Connecting Random Dots

Ever wondered how to write for National Post? It’s easy. Pick two completely unrelated issues (as a general rule make environment bashing one of them) and randomly link them together. See Peter Foster today:

“Iceland’s volcanic disruption has demonstrated what fads like “eating local” really mean: less variety and higher costs at home; less jobs for producers—often poor ones—abroad”

Yes you read correctly, apparently volcanic eruptions and eating local are apt comparisons.

Full article: http://bit.ly/anPq31

Everything you needed to know about the 365 area code

“So what kind of mojo does the number 365, as assigned by the Canadian Numbering Administrator, bring to southern Ontario? Pauline Edward, a numerologist, astrologist and author, pointed out that when you add up the digits, you get 14 — and one plus four equals five.”

Thrilling, just thrilling insight. This here is the reason I read newspapers.

Full article: http://bit.ly/adTaSy

Smog… it's all good

Ross McKitrick… an economist known for bashing climate change figures smog is game as well:

“If we got rid of all the air pollution in the cities – didn’t change anything else – how much would the rate of hospitalization go down? The answer is it really wouldn’t go down at all.”

The retort from the healthcare community:

“We rely on the wealth of evidence in the scientific community, particularly from epidemiologists, who have demonstrated for many years – and repeatedly – the significant correlation between ambient pollution and health,” she said. “We’d be remiss and, quite frankly, irresponsible to ignore that.”

Gee Ross maybe this is why you should stick to economics and not science.

It honestly boggles my mind that people think that unnaturally pumping our air and atmosphere full of pollutants doesn’t have consequences.

Full Article: http://bit.ly/dnt8EC

Number One News Story

seriously. number one story and picture on the national post right now.

Math. Apparently not so easy.

My favourite post writer has apparently forgotten how basic substitution works:

“Ontario has yet to produce any evidence that its massive feed-in-tariff regime will appreciably reduce carbon emissions, even though consumers will pay billions of dollars more for electricity in years to come.” – Terence Corcoran

See generally it works like this… Generation from clean power = less generation required from dirty power. I know, I know, it is very complicated… but I’m sure if you try hard enough you can wrap your head around it.

Full article: http://bit.ly/9LUP4O

Big News Scoop, No Proof Required

Yup “Big News Scoop, No Proof Required” is an actual editorial title criticizing the CBC.

Apparently the National Post is criticizing other media outlets for lacking proof in their stories… because you know the National Post NEVER EVER runs baseless stories.

Bad Science

On why homeopathic medicine should not be funded by the government:

“Homeopathy is based upon the scientifically invalidated idea…”

Based on scientifically invalidated ideas? Sounds like climate skepticism, and yet that has never stopped the National Post.

Full article: http://bit.ly/bzuFsZ

Climate Change… Less likely than a Martian Invasion

I try to avoid touching on climategate… but Peter Foster kind of left the door far too wide open when he compares the likelihood of climate change happening to a martian invasion (seriously):

“those down at the UN’s Interplanetary Combat Command (IPCC) might say … How can we be absolutely sure that Martians aren’t assembling an armada on the far side of their planet?”

“Since Mr. Lomborg has committed to man-made climate change, he seems to be having some problem acknowledging that this belief increasingly ranks with the hysteria created by Orson Welles’ radio production of War of the Worlds.”

If you are convinced there’s a greater chance that martians will invade Earth than everything we pump into the atmosphere having an effect on the climate… i’m not even sure where to start with you.

Lets just go with it’s one thing to stick to your guns on climategate (even under incredible evidence that climategate was overblown)… but a whole new level ignorance is required to put a piece like this together (a level of ignorance the Post seems to be striving for lately).

Full article:  http://bit.ly/aAUANC

National Post a.k.a. Conservative Propaganda

Not surprisingly, the National Post has to have two editorials about Ignatieft’s recent statement on investing in women’s health. This one titled “Planned Propaganda”. As you may recall Iggy has recently said:

“Women are entitled to the full gamut of reproductive health services and that includes termination of pregnancy and contraception”

The National Post editorial board this time responds, painting Iggy as as an abortion lover as opposed to being pro-choice (which really seems to be the case):

“Even most pro-choice advocates stop short of casually lumping abortion in as just another uncontroversial “contraceptive method,” as Mr. Ignatieff appears to have done.”

I might not be a writer… but i was pretty sure “termination of pregnancy AND contraception” implies they are not the same thing. Please forward along your writing guide National Post this is a big change to the english language.

Full article: http://bit.ly/bifcx2

Pro-choice now the Most Audacious Stance on Abortion

Kevin Libin accusses Ignatieff of “attempting to resurrect the specter of a Tory hidden agenda” after Ignatieff stated:

“Women are entitled to the full gamut of reproductive health services and that includes termination of pregnancy and contraception”

Sounds to me like Ignatieff is pro-choice… a common view held by past liberal leaders. Kevin Libin on the other hand has this to say about Iggy’s stance:

“the most audacious stance in favour of the practice of abortion ever to come from a Liberal leader.”

I’d say it’s Kevin Libin trying to make an issue out of nothing… rather than Iggy.

Full article: http://bit.ly/9u87kx