[SJ-24]

It may have seemed like another Harper bashing by the left, but to the people in the federal income tax collections and investigations department it is open season on one old environmentalist named David Suzuki.

$1:

February 23, 2007

Suzuki blasts PM over global warming

By BILL KAUFMANN -- Sun Media

Environmentalist David Suzuki savaged Prime Minister Harper over global warming in front of a gymnasium full of elementary school students and their parents on Friday.

Later, he furiously lashed out at Albertans, calling rapid development of the oilsands “insanity” and a “disaster.”

Suzuki, who was invited to speak at Altadore elementary school and accept $835 collected by the students for his foundation, asked the kids what Harper’s main priority was after being elected last year.

“The only thing he cares about is getting re-elected with a majority government,” he said, adding any of the PM’s pledges to preserve the environment are cynical ploys to that end.

“I don’t believe there is a green bone in Harper’s body — he has never, ever indicated he cares about the environment.”

He told the room some of his message was directed at the adults, because the youngsters don’t vote and Harper and other politicians don’t care about them.

“It’s up to your mom and dads to ensure your futures and livelihoods are part of the agenda,” he said to about 185 students ranging from kindergarten to Grade 6.

Following his presentation, adults and students alike gave Suzuki a warm round of applause, prompting the geneticist to note it was coming from oil-rich Albertans.

Later, with reporters, Suzuki slammed the province’s refusal to rein in the development of the oilsands, which produces massive amounts of greenhouse gas.

“Albertans have always had the highest standard of living in the country, why do you need all this out-of-control expansion of the oilsands?” said an angry Suzuki.

“It’s insanity ... it’s crazy.”

In a speech on Thursday, premier Ed Stelmach dubbed threats to the natural environment “perceived” and said green politics “are as much about emotion as they are about science.”

A clearly agitated Suzuki said his hopes of an environmental change of heart under Stelmach have been dashed.

“In Alberta, you’ve got a great deal of nay-sayers who say it’s all junk science but they don’t publish anything,” said the activist, who defended his passion on the issue.

“If you don’t get emotional about what’s happening to the earth, there’s something fundamentally wrong.”

Before the event, Altadore principal Harold Whittaker said he’d heard no concerns from parents over Suzuki’s appearance and defended it.

“We’re trying to get the kids to be global citizens about the environment,” he said.

[juggernaut]

they just want more money

[hurley_108]

O ya? Where's the story about the tax investigation?

[Patrick_Ross]

hurley_108 hurley_108:

O ya? Where's the story about the tax investigation?

It's funny you should ask that question. I was wondering the same thing.


All the same, here's something I would like to draw attention to:

$1:

In a speech on Thursday, premier Ed Stelmach ...said green politics “are as much about emotion as they are about science.”

And on that note, let's take a closer look at the story:

$1:

...he furiously lashed out at Albertans, calling rapid development of the oilsands “insanity” and a “disaster.”...

...“The only thing he cares about is getting re-elected with a majority government,” he said, adding any of the PM’s pledges to preserve the environment are cynical ploys to that end....

...He told the room some of his message was directed at the adults, because the youngsters don’t vote and Harper and other politicians don’t care about them....

...“Albertans have always had the highest standard of living in the country, why do you need all this out-of-control expansion of the oilsands?” said an angry Suzuki....

...“If you don’t get emotional about what’s happening to the earth, there’s something fundamentally wrong.”

Now, was Suzuki really this emotional (entirely plausible) or is this writer simply emphasizing the emotion to make David Suzuki seem emotional (equally plausible)?

[hurley_108]

Patrick_Ross Patrick_Ross:

hurley_108 hurley_108:

O ya? Where's the story about the tax investigation?

It's funny you should ask that question. I was wondering the same thing.


All the same, here's something I would like to draw attention to:

$1:

In a speech on Thursday, premier Ed Stelmach ...said green politics “are as much about emotion as they are about science.”

And on that note, let's take a closer look at the story:

$1:

...he furiously lashed out at Albertans, calling rapid development of the oilsands “insanity” and a “disaster.”...

...“The only thing he cares about is getting re-elected with a majority government,” he said, adding any of the PM’s pledges to preserve the environment are cynical ploys to that end....

...He told the room some of his message was directed at the adults, because the youngsters don’t vote and Harper and other politicians don’t care about them....

