I wish like hell that Jon Stewart and Colbert would start a campaign to boycott

[snagglepuss]

the Winter Olympics in Canada to draw attention to the Harper's effing criminal refusal to deal with the climate crisis.I am so effing angry with Harper that effing SOB.

I am also pissed that activists named the award it gave to Harper/Canada, the Fossil Award - what an effing lame joke.

Why not name it something like "the country that is monumentally fucking up the environment", or "the country that should be universally boycotted".

At least if the award had truly biting name it may have caused the SOB some embarrassment in Canada, as it stands the award is just a monumental waste and actually makes a joke out of Harper's criminal neglect.

Canada deserves to be vilified. BOYCOTT THE FUCKING OLYMPICS.



SIGNED,

ONE EFFING ANGRY CANADIAN

[MinneapolisMatt]

1. Colbert is sponsoring the US Speed Skating Team.

n/t

[snagglepuss]

5. I know and he deserves credit for doing so but couldn't he tell Americans

to stay in the US and watch the Olypmics at a local bar and support local business?

[Rhiannon12866]

2. We'd probably have to re-elect Jimmy Carter to accomplish that...

:-(

[snagglepuss]

8. If either Stewart ofr Colbert suggested a boycott it would at least grab

headlines in Canada and make Harper sweat. Stewart and Colbert are really popular up here.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. They seem to have an impact everywhere.

Which speaks pretty poorly about the corporate news. They have less influence than Comedy Central. :crazy:

BTW, Jimmy Carter boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics to protest the Soviet war in Afghanistan... :think:

[Walk away]

3. I am not smart about this topic. Exactly what is the Canadian...

stand on all of this?

[snagglepuss]

6. Harper's policies are firmly rooted in the deep conservative politics of Alberta

the oil-rich western province that is home to many of Canada's most ardent climate change deniers, some of whom are Harper's closest allies. These include Harper adviser and University of Calgary political scientist Barry Cooper as well as the Calgary-based denier organization The Friends of Science. Canadians recall a 2002 fundraising letter in which Harper launched an attack on "the job-killing, economy-destroying Kyoto Accord," referring to the 1997 treaty that tried to put controls on carbon emissions. He called the treaty "essentially a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations." And along with his cabinet members, he has made reference to "so-called greenhouse gases" and the "hypothesis" of climate change.


snip


The Alberta Issue

Canada's emissions problem is not nationwide. It is essentially generated by one province - Alberta - and by one culprit: tar sands. This massive deposit of tar-like, oil-laden sand, lying under an area larger than the state of Florida, represents the world's second largest oil reserve. The potential contribution of the sands to global warming is enormous - depending on the type and efficiency of the extraction process, as well as other variables such as forest destruction and emissions from tailings ponds.

All told, removing the tar-like bitumen from the sands, along with its upgrading and refining into synthetic oil, emits more greenhouse gases than conventional oil.


snip

When Harper assumed office he slashed the environment budget by 10 percent, erased the government's climate change website (later replaced by a stripped down version) and announced that Canada would not be able to fulfill its Kyoto Protocol commitments. Harper's government then presented legislation - called "Turning the Corner" - that would greatly reduced the country's emission-reduction obligations.

http://www.civicgovernance.ca/node/770

[Renew Deal]

4. Everyone bitching about Obama should read your post

And remember what it would be like if McCain was in charge.

[snagglepuss]

7. What did Obama accomplish at Copenhagen? Practically nil.

Why bring McCain into this anyway? This is is crisis and the world's major polluters are spinning their wheels.

[Toasterlad]

13. "Why bring McCain into this anyway?"

That's all the apologists have left. That's their sole argument. "Things would be worse with McCain!"

So sad.

[Renew Deal]

17. You must be one of those that enjoyed the 8 years under Bush.

Apoligist? No. I know what's been accomplished and what's at stake.

[Toasterlad]

20. FAIL.

You guys have truly got nothing left. There is absolutely NO difference between you and the 22% or so who still think that Bush did a great job. You'll go on supporting Obama no matter what he does (or doesn't do). It would be funny if it weren't so sad.

[Renew Deal]

22. You're projecting.

You've got nothing left but insults. Obama is supported by 82% of Dems right now. So you're part of the 18% of the fringe that disapproves. Here's a list of Obama accomplishments. Why shouldn't we be proud of him?

