Posted by Mark Silva at 9:06 am CDT

Actor Fred Thompson may have gotten a few laughs a few months back when he went on the radio with his "Plutonic Warming,'' wondering if shrinkage of an ice cap on Mars might have something to do with the planet's inhabitation by "alien "SUV-driving industrialists who run their air-conditioning at 60 degrees and refuse to recycle.''

But, now that Thompson, star of TV and film and former senator from Tennessee, has opened an exploratory bid for a campaign for the Republican Party's presidential nomination in 2008, he might have to start taking global warming a little more seriously. Even President Bush has taken notice of the issue, calling for an international conference of the leading industrial nations to set "a global goal'' for reduction of greenhouse gases – though, given the order in which Bush addressed this issue in his weekly radio address today, one may wonder how seriously the president takes the issue as well.

Thompson, after all, runs the risk of adding himself to that lineup of Republican candidates who raised their hands on stage when asked during the party's first presidential debate who doesn't believe in evolution. Thompson's light-hearted essay on the Paul Harvey Radio Show on the ABC Radio Network back in March raised the question of the earth's location in the Solar System. (Hear it here.)

"Some people think that our planet is suffering from a fever,'' Thompson said on the show. "Now scientists are telling us that Mars is experiencing its own planetary warming: Martian warming. It seems scientists have noticed recently that quite a few planets in our solar system seem to be heating up a bit, including Pluto. NASA says the Martian South Pole's ice cap has been shrinking for three summers in a row. Maybe Mars got its fever from earth. If so, I guess Jupiter's caught the same cold, because it's warming up too, like Pluto.

"This has led some people, not necessarily scientists, to wonder if Mars and Jupiter, non-signatories to the Kyoto Treaty, are actually inhabited by alien SUV-driving industrialists who run their air-conditioning at 60 degrees and refuse to recycle. Silly, I know, but I wonder what all those planets, dwarf planets and moons in our SOLAR system have in common. Hmmmm. SOLAR system. Hmmmm. Solar? I wonder. Nah, I guess we shouldn't even be talking about this. The science is absolutely decided. There's a consensus. Ask Galileo.''

Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, noted Thompson's comment on global warming at a forum this week: "That's kind of where that particular wing of the Republican Party is,'' he said.

Reminded that Sen. John McCain of Arizona is among the leaders of legislation in the Senate to cap greenhouse gas emissions, Kupchan said: "It's moving… I think it will happen, and it will happen in 2009. If you just look at the political landscape, we're getting there. It's just not going to happen under this president.''

With President Bush preparing to leave next week for a European tour centered on the Group of Eight summit in Germany, this is the text of the radio address which Bush delivered today, highlighting several issues he raised this week in preparation for the G-8. Just as he has during his two terms in office, he took a little while in this address to get to global warming:

"Good morning. Next week, I will travel to Europe to attend the G8 summit. At this meeting, the leaders of industrialized nations will discuss ways we can work together to advance trade, fight disease, promote development that works, increase access to education, and address the long-term challenge of global climate change.

"On Tuesday, America took new actions to address the ongoing genocide in Darfur. On my orders, the Department of Treasury tightened our existing economic sanctions against Sudan and imposed additional ones. I also directed Secretary Rice to work with our allies on a new U.N. Security Council Resolution that will seek to impose new sanctions, expand the arms embargo, and prohibit Sudan's government from conducting offensive military flights over this troubled region. The people of Darfur have suffered long enough. We will not avert our eyes from a crisis that challenges the conscience of the world.

"On Wednesday, the United States demonstrated leadership on another crisis affecting Africa: HIV/AIDS. In 2003, my Administration launched a $15 billion Emergency Plan for AIDS relief, and that plan has supported treatment for more than one million people. This is a good start, but only a start. So I've asked Congress to double our initial commitment for HIV/AIDS prevention to $30 billion over the next five years. By making this commitment now, we will help deliver lifesaving treatment, prevent new infections, and support care for millions of people across Africa.

"As we fight violence and disease, America is also using its influence to help struggling countries transform themselves into free and hopeful societies. And on Thursday, I announced three new initiatives that will help the developing world.

"The first initiative is a new project called the Africa Financial Sector Initiative. This initiative will help bring African nations the technical assistance they need to strengthen their financial markets. And it will encourage the international financial community to create several new private equity funds that will mobilize up to $1 billion of new private investment in Africa. By taking these steps, we can help African entrepreneurs access capital, so they can grow their businesses and create jobs across the continent.