...“Albertans have always had the highest standard of living in the country, why do you need all this out-of-control expansion of the oilsands?” said an angry Suzuki....

...“If you don’t get emotional about what’s happening to the earth, there’s something fundamentally wrong.”

Now, was Suzuki really this emotional (entirely plausible) or is this writer simply emphasizing the emotion to make David Suzuki seem emotional (equally plausible)?

David Suzuki is an emotional guy. I don't doubt he gave an impassioned rather than calculated talk. Thing is, just because someone says something with emotion doesn't mean that the emotion is the driver. And if you genuinely believe that human activity is killing life and will eventually come back and kill us, how can you keep emotion out of it?

Stelmach, on the other hand, if he truly believes that green policies are driven by emotion as much as science, really is unfit to govern. Does he want to undo decades of green policy already in place? Does he want to allow garages to just dump used motor oil down the sewer? Does he want to let people take the catalytic converters off their cars? Does he want to do away with the EIA and approvals system and just let anyone operate whatever industry they please wherever they please in whatever manner they please and ignore the consequences? He's a simpleton elected by extremists who couldn't stand to be goverened by a moderate.

[Patrick_Ross]

hurley_108 hurley_108:

David Suzuki is an emotional guy. I don't doubt he gave an impassioned rather than calculated talk. Thing is, just because someone says something with emotion doesn't mean that the emotion is the driver. And if you genuinely believe that human activity is killing life and will eventually come back and kill us, how can you keep emotion out of it?

Fair enough. David Suzuki has, however, been more than a little bit of a loudmouth over the last year. He is the kind of guy who could put together a good, solid message that Canadians will listen to. When most Canadians think of the scientific community, they think about David Suzuki. In this regard, he's become an institution.

I simply don't understand why Suzuki feels the need to rely so heavily on rhetoric. He has the scientific credibility to be one of our most effective activists on the Climate Change issue. Yet, he isn't providing the leadership on this issue that Canadians are looking to him for.

$1:

Stelmach, on the other hand, if he truly believes that green policies are driven by emotion as much as science, really is unfit to govern.

Unfit to govern for what? Being realistic? The fact of the matter is that much of the Climate Change issue is emotional. Given that the majority of the science being conducted on Climate Change contradicts the idea that human activity is exclusively responsible for Climate Change.

$1:

Does he want to undo decades of green policy already in place?

Has he?

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...He's a simpleton elected by extremists who couldn't stand to be goverened by a moderate.

...And speaking of emotional...

[hurley_108]

Patrick_Ross Patrick_Ross:

Fair enough. David Suzuki has, however, been more than a little bit of a loudmouth over the last year. He is the kind of guy who could put together a good, solid message that Canadians will listen to. When most Canadians think of the scientific community, they think about David Suzuki. In this regard, he's become an institution.

I simply don't understand why Suzuki feels the need to rely so heavily on rhetoric. He has the scientific credibility to be one of our most effective activists on the Climate Change issue. Yet, he isn't providing the leadership on this issue that Canadians are looking to him for.

You may be right about that, but neither have we yet had any leadership from our elected leaders (of any party).

$1:

Unfit to govern for what? Being realistic? The fact of the matter is that much of the Climate Change issue is emotional. Given that the majority of the science being conducted on Climate Change contradicts the idea that human activity is exclusively responsible for Climate Change.

If he actually believes so simple an idea as he's guoted as saying, that green policy is driven as much by emotion as science, then that shows an incredible lack of understanding of environmental consequences of human action.

Let's take the statement apart a little bit. He said green policy, not climate change policy, not greenhouse gas policy. "Green policy" to me refers to any policy designed to protect any aspect of the environment. He said such policy is driven as much by emotion as science. Is it emotion that causes motor oil to be carcinogenic? Is it emotion which causes nitrogen oxides when dissolved into water to become acid?

$1:

Has he?

No, obviously he hasn't, but just as obviously he hasn't thought much about the environment or else he wouldn't have made such a broad statement as he's quoted as having said.

$1:

...And speaking of emotional...

Yea, that one might have been a bit over the top....

[Clogeroo]

Does David Suzuki really care or does he just want more attention for himself?