No. 6: Create an Advanced Manufacturing Fund to invest in peer-reviewed manufacturing processes
"Will create an Advanced Manufacturing Fund to identify and invest in the most compelling advanced manufacturing strategies. The Fund will have a peer-review selection and award process based on the Michigan 21st Century Jobs Fund, a state-level initiative that has awarded over $125 million to Michigan businesses with the most innovative proposals to create new products and new jobs in the state."
>>More
No. 15: Create a foreclosure prevention fund for homeowners
Create a $10 billion fund to help homeowners refinance or sell their homes. "The Fund will not help speculators, people who bought vacation homes or people who falsely represented their incomes."
>>More
No. 16: Increase minority access to capital
"Strengthen Small Business Administration programs that provide capital to minority-owned businesses, support outreach programs that help minority business owners apply for loans, and work to encourage the growth and capacity of minority firms."
>>More
No. 33: Establish a credit card bill of rights
The credit card bill of rights would "ban unilateral changes ... apply interest rate increases only to future debt ... prohibit interest on fees ... prohibit 'universal defaults' (whereby a credit card raises its rates because the consumer was late paying a different creditor ... require prompt and fair crediting of cardholder payments."
>>More
No. 36: Expand loan programs for small businesses
Expand "the Small Business Administration's loan and micro-loan programs which provide start-up and long-term financing that small firms cannot receive through normal channels."
>>More
No. 40: Extend and index the 2007 Alternative Minimum Tax patch
Extend and index the temporary fix to the Alternative Minimum Tax that was passed in 2007
>>More
No. 50: Expand the Senior Corps volunteer program
Expand "the Senior Corps program, which connects individuals over the age of 55 to local volunteer opportunities, and work to provide additional security, including assistance with retirement and family-related costs, to seniors who participate in public service."
>>More
No. 58: Expand eligibility for State Children's Health Insurance Fund (SCHIP)
"Expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net function."
>>More
No. 76: Expand funding to train primary care providers and public health practitioners
"Expand funding—including loan repayment, adequate reimbursement, grants for training curricula, and infrastructure support to improve working conditions— to ensure a strong workforce that will champion prevention and public health activities."
>>More
No. 77: Increase funding to expand community based prevention programs
"Increase funding to expand community based preventive interventions to help Americans make better choices to improve their health."
>>More
No. 88: Sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
"As president, Barack Obama will renew America's leadership by making the United States a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the first human rights treaty approved by the UN in the 21st century and a vital foundation for respecting the rights of people with disabilities worldwide He will urge the U.S. Senate to ratify the Convention expeditiously."
>>More
No. 110: Assure that the Veterans Administration budget is prepared as 'must-pass' legislation
"Obama will meet early in the budgeting process each year with congressional leaders and the nation's leading Veterans' Service Organizations (VSOs) to ensure the VA budget is always given 'must-pass' status."
>>More
No. 119: Appoint a special adviser to the president on violence against women
"This advisor will ensure that his agenda is coordinated across federal agencies and fully addresses prevention, programs, and the legal aspects of gender based violence."
>>More
No. 125: Direct military leaders to end war in Iraq
On "my first day in office, I would give the military a new mission: ending this war".
>>More
No. 132: No permanent bases in Iraq
"The U.S. will not maintain permanent bases in Iraq."
>>More
No. 134: Send two additional brigades to Afghanistan
"As Obama removes our combat brigades from Iraq, he will send at least two additional brigades to Afghanistan, where the Taliban is resurgent. He will also provide our armed forces with the reset capability that they need. He will replace essential equipment, and he will ensure that our men and women in uniform get the care and support they have earned."
>>More
No. 154: Strengthen and expand military exchange programs with other countries
Existing U.S. programs of military to military exchanges, joint training, education, and human rights programs must be reoriented from their current Cold War standards to reflect new strategic priorities and ethical standards. Relationships that reassure potential future competitors both of America's goodwill and its strength may help dissuade emerging powers from becoming threats. An Obama administration will also prioritize the strengthening training and working relationships with the next generation of military leaders in allied states in the Muslim and wider developing world, in order to build professionalism and respect for rights and democracy, as well as open and sustain unofficial channels of communication and influence.
>>More
No. 167: Make U.S. military aid to Pakistan conditional on anti-terror efforts
"As president, Barack Obama would condition U.S. military aid to Pakistan on their making progress to close down the training camps, evict foreign fighters, and prevent the Taliban from using Pakistan as a base to strike inside of Afghanistan. ... Obama also will increase aid to Pakistan for development and secular education to counter extremists."
>>More
No. 174: Give a speech at a major Islamic forum in the first 100 days of his administration
"Obama will personally lead diplomacy efforts beginning with a speech at a major Islamic forum in the first 100 days of his administration. He will make clear that we are not at war with Islam, that we will stand with those who are willing to stand up for their future, and that we need their
effort to defeat the prophets of hate and violence."
>>More
No. 200: Appoint a White House Coordinator for Nuclear Security
Obama "will appoint a deputy national security advisor to be in charge of coordinating all U.S. programs aimed at reducing the risk of nuclear terrorism and weapons proliferation. This person will work closely with him, the national security adviser, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, and senior officials of the relevant cabinet departments, and will have budgetary oversight over all programs related to nuclear security."
>>More