"The second initiative is a new effort to help more of the world's poorest children get an education. In 2002, my Administration launched the Africa Education Initiative, which has provided about $300 million to improve educational opportunities throughout that continent. Now, with the support of Congress, we will devote an additional $525 million over the next five years to help provide a quality basic education for up to four million children in poor nations. With this initiative, we will help young people get the skills they need to succeed and a chance to achieve their dreams.

"The third initiative is a proposal to help developing nations meet their growing energy needs while protecting the environment and addressing the challenge of global climate change. Under my proposal, by the end of next year America and other nations will set a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases. And to meet this goal, we must help developing countries harness the power of technology. The United States is investing billions of dollars in clean energy technologies and coming up with new ways to share these technologies with other nations. Through the spirit of innovation, we will help developing nations grow their economies and be responsible stewards of the environment.

"In all these endeavors, the American people can be proud of our global leadership and generosity. Our Nation is delivering aid and comfort to those in need. We're helping expand opportunity across the world. We're laying the foundation for a more peaceful and hopeful future for all our citizens.

"Thank you for listening.''

Please, not another anti- intellectual. Is there some Republican predilection that requires an actor, and not a very good one, that they can build fantasies around. Another dunce is not what we need. I wish you media types would ask Thompson some serious questions that require unambiguous answers. Perhaps he does not believe in evolution. Perhaps he believes the "surge" will be successful. Perhaps he believes our medical services are just fine. Perhaps he believes the fall toward peonage of Americas hourly workers is just the "market" working. Perhaps he advocates torture. Perhaps he thinks unrecorded spying on citizens is alright. Perhaps he thinks,like Romney, that we need more Guantanamos. We need to know. Some care.

Here's another pipe dream cooked up by all the
dogooders of the world. Remember the sky is falling? Our world has been around for millions of years. I don't think the dogooders nor even the democrats could screwup things in such a short span of time. I think the good Lord is just doing an outstanding job.
Paul J.

Meanwhile, in the growing cache of news the "Swamp" and the Trib will censor: The "Guardian", the bible of the UK left, has just exposed the scam that is "carbon credts". The headline reads "Abuse and Incompetence in fight against global warming". The whole article can be read at:

http://environment.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,2093835,00.html

An excerpt:

"One source who has been working closely with the CDM board had seen some companies filing reports with "all kinds of basic errors which make you wonder if they have any idea what they're doing". They included an entire report in a foreign language when basic rules require it to be in English; submitting a report containing remarks such as "we must check this before we submit the report".

Other errors are said to be more serious, including conjuring up numbers when projects on the ground failed to provide them; giving a green light to commercial projects which make no contribution to reducing greenhouse gases; and approving existing projects which cannot claim to be part of the drive to cut emissions.

Most of the concern is around the crucial CDM test of "additionality" - proof that a project is delivering cuts in greenhouse gases that would not otherwise have happened. In an unpublished report, one of the CDM board's expert advisers, Axel Michaelowa, examined all 52 Indian projects which had been registered up to May 2006 and found that a third of them failed this additionality test.

Mr Michaelowa found evidence of projects supplying false information which was then accepted by the companies who were supposed to check it. In one case cited in the report, he accuses an Indian company of making statements which were "blatantly false". Despite his protests, that scheme was approved."

Don't worry, AlGore. Your media buddies will make sure this story is spiked in the U.S.

This being Mark Silva, the "senior fellow at the CFR" he dredges up to take a crack at a Republican, Charles Kupchan, turns out to be Democrat and Clintonista official.

According to his college bio, "Dr. Kupchan was Director for European Affairs on the National Security Council during the first Clinton administration."

Funny how Mark Silva tries to hide these "inconvenient truths".

PJ,

The dinosaurs were here for millions of years too. Only their thinking shows itself on occasion.

Pollution is pollution. It does not matter to me if it is causing global warming or not...it's plain ugly and hurts he environment regardless if in the air, on the land, or in the water. We should care period.

Bruce, the Guardian is late to the party. The business-oriented Financial Times had a very similar article a month ago about carbon credits. I'm actually a bit surprised the Bush Administration and/or the Republican hopefuls didn't harp on it at the time.

lochnessmonster is right. In addition, those pollutants are linked to medical conditions like asthma, birth defects, and even cancer. Clean it up!

By the way lochness, was that really you in that just released video? You've lost weight!

I think the good Lord is just doing an outstanding job.
Paul J.

Posted by: Paul Jaeger | Jun 2, 2007 9:41:14 AM

Paul feel free to join Bruce and bury your head in the sand. Your children and your childrens offspring will not look upon your contribution, or lack thereof kindly.

The lochness video I referred to earlier:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18970301/

Ask me no secrets I'll tell you no lies.

Mr. Paul Jaeger,

First of all you are using the term 'pipe dream' incorrectly, a 'pipe dream' is a 'desire that will not likely work'. If that is your correct usage, I ask you, 'to what end?'

