Conservative Conversation + Podcasts

City Journal's 10 Blocks

China’s Nuclear Push

September 2, 2020

2 COMMENTS

With guest Michael Shellenberger

Michael Shellenberger joins Brian Anderson to discuss America’s nuclear industry, China’s deal with Saudi Arabia to produce uranium “yellowcake” from uranium ore, and Shellenberger’s new book, Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All.

Member Post

By Eridemus

Eridemus

| July 16, 2020

1 COMMENTS

Denmark has discovered at least how to circumvent it (like the kids laws to ensure their futures): Make opposing climate change or failing goals so illegal that no government can exist unless it is committed to previously-set standards and goals. Try to avoid them and yer out! (No need to consult voters of course). https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200706-the-law-that-could-make-climate-change-illegal […]

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Federalist Radio Hour

Michael Shellenberger: Climate Alarmism Is Misleading And Immoral

July 9, 2020

1 COMMENTS

Hosted by Ben Domenech

With guest Michael Shellenberger

Bestselling author, journalist, and environmental activist Michael Shellenberger joined host Ben Domenech to discuss climate alarmism and how the left wing media and activists have distorted the urgency of climate change. Shellenberger just published his most recent book, “Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All,” this month.

Shellenberger condemned the left’s journalists, climate activists, and malthusian scientists for promoting climate alarmism. The radical left has taken an immoral position by denying vast, inexpensive energy sources to all people, he said, which they consider to be the moral center of apocalyptic environmentalism.

Member Post

By Eridemus

Eridemus

| June 24, 2020

2 COMMENTS

https://dirt.asla.org/2020/05/26/suburban-sprawl-increases-the-risk-of-future-pandemics/ It’s odd how all the “new urbanism” defenders haven’t said following the virus: well yeah, the suburbs aren’t that bad after all. Nope, it’s like how climate people say whether it’s cold or it’s hot, they are always right about overall global warming. I read this article today in which the author said the […]

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Member Post

By jmelvin

jmelvin

jmelvin is a member of Ricochet.

| May 18, 2020

6 COMMENTS

If many gun-controllers had their way, you and I would not have our guns at all or if we did have to have them, they would be locked away in our safes never to see the light of day, except on rare occasions under the strictest scrutiny. This won’t fly in most of America and […]

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Member Post

By Aaron Miller

Aaron Miller

| April 15, 2020

13 COMMENTS

Democrats and their ilk have already likened the threat of pandemics to the fanciful threat of “climate change”, presumably considering measures as bold as the current lockdowns to enforce counteraction. So let’s review why the term itself proves their climate concerns utterly ridiculous. For years, “global warming” was their battle cry. Why? The argument was […]

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Member Post

By Brian Watt

Brian Watt

Brian Watt is a humorist, writer, designer, and marketing professional.

| January 8, 2020

11 COMMENTS

The Norwegian/French produced political thriller series Occupied which had been featured on Netflix and that just posted the show’s third season of episodes has been completely yanked from the streaming service. Netflix has provided no official explanation for removing the series as of this writing. Update: This morning, (Thursday, January 9th) Netflix restored the series […]

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The Multi-Front Attack on Free Speech

By David Foster

David Foster

I also blog at Chicago Boyz.

| January 2, 2020

16 COMMENTS

Free speech…free expression generally…is under attack in America and throughout the Western world to a degree not seen in a long time. I think there are specific phenomena and (partially-overlapping) categories of people which are largely driving this attack, to wit:

The Thugs. As I pointed out in my post The United States of Weimar?, illegal actions against political opponents, ranging from theft of newspapers to direct assault and battery, have in recent decades become increasingly common on university campuses, and now are well on track to being normalized as aspects of American politics. Incidents of political thuggery are reported almost daily: just the other day, pro-Trump women at an upscale DC hotel were verbally attacked and apparently physically assaulted by members of a wedding party that was heavy on Democrat attendees; including, reportedly, some top officials from the DNC. A pro-free-speech film was reportedly interrupted by two men wearing masks. Interruption of movies they didn’t like was a tactic used by the Nazis prior to their obtaining official censorship powers. The film “All Quiet on the Western Front” was plagued by Nazi disruptions when released in Germany in 1930. And attempts to shut down dissident speakers on college campuses, such as this, have become so common as to now be almost the default expectation.