No. 208: Improve relations with Turkey, and its relations with Iraqi Kurds
"Barack Obama and Joe Biden will lead a diplomatic effort to bring together Turkish and Iraqi Kurdish leaders and negotiate a comprehensive agreement that deals with the PKK threat, guarantees Turkey's territorial integrity, and facilitates badly needed Turkish investment in and trade with the Kurds of northern Iraq. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will support the promotion of democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression in Turkey and support its efforts to join the European Union."
>>More
No. 222: Grant Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send money to Cuba
"Cuban American connections to family in Cuba are not only a basic right in humanitarian terms, but also our best tool for helping to foster the beginnings of grassroots democracy on the island. Accordingly, as president, Obama will grant Cuban Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send remittances to the island."
>>More
No. 224: Restore funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne/JAG) program
"The (Bush) administration has consistently proposed to cut or eliminate funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne/JAG) program, which funds anti-drug and anti-gang task forces across the country. …Since 2000, this program has been cut more than 83 percent. ... As president, Obama will restore funding."
>>More
No. 225: Establish an Energy Partnership for the Americas
"As president, Barack Obama will establish an Energy Partnership for the Americas. This partnership will increase research and development in clean coal technology, the next generation of sustainable biofuels and in wind, solar and nuclear energy. The partnership will also look for ways for nations to coordinate to transport green energy across national borders. It will help Latin American and Caribbean nations become more energy independent and promote sustainable growth for the region. The partnership also will create additional markets for American biofuels and American-made green energy technology."
>>More
No. 239: Release presidential records
"Will nullify the Bush attempts to make the timely release of presidential records more difficult."
>>More
No. 241: Require new hires to sign a form affirming their hiring was not due to political affiliation or contributions.
"Will issue an executive order asking all new hires at the agencies to sign a form affirming that no political appointee offered them the job solely on the basis of political affiliation or contribution."
>>More
No. 247: Recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession
"Will recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession and will support efforts to help these teachers learn from professionals in the field. They will also work to ensure that all children have access to a strong science curriculum at all grade levels."
>>More
No. 266: Encourage water-conservation efforts in the West
Will "support federal policies to encourage voluntary water banks, wastewater treatment, and other market-based conservation measures" to address the water shortage in western states.
>>More
No. 269: Increase funding for national parks and forests
"Will repair the damage done to our national parks by inadequate funding and emphasize the protection and restoration of our National Forests."
>>More
No. 270: Increase funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund
Will support "increased funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which supports land acquisition and maintenance of parks" and "will lead efforts to acquire and conserve new parks and public lands, focusing on ecosystems such as the Great Plains and Eastern forests which do not yet have the protection they deserve."
>>More
No. 277: Pursue a wildfire management plan
"Will aggressively pursue an effective fire prevention, mitigation and land and forest management plan that decreases the fire risks that many communities are now
facing. When wildfire threatens lives and property, an Obama-Biden Administration will increase the federal government's commitment to field the most professional, well-trained, and well-coordinated wildfire fighting force in the world. Unlike the Bush Administration, they will not finance these efforts by raiding the budgets relied upon by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to provide public access to, and manage, the more than 430 million acres of public lands that they oversee. Barack Obama will work with Governors, Congress and local officials on a bipartisan basis to develop and enact reliable, dedicated funding sources to fight the most catastrophic fires so that public lands may continue to be managed for public access, fish, wildlife, recreation, forestry and other multiple uses."
>>More
No. 278: Remove more brush, small trees and vegetation that fuel wildfires
"Will place a high priority on implementing cooperative projects to remove brush, small trees and other overgrown vegetation that serve as fuel for wildfires. Barack Obama will focus the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management's efforts on working with local communities on hazardous fuels projects to make communities safer and forests healthier."
>>More
No. 284: Expand access to places to hunt and fish
Will "support the Open Fields Incentives legislation that provides incentives to farmers and ranchers who voluntarily open their land to hunting, fishing and other wildlife-related activities."
>>More
No. 290: Push for enactment of Matthew Shepard Act, which expands hate crime law to include sexual orientation and other factors
"Will place the weight of (his) administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes."
>>More
No. 300: Reform mandatory minimum sentences
"Will immediately review (mandatory minimum) sentences to see where we can be smarter on crime and reduce the ineffective warehousing of nonviolent drug offenders."
>>More
No. 307: Create a White House Office on Urban Policy
"Will create a White House Office of Urban Policy to develop a strategy for metropolitan America and to ensure that all federal dollars targeted to urban areas are effectively spent on the highest-impact programs. The Director of Urban Policy will report directly to the president and coordinate all federal urban programs."
>>More
No. 325: Create an artist corps for schools
Will "support the creation of an "Artists Corps" of young artists trained to work in low-income schools and their communities.
>>More
No. 326: Champion the importance of arts education
"Will use the bully pulpit and the example he will set in the White House to promote the importance of arts and arts education in America."
>>More
No. 327: Support increased funding for the NEA
Will "support increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, the support of which enriches schools and neighborhoods all across the nation and helps to promote the economic development of countless communities."
>>More
No. 332: Add another Space Shuttle flight
Obama "supports congressional efforts to add at least one additional Space Shuttle flight to fly a valuable mission and to keep the workforce engaged. He will work to ensure there is adequate funding to support that additional flight so that it does not interfere with developing the Shuttle's successor."
>>More