Secondly, you write that the 'world has been around for millions of years.' For years, scientific consensus has placed the Earth at an approximate age of 4.5 billion. For a significant amount of time, Earth was a smoldering volcanic rock.

Further, this is not a religious issue and unless you are so self-absorbed that you do not care to see your descendants living on another volcanic rock, you should advocate legislation to reverse global warming. From the levity with which Mr. Thompson addresses this serious issue, concerned Americans can direct their votes elsewhere.

Jonathan Kinkley

Apart from the obvious people,
what does,

"Don't Mess with Texas", mean?

"Hollywood Conservative" Fred Thompson is going to be exposed for being the b-list actor, career lobbyist that he really is, this slime ball has been in on more back room DC deals than Jack Abrammoff has.

The bible thumpers actually believe that the dinosaur's died off because they wouldn't fit on Noah's ark.

OK, no takers,

"Don't mess with Texas"

It means (as I was told years ago) to leave Texas as you find it. If you drive into it, leave it clean "Mess", and respect the State.

It's simple things like that that we all should have respect in doing.

I had always thought it had something to do with being tough.

We'll have to see if he really can be more than just a popular actor. Seeing http://thenewsroom.com/details/350762/Politics?c_id=tvo made me wonder though...is he now allowed to join the debates?

Global warming must be serious. Al Gore, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards have given up their carbon consuming mega mansions, fleets of SUVs and private jet travel.... Oh, they haven't? Well, give them time and surely they will do the right thing.

So global warming takes a back seat to free market fundamentalism. The order of which should not be surprising. The big industries are all he's thinking of, and the global warming acts as something to get countries wary of America to come to the table.(Due to past inclination for the US to oppose several international issues. Plus, there's Iraq, ofcourse.)

The fact it is even mentioned has a lot to do with what Bruce said. Bruce might disagree with global warming, or not care that industrial pollution has other negative effects on the environment, like acid rain and toxic waste. However, many a environmentalist will tell you that there exists a problematic motivation behind industries becoming "environmentally friendly." It has a lot to do with the fact industries make money out of initiatives they don't implement. The money made proves to be a significant source of income.

For me, global warming can be attributed to lots of things, including a polar tilt (where the earth leans into the sun) come so many years. The existence of it can all be debated. But, at the end of the day industrial pollution does affect the environment, and if global warming is the only thing that will put a cap on the pollution industries fill the air with (or earth or water or whatever), it would be a good thing, if taken seriously and enforced accordingly.

Not on Bush's watch, I'm sure.

Mark Silva,

When you read Bruce's posts - do you you wet yourself laughing or do you actually make it to the porcelain device?

Num sayin' Vern?

When they start proving global warming is caused by people then we should start doing something. Until then don't think you can force me to live the life want me to live.
And for all the fools out there that think our government should also do something about healthcare; try showing some respect for the Constitution. There is absolutely nothing government should be doing. I look forward to the day that several states will cecede from the union and force the socialists on the left to find a new group they can steal money from.

It seems like Thompson's comment about "ask Galileo" was intended to be ironic, as if to say, "Sure, scientists are ALWAYS right...just ask Galileo" (wink,wink). But didn't Galileo support the theory that the earth revolved around the sun, not the other way around? Wasn't it Ptolemy who believed everything revolved around the earth?

It's not our fault,the sun is getting ready to pop

Other than in the Swamp, where would you like your garbage piled up Jon, since the government is no longer involved cleaning up after you. How about a pile on your front lawn? Will that interfere with your outhouse, now that you no longer have the need for a connection to the pubic water supply? The government should do nothing for you.

When they start proving global warming is caused by people then we should start doing something. Until then don't think you can force me to live the life want me to live.
Posted by: Jon | Jun 2, 2007 8:43:54 PM

I guess your not much on religion then are you?
They want us to live the way they do without confirmation.

Here's another pipe dream cooked up by all the
dogooders of the world. Remember the sky is falling? Our world has been around for millions of years. I don't think the dogooders nor even the democrats could screwup things in such a short span of time. I think the good Lord is just doing an outstanding job.
Paul J.

Posted by: Paul Jaeger | Jun 2, 2007 9:41:14 AM

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Paul,

The good Lord put man on this earth. Man came with a brain to enable independent thinking and performance capability. Then HE,HIMSELT told man to "handle it" until Judgment Day. On Judgment Day, the good Lord would return and announce HIS assessment of man's behavior. In the meantime man would have freedom to behave as he wishes.

Man, with the capability of independent thought and behavior could and did pollute HIS rivers. It became almost weird when someone claimed that one of HIS rivers in the United States caught fire.