Perhaps he does care but what does he expect Alberta do shut down the tar sands and say well we can all just go back to growing wheat and milking cows. I'm sure he would just love that or we can all live on flower power and sunshine. If Alberta decides to stop polluting at all there will be plenty of countries to take their place for their own oil exports. Should we blame the supplier or the consumers?

If people didn't want oil then it wouldn't be sold. If people wanted less pollution they should look at what they do and what products they buy and be prepared to give them up. But not many people are or the ones who pretend they do may buy a few energy efficient light bulbs and use some safer chemicals but even then their footprint on the world is still very large. Technology will be the future and until something better comes along and is more or just as convenient and cost effective then people will switch. Until then our smog, cars, industry, petrol, and polluting consumers will remain.

[sasquatch2]

This the aspect which the posters are seeking.

Suzuki a church?????????

Dirty rotten scoundrel.........

[hurley_108]

Clogeroo Clogeroo:

Does David Suzuki really care or does he just want more attention for himself?

Perhaps he does care but what does he expect Alberta do shut down the tar sands and say well we can all just go back to growing wheat and milking cows. I'm sure he would just love that or we can all live on flower power and sunshine. If Alberta decides to stop polluting at all there will be plenty of countries to take their place for their own oil exports. Should we blame the supplier or the consumers?

If people didn't want oil then it wouldn't be sold. If people wanted less pollution they should look at what they do and what products they buy and be prepared to give them up. But not many people are or the ones who pretend they do may buy a few energy efficient light bulbs and use some safer chemicals but even then their footprint on the world is still very large. Technology will be the future and until something better comes along and is more or just as convenient and cost effective then people will switch. Until then our smog, cars, industry, petrol, and polluting consumers will remain.

Good, god, no! Nobody is seriously advocating shutting down the oilsands. What Suzuki and others ARE advocating is shutting down FURTHER GROWTH in the oilsands. What we're doing now is bad enough. We don't need more.

[Patrick_Ross]

hurley_108 hurley_108:

You may be right about that, but neither have we yet had any leadership from our elected leaders (of any party).

You know what, I agree with you. There hasn't been enough leadership on the issue. But I think it goes beyond merely our elected officials. Non-Governmental Organizations are an important part of this. But NGOs are also failing to provide leadership on the issue. For example, there is the Sierra Club that has been demonstrably partisan over the past two years.

$1:

If he actually believes so simple an idea as he's guoted as saying, that green policy is driven as much by emotion as science, then that shows an incredible lack of understanding of environmental consequences of human action.

I disagree. The science shows an incredible lack of understanding of natural processes that are actually causing Climate Change. Human activity is aggravating it, and this is something we clearly must act to change.

The real credible, non-politicized science tells us this: if we stop all greenhouse gas emissions tomorrow, Climate Change doesn't stop. It merely slows. It is a natural process that the planet continually goes through. That's one of the reasons why "Climate Change" has replaced "Gobal Warming" as the preferred phrase to describe the phenomenon.

$1:

Let's take the statement apart a little bit. He said green policy, not climate change policy, not greenhouse gas policy. "Green policy" to me refers to any policy designed to protect any aspect of the environment. He said such policy is driven as much by emotion as science. Is it emotion that causes motor oil to be carcinogenic? Is it emotion which causes nitrogen oxides when dissolved into water to become acid?

Yes, let's look at that statement. What did he say about motor oil?

$1:

No, obviously he hasn't, but just as obviously he hasn't thought much about the environment or else he wouldn't have made such a broad statement as he's quoted as having said.

As a journalist myself, I can tell you that the statement reported in the article was certainly merely the most "snappy" portion of a larger statement. As with David Suzuki's behaviour at the speech he gave, we simply cannot ascertain Stelmach's attitude toward the environment from this article. First off, it dosn't say much. Secondly, we weren't there to hear what he had to say.

$1:

Yea, that one might have been a bit over the top....

We don't do ourselves any favors by getting emotional on this issue. We have a serious problem to address, and while we may not be able to prevent Climate Change, we can reduce our impact on it. We need solutions, and being mad about it is not a solution.

[hurley_108]

Patrick_Ross Patrick_Ross:

I disagree. The science shows an incredible lack of understanding of natural processes that are actually causing Climate Change. Human activity is aggravating it, and this is something we clearly must act to change.