No. 334: Use the private sector to improve spaceflight
"Will stimulate efforts within the private sector to develop and demonstrate spaceflight capabilities."
>>More
No. 336: Partner to enhance the potential of the International Space Station
"Will enlist other federal agencies, industry and academia to develop innovative scientific and technological research projects on the International Space Station."
>>More
No. 337: Use the International Space Station for fundamental biological and physical research
"Will use the ISS for fundamental biological and physical research to understand the effects of long-term space travel on human health and to test emerging technologies to enable such travel."
>>More
No. 338: Explore whether International Space Station can operate after 2016
"Will consider options to extend ISS operations beyond 2016. After investing so much in developing the ISS, it would be a shame not to utilize it to the fullest possible extent."
>>More
No. 342: Work toward deploying a global climate change research and monitoring system
"Will lean forward to deploy a global climate change research and monitoring system that will work for decades to come. The recommendations in the recent National Research Council decadal survey on Earth observations from space will guide his priorities in this regard."
>>More
No. 345: Enhance earth mapping
"Will continue support for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission, which allows study of the earth's land surfaces and provides valuable data for agricultural, educational, scientific, and government use."
>>More
No. 346: Appoint an assistant to the president for science and technology policy
"Will appoint an Assistant to the President for Science and Technology Policy who will report directly to the president, and be deeply involved in establishing research priorities that reflect the nation's needs based on the best available advice from experts around the country."
>>More
No. 356: Establish special crime programs for the New Orleans area
"Will finish rebuilding the region's criminal justice system so that we do not have to rely on the National Guard to patrol city streets..Will establish a special "COPS for Katrina" program to allow communities impacted by the storm to hire and retain new officers and community prosecutors, develop community-based crime fighting strategies, and rebuild their lost infrastructure... Will strengthen Drug Enforcement Administration efforts to stop the reestablishment of drug gangs across the region...Will help local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies come together to establish an integrated regional crime control partnership so that each police chief and sheriff doesn't have to face these crime problems alone."
>>More
No. 359: Rebuild schools in New Orleans
"Will help communities in the Gulf make necessary school infrastructure investments so all kids from all backgrounds have safe and supportive environments to learn."
>>More
No. 371: Fund a major expansion of AmeriCorps
"Will expand and fund AmeriCorps from 75,000 slots today to 250,000 and they will focus this expansion on addressing the great challenges facing the nation." These additional slots will enable AmeriCorps to establish five new Corps: Classroom Corps to help teachers and students, with a priority placed on high-need and underserved schools; Health Corps to improve public health information and outreach to areas with inadequate health systems such as rural areas and inner cities; Clean Energy Corps to promote energy independence through efforts like weatherization, renewable energy projects and educational outreach; Veterans Corps to help keep America's sacred trust with its veterans; and Homeland Security Corps to help communities plan, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
>>More
No. 380: Bolster the military's ability to speak different languages
"Will bolster our military's ability to speak different languages, navigate different cultures, and coordinate complex missions with our civilian agencies."
>>More
No. 391: Appoint the nation's first Chief Technology Officer
"Will appoint the nation's first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to ensure that our government and all its agencies have the right infrastructure, policies and services for the 21st century. The CTO will ensure the safety of our networks and will lead an interagency effort, working with chief technology and chief information officers of each of the federal agencies, to ensure that they use best-in-class technologies and share best practices."
>>More
No. 394: Provide grants to early-career researchers
"Will provide new research grants to the most outstanding early-career researchers in the country."
>>More
No. 411: Work to overturn Ledbetter vs. Goodyear
"Obama will work to overturn the Supreme Court's recent ruling that curtails racial minorities' and women's ability to challenge pay discrimination."
>>More
No. 421: Appoint an American Indian policy adviser
"I'll appoint an American Indian policy adviser to my senior White House staff to work with tribes. I'll host an annual summit at the White House with tribal leaders to come up with an agenda that works for tribal communities."
>>More
No. 427: Ban lobbyist gifts to executive employees
"Barack Obama will issue an executive order banning registered lobbyists or lobbying firms from giving gifts in any amount or any form to executive branch employees."
>>More
No. 435: Create new criminal penalties for mortgage fraud
"We will crack down on mortgage professionals found guilty of fraud by increasing enforcement and creating new criminal penalties."
>>More
No. 452: Weatherize 1 million homes per year
"Will make a national commitment to weatherize at least 1 million low-income homes each year for the next decade, which can reduce energy usage across the economy and help moderate energy prices for all."
>>More
No. 458: Invest in all types of alternative energy
"We'll invest in research and development of every form of alternative energy - solar, wind, biofuels."
>>More
No. 459: Enact tax credit for consumers for plug-in hybrid cars
"We will leverage private sector funding to bring these cars directly to American consumers. We'll give consumers a $7,000 tax credit to buy these vehicles."
>>More

