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Rhinocrisy

07 July, 2006

unparalleled

Genuine, no-joke press release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, dated yesterday:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

*Germany to Help Provide Clean Energy*

Contact: Roxanne Smith, (202) 564-43XX / XXXXX@epa.gov (media only);
Erin Birgfeld, (202) 343-90XX/ XXXXX@epa.gov (technical questions only)

(Washington, D.C. - July 6, 2006) Germany has become the 18th member of the
international Methane to Markets Partnership, a Bush Administration initiative
that promotes the recovery and use of methane to provide clean energy. Germany's
participation in the partnership will help reduce methane emissions and promote
global energy security.

"The Bush Administration has an unparalleled financial, international and
domestic commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Voluntary
programs, like EPA's Methane to Markets Partnership, are achieving significant
reductions by taking methane waste and turning it into wealth," said EPA
Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "By working with Germany to promote advances
in clean technology, President Bush is helping turn strong economic partners
into good global neighbors."
Hello, is this Erin Birgfeld? Yes, I have a technical question. If two lines are unparalleled, and one is going the right direction, which way is the other one going?

Gotta love those unparalleled commitments. It reminds me of two speedskaters, one bolting with determination for the finish line while the other pours salt on the ice, moons the camera, and wanders off into the crowd. "My commitment to victory is unparalleled!"

Or to put it another way (PDF):
German emissions are 18.5% below 1990 levels, within reach of its 21% emission reduction target. Germany is expected to meet its targets without the use of flexibility mechanisms such as international carbon trading. Ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schroder has offered to set a target of reducing German emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 if the EU accepts a 30% reduction target. The new coalition government under Chancellor Angela Merkel has maintained a strong stance on climate change action...
As of 2003, the report says, Germany needed to cut another 3 percent from its carbon emissions to meet its Kyoto commitment. The USA needed to cut 21 percent, a number that rises with every record month for gasoline consumption. Hooray for April! We sure stuck it to Exxon that month!

Comments

the other wonder of being the world's largest spending party is that you can have the most biggest step forward in a good direction and have more than enough cash for two staggeringly huge steps back. is the glass half full, or is my friend hitting you in the face with a broken bottle? both!

hey look, that positive spin language appeared verbatim in the other place where johnson was quoted, too. the unitary truth of the bush administration, now and forever, "doin' the job." ("what's 'the job'?" "i've already answered that. next question.")

besides, with good people at the wheel, sleeves rolled to proper length, and paper trail burned or buried, how can progress not be right around the corner?

i was thinking this morning about hillary clinton and other mid-road democrats. nothing wrong with calling them neoliberals, catching two meanings with the net, instead of "new democrats" or "new labour." social marketists. what struck me is that the arsonists on the right have done a remarkable thing, trapping the republican republicans between anti-socialism and meaningful negotiation. if you support private enterprise, you must  support fascism, because there is no greater threat to private property than public discourse - as good as it is for society, "finders keepers" is an acquired principle, not to be left to fend for itself in the marketplace of ideas.

still, it seems there's a parallel of climate change in federal gummint affairs. the arsonists have successfully painted the debate between private-based and public-based firefighters as a debate on whether fire exists, in almost every area. the press agrees that fire is controversial. frankly i think we need perot's party back, if the gummint is to somehow reflect what people are really thinking. 

Posted by hibiscus


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