That was before the Bush team's time, so there was no huge presidential constraints against the "clean up of rivers" campaign. And, indeed, HE,HIMSELF would likely have applauded man's effort in the "clean up the rivers" campaign.

But now the United States is under different management. And in some categories, inertia runs deep. Cleaning the air hardly seems a priority to this management team.

And paul, it is not the good Lord who is dumping garbage into the atmosphere; it is man. And even though the earth has been around for millions of years, you could not live on it for most of that time. It is conceivable that earth could once again become uninhabitable for man.

Bruce, why is it that bloggers of the right wing "ilk", can't take responsibility for the Bush team's train wrecks?

Why is it that Ex President Clinton can't be Ex President Clinton? Why do you need to talk negatively about Ex President Clinton when you could be talking positively about the rein of current President Bush?

WHY IS IT THAT THE RIGHT WING NEVER EVER TALKS ABOUT ITS ACCOMPLISHMENTS? YOU CAN'T MAKE RIGHT WING TALKERS TALK ABOUT THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. WHY IS THAT?

The Iraq war was/is a major task of the Bush team. How is the Bush team doing? Tell us about Iraqi Refugees. Are there any?

Nobody else on the Bush team is talking about Iraqi refugees. Vice President Cheney recently went to Iraq. Nothing about refugees. That senator who straddles the fence, leaning toward the right just left Iraq - nothing about refugees.

Are the United Nations and the Red Cross seeing things? I mean that aren't there.

Is it worth a try to link Ex President Clinton to what the Red Cross and the United Nations are calling a serious HUMANITARIAN PROBLEM.

Tell America what the right wing has done that America should be proud of. Anything. Anything at all.

Tell America why it should be proud to have such expensive "management". Tell America why 300,000,000 of us should be proud that we owe the Bush team $30,000 each. Tell us of the achievements of these expensive managers.

Tell us something about why and how President Bush is so much better at managing than Ex President Clinton. Or would you rather just revert to the famous name calling of the right wing? That is talking when you have nothing to say.

Just for Crazy John Devola;

Propane; Redux

If you wanna hang cool then don't play the fool; propane.
If you wanna get down, down on the ground; propane.
She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie; propane.

If you got bad news, you wanna kick them blues; propane.
When your day is done and you wanna be cool; propane.
She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie; propane.

If your condenser is froze well that's the way it goes; propane.
Dont forget this fact, you cant get it back; propane.
She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie; propane.

Jon,

Are you Aroo?

What ?!?!?!

Global Warming is no joke?

Does this mean I can get rid of my "Save the Raingforest" t shirt, or do I still have to worry alongside Madonna and Sting?

I run a website that discusses global warming http://www.globalwarming-factorfiction.com so I feel that I have a handle on most of the pertinent issues.

In my opinion, Mr. Bush is simply giving into politics. This isn't surprising - he is a politician. With the elections coming up in about 18 months he needs to set up for a successor from the Republican party. He cannot allow the Democratic candidates to make global warming a huge issue so it only makes political sense to agree to some types of talks and discussions.

It is interesting though that when Mr. Bush acts as an administrator (the job he gets paid for) he has said that the science does not support dramatic changes in our economy - hence the US did not sign the Kyoto document. In fact, in a recent study of scientists only 39% felt that carbon dioxide reductions were a priority http://globalwarming-factorfiction.com/2007/06/02/they-call-this-a-consensus/.

Jon Said:
When they start proving global warming is caused by people then we should start doing something. Until then don't think you can force me to live the life want me to live.
Posted by: Jon | Jun 2, 2007 8:43:54 PM

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Jon, it sounds like you may already accept that the weather is warming but you are waiting for someone to prove that people are the cause? What if, in your mind, it is finally proved that people are the cause - how much lead time would be needed to successfully change what would likely be a huge earth event?

People already have been connected to some depletion in the ozone layer. But now the talk is of greenhouse gases as a possible problem for the atmosphere, and you want to prove that people are the cause of greenhouse gases?

Perhaps, a stitch in time saves nine. Perhaps we should act while we still can. We already saw how the Bush team handled Katrina. And it is likely that America does not want to test the Bush team's management skills on a major weather problem that was an "earth event".

Sean O. said:

In my opinion, Mr. Bush is simply giving into politics. This isn't surprising - he is a politician.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The Bush team seems to have politicized too much of American Democracy. When the politician, who would be president, takes his oath of office, he should think more of the best interest of America. But now, America seems to be taking on the best interest of the Bush team.

NASA, the Justice Department and other organizations that get money from the Federal Government(the Bush team) seem to be showing accountability to the Bush team.