Environment, Global Warming, Jesusland, Natural Disasters, Politics, Radio
Local news here in Southern California is reporting that upwards of 1 million people have been evacuated because of the fire storms. Last night, when the number was about half that, Keith Olbermann suggested that this could be the largest forced migration of Americans since the Civil War.
“I am very confident in our ability to do just about anything. You said not on to get overconfident but, I’ll tell you what, the Republican Party is more, gosh, we’re stronger than God Almighty himself.”
– Dittohead caller on Limbaugh’s show yesterday
But yesterday Rush Limbaugh told his easily deluded listeners that the mainstream media is “hyping” the wildfires — and the poor semi-retarded Dittoheads are believing it:
RUSH: No, I’ve been wondering about this, having not been out there. I know how media works. They love this kind of stuff. The worse they can make it sound, the better. The more crisis-prone, the more disaster-certain it is, the more excited by it they are — and I’ve been e-mailing people in Los Angeles. I’ve been e-mailing friends in Southern California. “Are you in trouble from the fires?”
“No, not really. It’s not anywhere near us.”
In fact, a couple people I e-mailed on Sunday didn’t even know about it ’til they got back home Sunday night, even though the fire has been raging through the weekend. You’re right. A lot of people are losing a lot of property here, but the idea that it may not be quite as bad as it is, is an interesting media study.
This is standard Limbaugh. “Global warming can’t real because it’s chilly in my living room. And if I can’t feel it, it is not happening.”
And who’s to blame for the fires — that, as Big Dan pointed out — he says are not happening? Take a guess:
RUSH: [And] these environmental groups, they are to blame for this … They are the ones that are making these fires.
Gotta love this from a caller — a Dittohead who is a Christian but apparently hasn’t gotten the word from church central that you’re not supposed to put mankind above the Almighty:
DITTOHEAD: I am very confident in our ability to do just about anything. You said not on to get overconfident but, I’ll tell you what, the Republican Party is more, gosh, we’re stronger than God Almighty himself.
I’ll bet God is pissed and She will smite this sinner very soon.
H/t: Big Dan
Topics: Environment, Global Warming, Jesusland, Natural Disasters, Politics, Radio
With all due respect I think Limbaugh needs to get his facts straight, however much of the reason we have the fires is because everyone wanted to protect the trees- While living next to them. The Big Bear area has become a forest of matchsticks because everyone wanted to protect the Beetle diseased trees, even though they were dead.
This was predicable.
I don’t know, Tim. It’s not that simple over here in Florida. Yes, people want to preserve forests but fire has been a part of Florida life…forever. Florida is one of the lightening capitals of the world and every year, before housing developments named in commemoration of what was cleared to build them — Deerwood or Wolf Ridge or Creekside — fires were allowed to clear out the quick-burning fuel like palmettos and pine needles. Now no one wants to have any fire, ever, and all that fuel builds up until one day, as Rush might say, God clicks His Bic.
So I don’t think the answer to the problem of wildfires, especially those caused by climate change, is to wipe out all the trees. Seems to me that would only make things hotter.
Southern California has very few native trees – pines in the high Sierras and an oak that looks to East Coast eyes like a yaupon or scrub oak and others. The bulk of it was brought in by emigrants from the east and, in the case of the jacarandas, the 90 foot eucalyptus trees and even our signature palms, from other parts of the world.
The native plants are designed to burn. Creosote requires fire in order to seed, for example. Fire was a vital element of the ecosystem before we “tamed” it.
It’s not a slam dunk that we can chalk this firestorm up to climate change, however. Last season may have the second driest on record but the winter before was one of the rainiest.
And that’s the problem: The vegetation flourished more than usual two seasons ago but has had virtually no water since then, which would be roughly May 2005.
We all knew this sort of disaster was likely, but were hoping to make it until the rains come (we hope) next month.
Look, the news folks HYPE EVERYTHING! If there’s no REAL news they go down to the corner and wait for a boy scout to escort a little old lady across the street, and it makes it on the six o’clock news! OF COURSE THE MEDIA IS HYPING THIS FIRE! Sorry, no big scoop that idiot Rush is shooting his big mouth off again only to suit his agenda; this time he’s actually right! (But he’s still annoying just the same).