but this interview in the Daily Camera strikes me as wholly sensible. (Try here if you prefer to listen.)

Optimistic

There's a new report out from the Worldwatch Institute and the Center for American Progress: "American Energy: The Renewable Path to Energy Security" (PDF). I haven't read it yet, but according to Worldwatch's new Eye on Earth blog, it's a bullish take on renewable energy. You can read more about it at AmericanEnergyNow.org. I'll peruse it and perhaps post more.

New croc hunter sorely needed

For those of you who missed the tribute to Steve Irwin on Animal Planet the other night, here is a clip [must watch short ad first]. His passing left a void that needs to be filled and soon. I'm betting on his daughter.

China, up close and personal

A family friend has moved to China to teach English and is keeping us posted via a blog. This photo caught my attention, because any toilet that can do all of those things can't be cheap, reliable, or good for landfills when it dies a premature death from mechanical failure. This is not moving in the direction of sustainable technology. Not to mention, hitting the bidet button by accident would be unsettling on multiple levels.

Yes

Some commenters have wondered if my argument is really a side show. Most environmental groups oppose whaling and the killing of dolphins and other advanced mammals, so why am I trying to create a rift that isn't there in the first place? For two reasons: