Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Stupidity and ignorance have been raised to virtues

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    But in a way, Trump's feeble account of the decision is worse. He has done the same thing, swinging wildly against phantoms, on the matters of NATO and trade agreements, but this seems on a new level.

    I'd argue this is exactly what happens when you put a cowboy New York oligarch in the White House who hasn't served a single day as a public servant who can't rip up a treaty as easily as you stiff a contractor. (And yes, I looked up the North Atlantic Treaty, which the United States signed and ratified in 1947. Article 5 is not a suggestion, or a vague recommendation the United States can dip out of when the President is having a bad day.)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • WH,

    Thank you for writing this. Good covfefe.

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • Katharine Moody,

    The usefulness of voluntary agreements to effect the degree of change needed to actually reverse degradation is questionable anyway. In NZ, for example, the Clean Streams Accord (2003) to my mind became a highly effective mechanism to delay action on binding regulatory measures that would halt and reverse freshwater degradation.

    The gradual improvements made in exclusion and planting were offset in greater measure by the concurrent promotion of urban and agricultural intensification. So things got worse, not better.

    The Paris Agreement to me represented a cop out of the Kyoto Protocol mechanism by those that had previously signed up (e.g., NZ, Canada, etc) - a disingenuous move from binding regulation to voluntary accord as a means to "manufacture consent" with the citizenry whilst carrying on with business-as-usual.

    Paris was a vote for change in public relations not in human practice.

    .

    Wellington • Since Sep 2014 • 798 posts Report Reply

  • Zach Bagnall,

    Utter cowardice is the defining characteristic of this administration: much easier to withdraw from an agreement than to meet obligations under it, easier to let access to healthcare deteriorate than to actually increase it, and so on.

    No effort to tackle hard problems.. just Stunt Policies to appease his core supporters and a running battle with the majority that oppose him.

    Colorado • Since Nov 2006 • 121 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    ...Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (who, let's recall, was CEO of Exxon freakin' Mobil five minutes ago)...

    "ExxonMobil, for one, has spent $33 million since 1998 funding organizations like the Heartland Institute, which questions the link between humans and climate change, according to research from the publication DeSmogBlog. And Greenpeace estimates that Koch Industries has spent $100 million over a similar period..."

    By way of contrast, an interesting account of the rise, and apparently rapid fall, of Chinese climate denialism.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Rebecca Williams,

    When he blathered that after withdrawing “we’ll see if we can try and make a deal that’s fair”, it meant exactly nothing.

    Surely he knows this, but equally knows that his bloc of support does not?

    Or am I giving the man too much credit?

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 120 posts Report Reply

  • Euan Mason, in reply to Rebecca Williams,

    Surely he knows this, but equally knows that his bloc of support does not?

    Or am I giving the man too much credit?

    I think you are giving him too much credit. He gets his alternative facts from Fox & friends. He really, truly doesn't have a clue, which makes this far more scary.

    It will be up to the rest of us to solve the problem of anthropogenic climate change. The USA can thank us later.

    Canterbury • Since Jul 2008 • 259 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell, in reply to Euan Mason,

    It will be up to the rest of us to solve the problem of anthropogenic climate change. The USA can thank us later.

    It's not quite that bad. California is still on board. And Washington (state) and New York (state.)

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Gregor Ronald,

    I suspect that whatever happens in the US will depend on making a profit, and that change will happen in spite of the government rather than because of it. For example electric cars are taking off so fast that oil companies are scrambling to adjust. The good old profit motive might enforce reality if Trump won't.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 103 posts Report Reply

  • Hugh Wilson, in reply to Euan Mason,

    The USA can thank us later.

    To an extent yes, but it may be the case that America experiences quite substantive costs as a result of being an outsider of sorts to multilateral frameworks. Clearly there are a lot of progressive companies in the US that support emission reductions and transformation of energy intensive areas (i.e. Tesla), but as a consequence of this move they will miss out on at least some support in the form of innovation policies.spending and a domestic market that is smaller than it might of otherwise been. Put another way, the winds of change are gathering strength and its better to be involved in these things as a leader than on the outside as an eventual follower. Someone will hopefully present a more thorough exposition than me in coming days, but think of US car manufacturers (is retaining petrol/diesel models viable? will they produce to European standards?), power generation technologies(who’s going to be funding/using Coal to a large scale?) and value-adding ‘green’ industries in general. Add in professional fields/skills like urban planning, engineering which will all be involved in shaping future cities and rebuilding/maintaining infrastructure to deal with climatic changes and suddenly you could be a long way off the 8 ball.

    Melbourne • Since Feb 2013 • 168 posts Report Reply

  • Euan Mason, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    It’s not quite that bad. California is still on board. And Washington (state) and New York (state.)

    Yes, It's good to see that some intelligent statesmen are speaking out and influencing policies in some parts of the USA.

    Canterbury • Since Jul 2008 • 259 posts Report Reply

  • Euan Mason, in reply to Hugh Wilson,

    To an extent yes, but it may be the case that America experiences quite substantive costs as a result of being an outsider of sorts to multilateral frameworks.

    Agreed, and very well described in the rest of your post.

    Canterbury • Since Jul 2008 • 259 posts Report Reply

  • Trevor Nicholls,

    Climate change is a hoax, decrees President Cnut.

    Wellington, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 325 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth,

    I'm waiting for Trump to declare that they will be "fast followers"...

    Bucolic in the backblocks… • Since Jan 2008 • 269 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Hugh Wilson,

    Someone will hopefully present a more thorough exposition than me in coming days, but think of US car manufacturers (is retaining petrol/diesel models viable? will they produce to European standards?)

    All US car manufacturers will build to meet Californian standards which are as good as anywhere. California is the biggest internal market for almost everything in the US so what Trump says is largely irrelevant.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Hugh Wilson,

    Didn't take long: Trump Hands the Chinese a Gift: The Chance for Global Leadership

    https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/us/politics/climate-accord-trump-china-global-leadership.html

    Melbourne • Since Feb 2013 • 168 posts Report Reply

  • Stamper Stamp,

    This change of policy by Trump was inevitable. After decades of doom and gloom reality is Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming [as it used to be called] still has many disbelievers within the Science Community. Global Warming is merely a political tool to enable $Billions to flow into the UN under the guise of Saving The Planet. It is a boondoggle folks; and I am not the only one who believes that to be true. E.g.
    The February 23, 2017 Petition sent to President Trump signed by Dr. Richard Lindzen and more than 300 eminent scientists, engineers and other qualified and knowledgeable experts requesting that the U.S. withdraw from the UNFCCC reflects yet another significant effort by hundreds of scientists and other experts to expose to our Government leadership and public the deeply flawed scientific foundation underlying the politics of global government driven climate alarmism.

    This will now lead other Governments to reconsider their commitment to the Paris Agreement which will become another Kyoto type failure.

    Auckland • Since Feb 2014 • 27 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Stamper Stamp,

    still has many disbelievers within the Science Community

    Rubbish.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Neil,

    Trump waged a vendetta against what he perceived to be a Manattan elite that excluded him. Various Manhattan neighbourhoods paid the price - being destroyed by his developments.

    This is the same dynamic but with the neighbourhood being a lot larger.

    That vendetta mentality is why people ranging from Assange and Greenwald through to Putin find common ground.

    Since Nov 2016 • 382 posts Report Reply

  • John Farrell, in reply to Stamper Stamp,

    Are you seeking to demonstrate the accuracy of the article's title?

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 499 posts Report Reply

  • Rob S, in reply to Trevor Nicholls,

    President Cnut.

    A gold star for you and you can take the dusters out at the end of the lesson to bang them clean.

    I hereby propose that Trump/Drumph is officially President Cnut from here on in.

    He can sit on his throne of shit like the pathetic creature he truly is.

    America, whither goest thou? shiny car ekcetra

    Since Apr 2010 • 136 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Hugh Wilson,

    Didn’t take long: Trump Hands the Chinese a Gift: The Chance for Global Leadership

    The Chinese and Russians will fill the void in the Pacific - bye bye US influence and goodwill.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • linger, in reply to Rob S,

    Nah, we’ve been through this before: the usual version of the Cnut story gets his actual motivation backwards (the story is actually about demonstrating humility by showing his followers that he was merely human), and so to compare Trump to Cnut is to seriously denigrate Cnut. (Or in other words: Trump truly lacks the warmth and depth to be a Cnut.)

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Were a carbon trade war to happen, Trump might just find himself in the same position as Anthony Eden during the Suez Crisis.

    * CNN: Trump could start a trade war by ditching the Paris climate accord

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

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