No. 460: Ask people and businesses to conserve electricity
"Will call on businesses, government and the American people to meet the goal of reducing our demand for electricity 15 percent by the end of the next decade."
>>More
No. 480: Support high-speed rail
Will "Support development of high-speed rail networks across the country. Providing passengers with safe high-speed rail will have significant environmental and metropolitan planning advantages and help diversify our nation's transportation infrastructure. Our domestic rail freight capacity must also be strengthened because our demand for rail transportation has never been greater, leaving many key transportation hubs stretched to capacity. Obama and Biden are committed to renewing the federal government's commitment to high speed rail so that our nation's transportation infrastructure continues to support, and not hinder, our nation's long-term economic growth."
>>More
No. 483: Invest in public transportation
"Will re-commit federal resources to public mass transportation projects across the country. Obama and Biden will work with state and local governments across the country on efforts to create new, effective public transportation systems and modernize our aging urban public transit infrastructure."
>>More
No. 484: Equalize tax breaks for driving and public transit
"The federal tax code rewards driving to work by allowing employers to provide parking benefits of $205 per month tax free to their employees. The tax code provides employers with commuting benefits for transit, carpooling or vanpooling capped at $105 per month. This gives drivers a nearly 2:1 advantage over transit users. Obama and Biden will reform the tax code to make benefits for driving and public transit or ridesharing equal."
>>More
No. 494: Share enviromental technology with other countries
"We'll establish a program for the Department of Energy and our laboratories to share technology with countries across the region."
>>More
No. 498: Provide grants to encourage energy-efficient building codes
"Will create a competitive grant program to award those states and localities that take the first steps in implementing new building codes that prioritize energy efficiency, and provide a federal match for those states with leading-edge public benefits funds that support energy efficiency retrofits of existing buildings."
>>More
No. 500: Increase funding for the Environmental Protection Agency
"That's why I am committed to pursuing greater funding for the EPA so that its
responsibilities are carried out. Clean water, land and air, and ensuring the health and safety of
our citizens, especially children, will be high priorities in an Obama Administration."
>>More
No. 502: Get his daughters a puppy
"The pledge is (Sasha and Malia) will get their dog, win or lose."
>>More
No. 503: Appoint at least one Republican to the cabinet
Interview with Steve Kroft of "60 Minutes": Question: "Will there be Republicans in the Cabinet?" Obama: "Yes." Question: "More than one?" Obama: "You're not getting any more out of me."
>>More
No. 506: Raise the small business investment expensing limit to $250,000 through the end of 2009
Will provide "temporary business tax incentives through 2009. The February 2008 stimulus bill increased maximum Section 179 expenses to $250,000 but this expires in December 2008. This provision will encourage all firms to pursue investment in the coming months, but will particularly benefit small firms which generally have smaller amounts of annual property purchases and so choose to expense the cost of their acquired property."
>>More
No. 507: Extend unemployment insurance benefits and temporarily suspend taxes on these benefits
"Obama and Biden believe Congress should immediately extend unemployment insurance for an additional 13 weeks to help families that are being hit hardest by this downturn. In addition, they believe we should temporarily suspend taxes on unemployment insurance benefits as a way of giving more relief to families."
>>More
No. 513: Reverse restrictions on stem cell research
"I believe that the restrictions that President Bush has placed on funding of human embryonic stem cell research have handcuffed our scientists and hindered our ability to compete with other nations. As president, I will lift the current administration’s ban on federal funding of research on embryonic stem cell lines created after August 9, 2001 through executive order ... .."
>>More