The real credible, non-politicized science tells us this: if we stop all greenhouse gas emissions tomorrow, Climate Change doesn't stop. It merely slows. It is a natural process that the planet continually goes through. That's one of the reasons why "Climate Change" has replaced "Gobal Warming" as the preferred phrase to describe the phenomenon.

When has Suzuki demanded we stop all GHG emissions tomorrow?

$1:

$1:

Let's take the statement apart a little bit. He said green policy, not climate change policy, not greenhouse gas policy. "Green policy" to me refers to any policy designed to protect any aspect of the environment. He said such policy is driven as much by emotion as science. Is it emotion that causes motor oil to be carcinogenic? Is it emotion which causes nitrogen oxides when dissolved into water to become acid?

Yes, let's look at that statement. What did he say about motor oil?

Due to the adverse environmental effects, it's illegal to dump motor oil. That's a green policy. He didn't say climate change policy. He didn't say greenhouse gas policy. He said green policy, and that, to me, refers to any environmental policy addressing any environmental effects.

To make such a bold statement as "green politics are as much about emotion as they are about science," no matter what the larger context is completely dismissive of any environmental issue, not just climate change.

[Patrick_Ross]

hurley_108 hurley_108:

When has Suzuki demanded we stop all GHG emissions tomorrow?

That isn't the point. The point is, understanding what impact we can have on Climate Change. We cannot have a total impact, only a partial impact. Still, it's important to do what we can.

$1:

$1:

Yes, let's look at that statement. What did he say about motor oil?

Due to the adverse environmental effects, it's illegal to dump motor oil. That's a green policy. He didn't say climate change policy. He didn't say greenhouse gas policy. He said green policy, and that, to me, refers to any environmental policy addressing any environmental effects.

Fine, then. I'll answer the question for you, seeing as how I obviously have to. He said nothing about motor oil.

$1:

To make such a bold statement as "green politics are as much about emotion as they are about science," no matter what the larger context is completely dismissive of any environmental issue, not just climate change.

You're really fishing for something on this particular comment, but you'll need a wider net if you want to catch anything.

[hurley_108]

Patrick_Ross Patrick_Ross:

hurley_108 hurley_108:

When has Suzuki demanded we stop all GHG emissions tomorrow?

That isn't the point. The point is, understanding what impact we can have on Climate Change. We cannot have a total impact, only a partial impact. Still, it's important to do what we can.

That's what Suzuki's saying. What's your point?

$1:

$1:

$1:

Yes, let's look at that statement. What did he say about motor oil?

Due to the adverse environmental effects, it's illegal to dump motor oil. That's a green policy. He didn't say climate change policy. He didn't say greenhouse gas policy. He said green policy, and that, to me, refers to any environmental policy addressing any environmental effects.

Fine, then. I'll answer the question for you, seeing as how I obviously have to. He said nothing about motor oil.

$1:

To make such a bold statement as "green politics are as much about emotion as they are about science," no matter what the larger context is completely dismissive of any environmental issue, not just climate change.

You're really fishing for something on this particular comment, but you'll need a wider net if you want to catch anything.

I'm not fishing for anything. I'm saying that Stelmach hasn't a clue.

[sasquatch2]

$1:

Patrick_Ross
The real credible, non-politicized science tells us this: if we stop all greenhouse gas emissions tomorrow, Climate Change doesn't stop. It merely slows. It is a natural process that the planet continually goes through. That's one of the reasons why "Climate Change" has replaced "Gobal Warming" as the preferred phrase to describe the phenomenon.

Ah this is called shifting ground. CO2 AGW is discredited as proven/credible, so the howl modifies to it being a "contributing" factor. Switching the name from GW to CC is merely a ploy to enable labling ALL phenomina as proof of CC.

CO2 was selected because it provides an excuse to destroy the industrialized 1st world....pure and simple. Claims of drowning Polar bears is just an attempt at alarmism. These freaks seek to harness the appeal which allowed the hand-wringers such support/success in shutting down the seal hunt....problem is Polar Bears, although white, are only cuddly in Cocacola ads and are in no way endangered..

As far as the OIL SANDs, at least one LIBRANO MP had diarhea of the mouth and annouynced that was one plan the LIBRANO's have...for real. SMOKE and FIRE.