Comments on: Drought politics

by: VanillaMan

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 11:33:37 +0000

When idiots point towards the empty burning skies to proclaim that it is the work of God due to our driving SUVs, allowing gay marriage, burning carbon based fuels, not eating organic, not reading the Bible, not fighting jihad, capitalist greed, or anything else but recognition of normal cyclical weather patterns, we’ve entered the Stone Age mentally.

Whether you are a global warming worshipper, or an Torah or Koran fundamentalist, you folks need to get a grip.

by: wordslinger

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 05:11:48 +0000

Tony, as you are a former candidate for city treasurer, your direct line to understanding God’s wrath is clear.

The only explanation for drought here in Illinois is that God is mad at Pat Quinn for supporting same-sex marriage. What else could it be?

As to why there is drought across the rest of the country, maybe you can give us the lowdown on the thinking of a very angry and vengeful God so we can straighten up and fly right.

While you’re at it, I’ve always wondered, since you’re down on the Bible and the whole marriage thing: Where did Cain and Abel find those wives, anyway? Was there some biker bar on the Eden/Nod county line?

by: Tony Cisneros

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 04:45:21 +0000

As A Former Candidate For City Treasurer Of Chicago, IL–As Pat Quinn Served IL As STATE Treasurer Years Back–I Totally REPUDIATE QUINN’S HYPOCRISY In Asking ILLINOISIANS To Pray For Rain; When, QUINN Has INSULTED GOD ALMIGHTY In Supporting “SAME-SEX ‘MARRIAGE’ ” In ILLINOIS ! ! !

Could It Be GOD ALMIGHTY Is PUNISHING ILLINOIS & HER GOVERNOR For SINNING AGAINST HIS HOLY DIVINE LAW OF MARRIAGE BEING CONFINED ONLY TO MALES & FEMALES: ala ADAM & EVE (NOT ADAM & STEVE &-OR EVA & EVE) ? ? ?

Truthfully, Honestly & Sincerely Yours,

Tony Cisneros,
2011 Candidate For City Treasurer,
City Of Chicago,
State Of Illinois,
United States Of America.

by: Jimbo

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 03:56:13 +0000

The support systems vital to modern farming could collapse Fertilizer suppliers,grain processing and storage,seed companies are critical to today’s farming and tomorrow’s farming.That could be disastrous.These operations have to rely on good crops and that’s not happened and, it’s not going to ’cause there’s no water,.Mother Nature will always win,regardless of the sanctimonious explanations of it being all our fault.supernatural rationalizing,or other off the wall theories.

by: wishbone

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 03:06:39 +0000

“Your claim (not cited) is simply not true.”

How about this from Wikipedia: “As the representative of the world’s scientific and engineering academies,the InterAcademy Council (IAC) issued a report in 2007 titled Lighting the Way: Toward a Sustainable Energy Future. Current patterns of energy resources and energy usage are proving detrimental to the long-term welfare of humanity. The integrity of essential natural systems is already at risk from climate change caused by the atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases. Concerted efforts should be mounted for improving energy efficiency and reducing the carbon intensity of the world economy.”

in addition, for college professor you seriously misrepresent the conclusions of Interacademy Council’s review of the IPCC assessment process. While recommending improved procedures they also state: “The Committee concludes that the IPCC assessment process has been successful overall and has served society well. The commitment of many
thousands of the world’s leading scientists and other experts to the assessment process and to the communication of the nature of our understanding
of the changing climate, its impacts, and possible adaptation and mitigation strategies is a considerable achievement in its own right.”

Hardly the criticism you imply. Human caused climate change is real and well accepted by the scientific community including the Interacademy Council.

by: western illinois

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 02:46:43 +0000

Theres is venting of methane from the arctic,the loss of arctic ice predicted by the IPCC in 2080 that is happening now There is todays calving of another Greenland Glacier an d the the current worldwide drought and heat waves also prediced for late century due to the collapse of the jet strea(New Scientist this week)The IPCC was wrong its much worse
By 2030 no one will give a damn about Illinois pensions or possibly Illinois

by: Give Me A Break

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 23:56:18 +0000

Will the downstate members of the Tea Party hold a rally calling for the farmers to reject any Big Gvt. help. It would only be right, maybe McCarter could lead the rally.

by: College Professor

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 23:56:09 +0000

Wishbone: Read Interacademy Council investigation of the IPCC and you’ll find the conclusions that the IPCC was not operating within standards of the academic and scientific community. The report clearly spells out how criticisms of published articles were never considered. The literature was never peer reviewed. Your claim (not cited) is simply not true.

by: wishbone

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 23:16:42 +0000

“The question that is not settled is the degree to which human activity causes change (and the achievable options for mitigating or dealing with the human component)”

The fact that human activity is a major cause of the gases that in turn cause climate change is agreed to by 99% of climate scientists. Only those in the hip pocket of the fossil fuel industry “believe” otherwise and they are well compensated for their beliefs. Climate change denial is the single greatest threat to out children’s future. This summer is only a taste of the disaster that is coming.

by: sal-says

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 21:59:30 +0000

There ARE NO politics in drought.

by: johhnypizza

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 21:52:27 +0000

It’s too bad we didn’t know or understand climate change in the mid 1930s or 1956. We could have avoided this according to “wishbone” et al. What is important is the severe impact this will have on the price of food, and the value of farm land, especially if this continues for another year or two which these type of droughts seem to do. I believe that NONE of this limited crop should go into energy production. It must all be used for food. Hello higher energy prices. Time to strap it on. Looks like it could be a big economic storm. Hope and pray I am wrong.

by: Phineas Fogg

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 21:23:53 +0000

To Responsa: Your points are well made. Sorry but I did not mean to imply that all is “gloom & doom” and the sky is falling but simply that the implications from this drought are much greater than most folks are anticipating. It is “a given” that food prices in the grocery store are about to go higher. This won’t help Ben, Turbo-Tim, or Barack in their quest to catch and package the pies flying off of the end of the conveyor belt at the bakery. Farmers are the “primary buyers” of farmland in the country. I did not mean to imply that they are now destitute. Far from it.These guys are great businessmen but dry weather is beyond their control. Cash rents (in my opinion) are almost certain to be headed down and so is “discretionary spending” by our conservative Midwest farmers. This will exacerbate an already tepid economy in the country (in my opinion). My opinion is simply that farmers are likely to be “far more hesitant” to bid on additional farmground at these current farmland values. It is simply “an opinion” and time will tell if I am wrong. I hope that I am wrong but I don’t think so. Farmland values will be viewed by some potential farmland buyers as over-inflated based on what has just happened. An investor (including conservative farmers) will also realize that we could have another drought next year at this time. That will slow down any potential investor and make them reflect on whether they are going to bid on more farmland regardless of how well-off they are. That was all that I was trying to express.