A Young Person We Should Honor (Not Named Thunberg)

By Bucknelldad

Bucknelldad

Retired food company executive, but not really retired, currently based in the Philadelphia region. Former Secretary of the U.S. Senate, trade association executive, congressional chief of staff and press secretary, and a recovering newspaper editor. Worked for the Republican Party on some 35 Senate and House campaigns in 25 states over a 25 year period. Also served in the Bush 41 Administration at the Department of Transportation. Serving on bunches of non profit boards, and occasional guest on… [more]

| December 16, 2019

13 COMMENTS

One of the consequences of our narrative-consumed media culture is the glorification of 16-year-old truants who are manipulated and victimized (some say abused) by activist adults. Somehow, such symbolic individuals, with no real knowledge, training or experience make their way onto the cover of magazines. Meanwhile, a 21-year-old student, Reed College senior and budding scientist who has not only stayed in school but has actually done something that could prove meaningful in the global cause to reduce plastic pollution. After all, that which gets rewarded gets repeated.

It’s a real issue. The globe produces about 450 million tons of plastic every year, and about 8 million tons of it winds up in our oceans. These plastics last on average 15 years.

Morgan Vague is that Reed College student. She discovered a microbe that eats certain forms of PET, a commonly used plastic. This is amazing, but don’t expect any Nobel prizes or a person of the year award, since Morgan doesn’t appear to be getting any attention or support from so-called environmental groups. They seem more interested in the 16-year-old truant who screams at us.

Kudos to Morgan and her discovery. May the world take note.

Member Post

By Henry Racette

Contributor

Henry Racette

I'm a fifty-something father of six who divides his time between writing industrial automation software and opining cantankerously about the precariousness of western civilization and the enemies, many unwitting, arrayed against it. I'm fascinated by words, evolution, emergent behavior, the challenge of Islam, the absurdity of the trans movement, and saving the most successful nation and culture in history. I'm a climate empiricist: I'll believe in global warming when I see evidence of global… [more]

| December 14, 2019

27 COMMENTS

The young Miss Thunberg is receiving some criticism from those not numbered amongst her ardent fans for what many are suggesting is a, well, frankly murderous suggestion: “World leaders are still trying to run away from their responsibilities but we have to make sure they cannot do that. We will make sure that we put […]

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Member Post

By Eridemus

Eridemus

| December 14, 2019

5 COMMENTS

Potential carbon tariffs have been an active topic at the United Nations climate conference that wraps up this weekend in Madrid, where nearly 200 nations have been at odds over how to counter the continued global rise of greenhouse gas emissions. And some diplomats say it’s inevitable that governments will turn to trade barriers in […]

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Quote of the Day: Groupthink

By Lilly B

Lilly B

Lilly B is a member of Ricochet.

| December 4, 2019

18 COMMENTS

“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” — Gen. George S. Patton

Yesterday YouTube suggested that I would like The Mark Steyn Show Climate Change Forum, so I watched it. Whether it’s creepy that YouTube put this video at the top of my feed the day after I had been writing on Ricochet about climate change in general and the website of a panel member in particular, I’ll leave for others to decide. The panel discussion included a lot about how difficult it is for people to speak up or challenge the uniform thinking of their peers.

What Does the IPCC Report Actually Say?

By Roderic

Reagan

Roderic

| November 9, 2019

46 COMMENTS

The science in the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) report is contained in the report published by Working Group 1 of the IPCC, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. I suspect that few people have actually read this ~1500 page tome. Most people read the Summary for Policy Makers, which is written by bureaucrats and does not, in my opinion, faithfully reflect the contents of the actual report. There is too much emphasis on worst-case scenarios, which the report does not say are the most likely ones, in the Summary.