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/rulings/promise-kept

[Toasterlad]

25. Spare Me Your Bullshit List Full of "Looking Into" and "Planning" and "Reviewing"

The vast majority of those things haven't even been truly started yet, if they ever will start at all. They're all just things that Obama has SAID. He says a lot of things.

And I'm not at ALL one of the "18%" of Democrats who don't support Obama. I'm one of the vast percentage of registered independents who voted Obama into office, and will not do so again. Even assuming your source poll is accurate, and the vast majority of Democrats still actually support Obama (and I personally don't know more than one or two who do), if you think Obama is going to get reelected by registered Democrats alone, you are SORELY mistaken.

That's a moot point, anyway. He still has three years to continue alienating those 82%. By this time in 2011, I have no doubt that 18% will more accurately refer to those Democrats who still support him.

[Renew Deal]

26. So when are you going to ask Skinner to ban you?

You're not a Democat and you will not vote for Obama for re-election. That means that you belong somewhere else.

Here's the recent Gallup BS.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/121199/Obama-Weekly-Job-Approval-Demographic-Groups.aspx

[Toasterlad]

27. I Support Progressive Candidates, As Encouraged By DU Rules.

Since you are an Obama booster, and since Obama has proven he has no intention of living up to Democratic principles, it is clearly YOU who does not belong here.

[Renew Deal]

15. Why? Because McCain wouldn't have even attended.

And because on every issue you care about (if you are actually a dem), McCain would have been the opposite of Obama to the extreme.

[snagglepuss]

19. Its doesn't fucking matter who would have done less. This isn't about

politics, it's about the fucking destruction of the world's environment. Politicans are diddling. If Jesus Christ himself was at Copenhagen and diddled I'd say the same thing.

[Renew Deal]

21. We're talking about different things.

I get that it's about the destruction of the worlds environment. I'm saying that I'm glad Obama won and McCain didn't. McCain wouldn't have even attended and if he had, it would have been to given them the "American" (republican) point of view.