As best I can make out, what the report itself says is this: Global warming isn’t likely to be a big deal. It is unlikely to cause significant harm over the next 100 years or so. In a followup special IPCC report even in the worst-case scenario the prediction is a fall in economic productivity of 10% of what it would otherwise be by 2100. That’s not even noticeable considering the growth in the economy that will have occurred by then.

Member Post

By CarolJoy, Thread Hijacker

CarolJoy, Thread Hijacker

| September 22, 2019

5 COMMENTS

A two minute call out about the young and their continual insistence that they must support the noble cause of Saving the Earth by supporting the Globalists and their Global Warming Scare Techniques. Of course, not every young person thinks this way. I recently spoke to a member of my community in Northern Calif who […]

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If One Truly Believes in the Climate Catastrophe … Then It’s War!

By Man With the Axe

Man With the Axe

| September 14, 2019

28 COMMENTS

For those people who truly believe that the world only has 12 years (or less) to solve the climate crisis or there will be a global catastrophe of biblical proportions, is the following a fair question?

Given general agreement that developed countries cannot solve the carbon problem without the full participation of China and India: Do you agree that if diplomatic pressure brought to bear by the countries that are serious about climate change does not convince China and India to cooperate with our attempt to save the planet, that these serious countries should go to war with China and India to compel them to abandon their coal-fired power plants, and thus save the world?

Lies: Big and Small

By Henry Racette

Contributor

Henry Racette

| September 9, 2019

41 COMMENTS

It’s well beyond whether or not [climate change] affects me personally, which it does, and it did my family, and still does. Just like your families. This is personal. Every one of you probably have a story that can talk about what’s happened to something you care greatly about, whether it’s a species or it’s your son or daughter coming down with cancer because of this.
— Joe Biden, 2019

Don’t Worry – Just Ask the Right Questions

By DavidBSable

Inactive

DavidBSable

| August 18, 2019

27 COMMENTS

Last year at a local meet the candidate forum, the State House contender approached the lectern and said somberly and boldly, “Climate change is real.”

He would have accomplished just as much had he said, “The sun rises” or “Dogs bark.” Yet another example of uncritical soundbite over meaningful distinctions.

Walk-Ins Welcome w/ Bridget Phetasy #42

Marshall Herskovitz And the Importance of Betting on Yourself Explicit

August 1, 2019

0 COMMENTS

Hosted by Bridget Phetasy

Marshall Herskovitz, writer, director and producer (thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, Dangerous Beauty), drops by to talk about how he got his start in Hollywood, when he decided he’d rather fail and leave the business than keep writing things that didn’t feel like him, the TV movie that kick-started his and partner Ed Zwick’s careers into high gear, and what kind of reboot he would do for thirtysomething if the opportunity arose. Learn why he, Ed, and Winnie Holzman wound up sobbing when they had to do the DVD commentary for the My So-Called Life pilot, why they were terrified of Claire Danes, and why the way we define risk is so destructive in our society. Marshall shares how making Dangerous Beauty (one of Bridget’s all-time favorite films) was his all-time favorite experience in the business, what the film meant to him, and the reason for its incredible longevity after initially bombing at the box office. They discuss everything from the extreme the changes in the movie and television industry in the last 10 years, to the truth about climate change, how Democrats are getting the messaging wrong, the difference between investment and cost, and how the economy is like a bottle of wine. Don’t miss Bridget’s story about Jared Leto and Marshall’s story about Brad Pitt.

The Most Ridiculous Movies About Climate Change

By Victor Tango Kilo

Victor Tango Kilo

| July 13, 2019

28 COMMENTS

Here’s my hot five, feel free to add yours in the comments won’t you?

The Day After Tomorrow – Global warming causes New York to freeze and CGI wolves to run amok in New Jersey. I forget, is Matthew Broderick in this one, or do I have it confused with some other Roland Emmerich POS?