[TexasProgresive]

10. I say boycott them because they don't allow women ski jump n/t

[snagglepuss]

23. Are you nuts? Are you aware that the Tar Sands industry is the dirtiest

on earth? Every other consideration pales to what the Tar Sands industry is doing to the enviroment and its effects are about to hit the US Midwest and the Great Lakes Basin. That's according to an excellent new report out of the University of Toronto, How the Oil Sands Got to the Great Lakes (pdf).

snip

We are already well into the development of a continent-wide industrial supply chain – a pollution delivery system – that could cause irreversible damage to the Great Lakes. Pipeline and refinery expansion applications are being made and approved right now with little general awareness of the potential long-term damage to the Great Lakes environment.


snip


The need/greed for more capacity out of the tar sands led to this idea. The building of a continent-wide network of pipelines, some thousands of miles long, to transport the crude, as well as refinery expansions on the US side of the Great Lakes to process the raw goo into gas. (Then back to the US Midwest)

It's a massive infrastructure change, the advent of a whole new fossil fuel supply chain, or a "pollution delivery system," as the author calls it. And it's well on its way.


snip

The expected CO2 impact of it all? Prepare to cringe: an ADDITIONAL 2.3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year – and this is a conservative estimate. On top of that, are the millions of gallons of water per day that the refineries could end up sucking out of the most important fresh water resource in the world, or spitting back polluted.


Refining (and upgrading crude) oil requires almost unimaginable amounts of water – water to move the crude, dilute it, mix and process it. Much of the water used is either never returned to its source or returned, but severely degraded by pollutants.


http://solveclimate.com/blog/20081017/alberta-tar-sands-poison-u-s-great-lakes-region-too

[taterguy]

11. I love boycotting things I wouldn't use anyway

I have no desire to attend the Olympics live.

But now I get to feel like I'm actually doing something by doing nothing.

Just for the record, I think boycotts should be used on rare and special occasions.

The Montgomery bus boycott worked because it was likely that a sizable percentage of the people using the product would participate.

If the number of likely participants is infinitesimally small then you're just wasting time.

[snagglepuss]

14. I disagree. The benefit is that the bad international publicity focuses

public attention. Many Canadians don't even know that the Alberta Tar Sands are the SECOND largest oil deposit in the world and that tar sands is the dirtiest oil to process, consuming vast amounts of water and energy and polluting water with waste products.

Furthermore many Canadians let alone the rest of world don't know a "boreal forests and wetlands the SIZE OF GREECE have already been destroyed in northern Alberta in an industrial project that turns millions of tonnes of sand and earth into oil, mainly for the U.S. market." All that on top of the greenhouse gases.


Canada's inaction thanks to Harper needs to be vilified, Canadians need to be made aware how inadequate Canada's response to climate change has been. Being made the butt of jokes is one way to do that, a satirical suggestion to boycott Canada would be more powerful.

[Toasterlad]

12. Stewart and Colbert Are Comedians.

Despite their personal political views and the obvious political slant of their show, they are not activists. They are entertainers.

[snagglepuss]

18. Duh. That hasn't rever prevented them from satirizing issues.

Even a satirical suggestion to boycott the Olympics would attract public attention to Canada's inaction. Stewart and Colbert can certainly come up with something better than naming Canada a "fossil".

[sufrommich]

16. I rue the day either Stewart or Colbert take themselves

that seriously.

[snagglepuss]

24. Nothing like the rueing you'll be doing once the already approved Great Lake

oil refineries are built. That's according to an excellent new report out of the University of Toronto, How the Oil Sands Got to the Great Lakes (pdf).

snip

We are already well into the development of a continent-wide industrial supply chain – a pollution delivery system – that could cause irreversible damage to the Great Lakes. Pipeline and refinery expansion applications are being made and approved right now with little general awareness of the potential long-term damage to the Great Lakes environment.


snip


The need/greed for more capacity out of the tar sands led to this idea. The building of a continent-wide network of pipelines, some thousands of miles long, to transport the crude, as well as refinery expansions on the US side of the Great Lakes to process the raw goo into gas. (Then back to the US Midwest)

It's a massive infrastructure change, the advent of a whole new fossil fuel supply chain, or a "pollution delivery system," as the author calls it. And it's well on its way.


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The expected CO2 impact of it all? Prepare to cringe: an ADDITIONAL 2.3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year – and this is a conservative estimate. On top of that, are the millions of gallons of water per day that the refineries could end up sucking out of the most important fresh water resource in the world, or spitting back polluted.


Refining (and upgrading crude) oil requires almost unimaginable amounts of water – water to move the crude, dilute it, mix and process it. Much of the water used is either never returned to its source or returned, but severely degraded by pollutants.


http://solveclimate.com/blog/20081017/alberta-tar-sands...